Questions and Answers for Defiant 1800-Watt Outdoor Post Mount Button Dusk-To-Dawn Photocell, Black

A:  the switch leg to red black to fixture black white to white

A:  You'll need to supply the sensor with the switched hot (black wire) and the neutral (white wire) and it should work fine

A:  Wire the incoming black wire with the black wire from the sensor, and your light fixture together. Wire the incoming white wire to the white wire from the sensor. Wire the red wire from the sensor, to the white wire from your light fixture. Connect ground wires appropriately

A:  You can us a split switch or a three-way switch where when you flip the switch one way you have power to the circuit if you flip switch the other way you have the Photo Cell controlling the circuit.

A:  A light switch interrupts the hot wire (black), opening the circuit, turning the light off. Therefore, you would install the light switch between the circuit breaker in the panel and this photocell on the black wire. So, black wire from the circuit breaker to one side of the switch, black wire from the other side of the switch to the black wire on the photocell, red wire (hot outlet of the photocell) connected to black wire to light. White wire (neutral) from the same circuit breaker goes directly to the white wire on the photocell and also connects to the white wire to the light (3 white wires connected with one wire nut at the photocell). Ensure proper use of j-boxes at all connections, all wires are securely connected with wire nuts and connectors on the switch, and no bare wires. Hope this helps.

A:  no

A:  No there isn't a way to adjust the sensitivity.

A:  No adjustments

A:  No. I read the instructions and there is no adjustment for sensitivity.

A:  Not internally, you can mount in different locations in bright sunshine to prolong the off cycle control or in a shady area to shorten the off control. In the past we have covered the cell with a small amount of black electrical tape to create the effect of sundown sooner.

A:  The Old style photo cell switch was built where the sun controlled the withholding of the passage of current by the presents of light on the surface of cell. The new style of photo switch adds a common wire for the passage of current when light is present. The red wire is the controlled circuit. This switch with the white common wire allows for different wire options like over rides when you need light or the circuit to be active in the presents of light.

A:  Your garden lights are most likely low voltage direct current (12 V DC, 24 V DC, etc.). This photocell, and others like it, are for line voltage alternating current (110 V AC, 115 V AC, 120 V AC). You probably need to find a DC type photocell.

A:  The threaded tube extends to the outside of the box cover or frame to be exposed to light/darkness with a gasket to protect the wired base from moisture. Then end has to be exposed to sun light to turn the switch off and when the sun goes down the switch is turned on.

A:  It should be mounted separately in a single-gang electrical box with a stainless steel cover plate high on an exterior wall. the sensor should be installed through a hole in the cover plate using the included plastic nut and washer to tighten it to the cover plate. The wires should be concealed in the electrical box after you install the cover plate on the box. The trick is wiring this in-line with the power to the lights you want to control which requires electrical wiring knowledge.

A:  no this is for 120 volt a/c not 12v dc

A:  No

A:  Not likely. There may be a way to wire so it CAN work. However, this photocell is intended for 120 V AC power, not DC. You would be better off finding a photocell intended for DC power.

A:  No. It requires 120vac to function.

A:  No. See product description.

A:  not with out 120vac and a relay, try a Sensky Bs020 12dc photo control output will be 12Vdc +

A:  No. When light stays on in daylight the photocell has failed.

A:  Same thing happened to mine. It fails in on position. Appears to be an item unique to Home Depot, not a national brand so probably cheap junk. Won't buy it again.

A:  Need to get new cell, made incorrectly !

A:  You may want to see if there are any other controls (timers, motion control, photo cell control) wired into the same circuit somewhere. If so then that will cause malfunctioning of one another and could be your issue. Do you have 2 or 3 wires coming from main power source? Also make sure wiring is done exactly as follows... Connect black power line wire (hot line) to the black wire of the control. Connect black wires from light fixture to the red wire of the control. Connect all white wires from the fixture and white wire of the control to white power line (neutral). See video link How To for correct wiring diagram of wired photo controls.

A:  A typical photocell will fail in the ON position or "closed circuit" the cell has either failed or you lost your neutral to the photocell.

A:  Mine did the same thing after 1 day. I think it is just junk.