HOW TO WIRE A PHOTOCELL FAST AND EASY, SHORT VERSION, THE TRUTH, WIRING INSTALLING HOOKING UP
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- čas přidán 4. 09. 2024
- Short version how, what and where to do with the three wires on that photocell you want to use to automatically turn your lights on at dusk and off at dawn.
If you would like to see more about the project I was working on to make this video look at my video here - • ▶ INSTALL REPLACE A PH...
PS
What wire goes to the ground screw ?
The ground wire, if there is one, goes on the ground screw.
As it is... in my case, my example, my situation on my property... there was no ground wire.
There is a black power wire and a white power wire...
and a "black light socket wire" and a "white light socket wire"...
and (3) a red, white and black photocell wires.
Connect the 3 white wires together...
connect the "black light socket wire" to the red photocell wire....
connect the black power wire to the black photocell wire... and it should work.
If you use them... make sure you use the correct sized wire nuts (I usually try 2-3 sizes and go with the one which fits best and tightest)(A bigger wire nut for 3 wires etc etc) and I always make sure to point them UP, so any moisture can drain out the open end.
I am not a licensed electrician, there may be other/better ways to do this... but this is the way I wired my photocells on my property and they worked fine.
If anyone is doing work on other peoples property they should probably ..... yadda yadda yadda.
perfect. Ordered one of these online and came with no wiring instructions. You were straight to the point and it installed perfectly. Thanks
It is great to read your good words, I am happy my video helped. "no instructions" is what inspired this video, the one I bought had no instruction either... and as simple as the solution is, making a mistake with electricity can easily cost/waste money... or worse.
@@7777jayhawk are you still taking questions on this wiring problem. So many have them stay on all the time. I blow the gfi breaker on my deck led lights thought white was ways to white.the led lights on have 2 wires hot and ground.I tried 3-5 differerned wiring version and it either blows the breaker in the house or stays on all th etime on the outside gfi. The Only place the led light sensor going off and on was inside on a regular circuit, . but that's not gft.I don't know where you are going with after all the white wires. I always.it's the green ground or the hot wires that messes everything. thanks.
Simple so anyone can understand. Thanks!
@@KittieHoney Never could get mine to work no matter how I wired it. Just like everyone else. How did you get it to work?
One of the best videos on CZcams. Answered my question in less than a minute. Concise...no time wasted.
I have installed an old motion sensor light without manual. Your short instruction made me easy to finish the job. Thank you so much and I really appreciate your video!
absolutely love the fact that you started with a diagram which i paused, read and digested before looking at the rest of the video. Made the video make complete sense. Thank you
YVM, My pleasure Josue. I am inspired... to start all of my videos with the camera pointed at the subject or a diagram getting to the point... I am inspired by too many video makers imagining they are a TV show starting with a 30 second "branding" animation of their channel.... I am inspired by too many videos starting with the camera pointed at some dude standing there talking about who he is, where he lives and what he thinks he might tell us about. Then 2-3 minutes later he "might" actually start explaining... maybe... might make sense or be true.
Too many videos these days are click bait that promise to explain something but never do.
I use CZcams also, I come here when I some help and is it frustrating to waste so much time trying to fine the one person who made a video which fulfills the promise.
They inspire me to GET TO THE POINT!
It is my pleasure to do my best to make videos which get to the point... even if my comments can go and on and on.... :)
I have a bunch of footage from many projects but I have lost my inspiration to actually edit the footage into videos.... but I keep recording and maybe someday I will post more videos.
Cheers
THANK YOU.. SHORT SWEET AND TO THE DAMN POINT. so many 5 min videos that still can't explain it!!!!! Boooom
Short and sweet. Thanks for the help
Thank you so much for putting up those diagrams, it makes it so much more easier to understand for us DIYers and novices. That is quite simple. Thanks again guy. 👍👍👍
Short and sweet 👍🏻
Thanks for the video. Short and precise 👏👏👏👍
This helped me reverse the wiring for a security camera thank you
Best explanation yet👍🙏
Brother thank you! Straight and to the point. Alot of other people love to hear themselves talk.
My pleasure to help out, good to hear from you.
On the short version videos I get to the point... and even on my long videos there is no footage of my face yakking the story of my life and no pounding bass beat music in the back ground.
