How to Replace, Repair of a Lamppost Sensor - Simple $15 DIY

This is one of the easiest repairs there is. I'll show you how to save $50 or more by doing this yourself. Sensor info provided below.
This is the sensor I used for the repair:
www.homedepot.com/p/Newport-C...
here's one that's around $10:
www.homedepot.com/p/TORK-120-...
here's one highly rate on Amazon for around $11:
www.amazon.com/Solo-Lights-SP...
Music: Stepping Along the Sky by TeknoAXE can be found here:
• Remastered: Stepping A...
WARNING:
This video is only for entertainment purposes. If you rely on the information portrayed in this video, you assume the responsibility for the results. Have fun, but always think ahead, and remember that every project you try is at YOUR OWN RISK.
#homerepair #fixit #DIY

[@maryd826]

Hope you still see these comments since this video is a bit old, but just wanted to send you a huge THANK YOU! I felt like i could figure out how to do this, but its a little intimidating when you aren't skilled at electrical work. Watching your video gave me that little extra boost of confidence i needed. Very clear and concise, excellent job on this. Daylight sensor has been replaced and working perfectly - Thank you again!

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Mary, I try to read all the comments no matter how old the video. Thanks for taking the time to leave me one. Glad my video helped you.

[@markwandrey2937]

Thanks. I need to do this task. Great presentation and background sound.

[@wenyizhang5077]

Thanks for your video. Really helps a lot.

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Wenyi, your welcome. Great name by the way, very unique!

[@wittelarry1]

Thanks for the heads up 👍

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Larry, no problem, glad you liked the video.

[@Gentilejedi]

I’m going to attempt this. I called my electrician to do and he charges $100. I saw your video and Amazon cells the kit. So why not! Thank you.

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Wednesday, good luck, but be careful! Tell me how it turns out.

[@LanceMcGrew]

My yard light was not coming on at night so I replaced the photo cell and it still didn't work. Finally figured out the GFI was tripped. Good idea to check before wasting money on a new sensor.

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Lance McGrew, thanks for sharing. Always a good thing to do.

[@armelind64]

What's GFI

[@Davidmallen429]

Thanks for that comment. Just saved me a lot of time. GFCI was tripped!

[@maryvoss1178]

Thanks!

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

No problem!

[@swollen4ever]

Thank you

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

swollen4ever, you're quite welcome.

[@gcasady2]

Exactly the video I was hoping to find to teach me how to replace my own lamppost sensor which broke. Thank you!!

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

gcasady2, I'm glad my video helped you out. Thanks for taking time to leave a comment. Always appreciated.

[@gcasady2]

@@MakeItorBreakItNow You're welcome, no problem! Very helpful video! Thanks again!

[@rubberduck2216]

Hi I'm replacing my light on my post it also looks like it has sensor. But im not sure what switches on the circuit breaker to flip it off. I thought I had the right one but I got a little zap. Any idea?

[@lakecityransom]

1 of the few times you can have the lightbulb be off and say "IT WORKS!"

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

lakecityransom, very true. Thanks for sharing, you're making me smile.

[@Charlydx21]

Question, does your light fixture have to be a dusk till dawn model or any other regular version will work? I’m guessing the dusk till dawn box you replaced turns the normal or any fixture to a dusk till dawn fixture.

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Charlydx21, if I understand your queion coorectly, the answer is yes, as long as your light can support the wiring, and the post can incorporate the box.

[@BLACKBEARDSBOOMBOX]

It can take holding your hand over the photo sensor a lot longer than this video makes it look to test your installation.

[@michellebigatti805]

You mentioned 2 black wires and one went to black and the other to red.... how do you know which one to attach to which one?

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Michelle Bigatti, the best way to where the wires go is to take a picture of the set up before disconnection the old wiring. The paper instructions that come with the sensor also might help.If you have two wires of the same color a bit of tape on the wires also helps.

[@davepeck4637]

Thank you for the video. My lamp post just has two wires coming from it. But the sensor has three wires coming from it. Cant get it working

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Dave, check the diagram that comes with the sensor, sometimes you can pair two of the wires together to make it work. Not trying to be insulting here though some don't know, if your third wire that's a ground. You might not have the right sensor for your lamp. I get in the habit of taking pictures of the "before" setup to make sure I get it right when I put things back together, that always seems to help me now having learned from my past mistakes. Thanks for your comment.

[@LubaLuba1]

Hi have done this a few times but does anyone know a screw in socket photo cell that actually works indie the globe because I get the bulb flickering as is begins to turn on or off so not reading to well inside the glass enclosure.

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Luba Luba, your sensor is inside the fixture. I've never heard of anything like that.

[@mikcall54]

Best if you have a 5 ft stepladder and set it next to the post and lay the light on it. Then disconnect each sensor wire one by one and reconnect the new one by one. Then remove the old sensor and put the new one into the hole. With the wires already connected you cannot accidentally drop it down the inside of the pole.

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Great idea! Thanks for sharing so others can benefit from your suggestion.

[@TheUniquepools]

Dumb question. We have that wire one . The wire shelves won’t spin . Is there an adjustment to loosen them ?

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Not a dumb question. Look around a bit you might find something... Hard to tell since I can't see your setup.

[@kimbanyc]

There is a transformer crammed into my light pole. We have a CFL light. Is it for that?

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Kimbee, hard to tell without seeing the light or setup, but most screw in CFLs dont require a separate transformer.

[@tyronepatterson5607]

The video was a great help. But did you connect ground wire to anything at all . When i pulled it apart . The ground wire wasn't connected to anything

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Tyrone, that's interesting. My post had a ground wire attached to it. Look around a bit more, you might find one, maybe deeper in the post. But be careful.

[@tyronepatterson5607]

So if i still do not see a ground. What is my next move. I see a ground wire from the light part, but nothing down in the pole

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

@@tyronepatterson5607 I hesitate to recommend things because I can't physically see your setup. When in doubt ask a friend or neighbor who is more familiar with your system. Good luck.

[@VA-NJdevilsfan]

My sensors keep going bad, any chance I can just bypass it? Not worth replacing it every year and a half (new construction in 2017, been through 2 now

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Peter, interesting. You can probably by-pass, but then your would be on all the time? If you have a switch, less of an issue, our post light doesn't have a switch. For me and the neighbors these sensors last about 5-10 years. I've found sometimes sensors go faster if there is moisture path, it can be the smallest hole. Not saying this what is happening for you, but you might want to give it a check.

[@VA-NJdevilsfan]

@@MakeItorBreakItNow Yes sorry, it's already on a switch in the house so it would just be a light switch on/off vs on/off + sensor. The sensor doesn't add a lot so why bother (IMHO)

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

@@VA-NJdevilsfan then I'd have to agree with you. Thanks for the follow up

[@jeeprenegade1985]

What size sensor are you using? I went through a lot of the smaller sensors that use a 7/16" hole. I'm going to try the larger one like he has in this video. It uses a 5/8" hole.

[@craigjung7543]

Hi...nice video. I have a dilemma and hoping you have a solution. The hole for my sensor is 1 foot down from the top of the pole. How can I easily get the new sensor in? No way I can get my hand down there. Makes me wonder how did they get it in in the first place. Thanks.

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

You can use a coat hanger or other, thicker wire, and tape/hook the sensor to it and lower it down, and guide it into the hole. You might also want to attach a "safety" string line so if the sensor falls off the wire before you can get it in the hole, it doesn't fall to the bottom of the lamppost. Hope this helps.

[@craigjung7543]

@@MakeItorBreakItNow thanks...that's what I was thinking

[@Talinthis]

Did you fix your mositure problem? gasket or something

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

The moisture "problem" hasn't presented itself since I made this video. So no real need at this point to fix it when I have to repair so many other things. The perils of a home owner...

[@rockyesterline7942]

I'm doing this whole thing new light new sensor but I have no power coming out of the pole I'm thinking it's a circuit breaker

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Rocky, most likely. make sure the power is not on when you are working on the wiring.

[@yennguyen7640]

Where did you buy sensor ?

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Yen Nguyen, thanks for your question. I posted three sensor options in the show more area of the video ranging from $10-$15. The one I installed was the Newport Crest Universal Photo Eye.

[@armelind64]

My light doesn't turn on when I try switching it on from inside the house. Could this be my problem? Also when you mention that you switch electricity off is it all electricity to my home or just breaker to the lamppost. If so, mine isn't labeled, so I don't know which breaker

[@Alycanj]

Do you have just one lamp post or a couple, if you have more than one that works just go down the switches at your box until a light goes out, is rare for all photocells to go out at once but if you have several lights out and can't find the cut off switch for power then you have to turn off main power, only other way would be have another person with a voltage meter help and take lamp cover off to expose the wire connections and have that person test the reading as you turn off switches and find the one that kills the power then label it. This only takes a few minutes to wire in a new photocell or just wire lamp to house power and do away with the photocell, there are a few ways to skin this cat, hope it helps you.

[@davidderolph2845]

I wish the video showed wire connections, step-by-step.

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

I tried to do the best job of showing at the time. If I replace one of these sensors again, I'll do a better step by step, I've learned a lot since then.

[@steveandsheilalauder8261]

I have replaced my photocell for the 3rd time this year. And pretty much every year for the past 5 years. They boast that they are raintight. Not. If anyone call give me the brand of a reliable raintight photocell, i appreciate hearing from you. In the meantime i am going to put something above the cell to shelter it from direct rainfall. Alternately, I just start using dusk to dawn light bulbs. $17 for 2 on amazon.ca with a 3 yr warranty.

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Halifax Steve, thanks for the tip about the lightbulbs. I'll have to check that out. I'm now using LED bulbs I got from COSTCO that are working well for me. Have you tried using caulk or hot glue to seal up areas around the sensor? That might help. I've also found electrical tape around the twisted pairs also helps, just in case your not doing those things already.

[@steveandsheilalauder8261]

@@MakeItorBreakItNow thanks for getting back to me. It is obvious that the lense that is exposed to the elements has moisture/water in it. Although the assemble boast raintight, they are obviously not. Today I installed a dusk to dawn led. I hope it lasts. Some boast up to 25000 hours, which if you do the math can last up to almost 7 years. Much easier than replacing the photocell every 3 months. I've researched this issue extensively and it looks like these photocells are failing a lot for homeowners. Cheers

[@Floridamarty]

Your title would be more accurate if it said replace instead of repair. Otherwise thanks for sharing the info for novices.

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

Thanks for the tip. Appreciate the suggestion.

[@gorilla5998]

first

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

cool man, yes you are first. Thanks for watching.

[@spdklls7]

clicking your fricking link sent my antivirus into alarm and lockdown mode ..thumbs down

[@MakeItorBreakItNow]

spdkklls7, thanks for the feedback, I fixed the music link.