When I watch a video video like this I know just want to know which freekin wires connect where! So that is what I made.
Seems ever since them kartrashgals got famous for nuthin, everyone wants a camera on their face and a pounding bass beat in the back ground...
Easy peeeaaasyyy!!!!
Thanks!!!
Everyone else posts videos of them grunting and trying to strip wires or mumbling or touring the house. None of them helps. Yours is the one that got us fixed and running again. Thanks!
My pleasure! I make videos the way I want to see videos and if something can be shown sort and sweet (with no grunting, no posing, no me standing in front of the camera like some Kartrashian wannabe boring you about who I am and what I might... maybe... someday... be talking about later in the video... and NO blaring music either... just get to the freekin point) then I make the video like that. :D
Facts be known before I made this video I was replacing a photocell and although I used to know how to do it, I forgot, i knew it was simple, but when I went on CZcams to get a quick reminder, sure enough, as you said, it was a bunch of grunting and mumbling.... when I really just wanted someone to PLEASE JUST TELL ME WHERE THE FREEKIN WIRES ATTACH.... and I didn't see that video... it was needed... so I made one myself.
And it is good to hear appreciation from people like you to know it was worth the effort.
Flono McFlooneyloo Agreed on the long drawn out video. That's all I needed was 59 seconds.
Thank you very much ❤ most helpful among all ❤
good job!! informative and straight to the point!!!!
Thank you! Short, sweet and to the point, exactly what I was looking for. The previous video I watched said it was short and to the point, it was 9 minutes long and never even covered the key points of what wire goes to what wire. Just wired it and it works perfectly
So well put Simple as that
And that's how you make it quick and simple.
Excellent video.
Cheers Jeff, it is always great to hear I did it right and it helped!
@@7777jayhawk
Oh yeah. Thanks again… from a Kentucky fan. Haha
Thank you 7777jayhawk, very simple and right to the point. very good video!
Can't get any easier than that, thanks. Great video, thanks for sharing.
My pleasure to share the knowledge and make it easy... Thank you for the good words, they make me feel good
This was the perfect instructions short to the point and the notes at the end were awesome thanks.
I am happy it helped
Thanks for your help right o, time.
Very welcome! It is nice to hear that my video helped.
Thank You! I didn’t need to know theory, like some want to go through before showing you how to hook it up. All I wanted to know was what wire leads went where. Thanks for the post! 👍
I am happy my video helped you, your good words make me feel good.
Good job! Simple, concise.
Thanks man. Great video straight to the point. Life saver.
Right on :) Great to hear/read you say that. I made it like this because the last thing we need is another video of... some guy on camera, standing there for 2-3 minutes explaining to us who he is and what he is going to show us... usually preceded by 30 seconds of some silly animation intro screen (as if it is a TV show to movie) followed a pounding bass beat, lame some song or muzak which adds nothing to anything.
I am firm believer in 1)NO INTRO 2) CAMERA POINTED AT THE SUBJECT (not my ugly face) 3) EXPLAIN SOME DETAILS 4) THE END then maybe... 5) five or ten seconds of a silent screen showing a link saying.... "watch my other video" a screen is easily skipped by turning it all off and go install the dang 3 wire photocell.
3 wires? What in the world?
CHEERS!
Thanks much. !! Fixed me up.👍.
Short and sweet!
Thank you for the good words... hope your install goes well.
Thanks for the info and graphic. I was able to connect 6 lights to one dusk to dawn photocell.
Very useful video, a big thank you.
Thanks, worked perfectly!
Thanks I didn't know where the red wire went
You are welcome Brian, always great to read good words like yours!
Clearest instructions!!!! Thanks!!!
You are very welcome, it is my pleasure to help out.
I went to KU as well!!! Rock Chalk!!!
@@kwanyeecheng GO KU!! :)
Very simple training . Thanks
Clear and concise. Thanks so much. I watched it because it was the shortest one! Saw a 9 minute one on the same thing!?
Thank you for the kind comment, My pleasure to help out... I understand the length issue, I can be guilty of making/posting too long videos too, but...
Last year I started making these edited to be short videos when the bare bones info could be shown faster.
I still post the longer version too becasue and I try to add more info and try to make sure to maybe show some extra added interesting things...
But I appreciate 100% (and I too usually) just see and quickly learn "which wires go where" so I can get he job done.
But even with long videos I never have 30 second intro animations. I know I want to see them and I dont want to meet/greet/see/get to know some guy telling who he is.. and I dont want to hear blaring music... I simply want to know which freekin wire goes where and move along :)
So when I see a need for a short video like that... I make and post it....
Of course some topics take longer and can not be edited down... but when they can be... it is kind of fun to tear apart my own videos and make then as short as possible.
Finally , THanks a million.
most comprehensive and easy to understand video on the topic out there right now. major props. what if my light has a ground wire too?
Thank you for the good words Joseph, they are my only pay for my videos and it makes me feel good to hear that I did good, that is my main objective with my videos :)
------ ""what if my light has a ground wire too?"" -------
If your light has a ground wire AND the house power supply wire at the light has aground wire, then connect them.... but if the house power supply wire only has the black and white wires, like mine does, well.... I can only say what I did...
My power supply cable did not have a ground when I started this project and fact be known that light and this house has been here for 50 years without a ground wire attached... so I did not ground the light.
If there had been a ground wire sticking out of the fixture I would have tucked it in, but that may be the wrong way. Could that cause me problems later? is it dangerous? Is it OK? I am honestly not qualified to answer that. But my light is not grounded and so far so good.
I suppose the right thing to do is run a ground wire (or run a whole new power cable with a ground wire) to the lighting fixture and then make sure the other end of the ground wire is actually properly grounded (or it is all for naught) and then connect the ground wire to the light... but I didn't do that... I decided to leave it like it has been wired for 50 years and I watched a football game, read a book or made another video instead :)
That is my "cover my ass" answer while also trying to offer good info :)
Thanks for the good words, they are always appreciated. Have a great week!
Thank YOU!!
The best!!!!
Awesome!! Thank you 🙏
You are welcome, I am happy it helped!
I have 3 wires from the house, one is a ground wire, so I connect the ground wire to the metal part of the light where the green screw is, and then connect the other wires like you did
Sounds good Dingo, You should make a video showing that... and maybe show how/where the ground wire is connected (at the other end) so it can help out if/when there is a short and the ground wire is needed.
great
Thanks
Fucking cool man
straight to the point
Best & to the point.There are so many longers versions=Useless.
Thank you for the compliment
I can be guilty of some too long videos too, but I try to redeem myself by making (editing to shreds) these short versions too, when I think they can be useful (maybe more useful)... (but I do try to add in extra ideas and useful tips on the long winded versions)
But the facts are - The average viewing time per video here is under 3 minutes, and that is fact (for my videos anyway).
THANK YOU.....how easy was that!
You are welcome, thanks for the good words :)... it is easy, but having three wires coming out of the photocell... and one them is red? what? and none of them is a ground wire ? It made me wonder... and based on the replies I get many others wonder too... thus we needed a simple video explaining it.... and it is my pleasure to post this one to help out.
Maybe the photocell manufactures will read all of this and print simple instructions on the photocell wires themselves... e.g. black connects to power supply black, red connects to light fixture black, white-to-white-to-white... or something like that.
Thank you
You are very welcome, it is my pleasure to help out.
The power line going from the home is red and white. The light fixture is black and white. And the two wires from the photo cell are black. What are your thoughts in wiring everything up? Thanks.
The photocell should have 3 wires, if it does not... if it was me... I would not use it. I would obtain a 3 wire photocell to keep things simple. They only cost $5-$15.00 which is cheap enough to be safe than sorry.
Once you have a 3 wire photocell.... Uhm... As far as the red and black house wires?
I guess... man I dont know.
Once again if it was me I would assume the black is the black and the red it the white... BUT that could be disastrously wrong.
YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL because, course you are solely responsible if it all blows up.
Based on that, if it was me.... I would get some ideas from the internet, but I ultimately it is all up to me. We/you/all of us have to take responsibility for our actions. No blaming/suing the internet guy.
Another idea is... do a simple small test using a lamp or something with a cord you can cut into and then reconnect.
Cut the cord (you actually only have to cut one of the wires on the cord) on the lamp which will give you 2 ends representing your power line and light fixture. If you cut the cord in two, before cutting mark the sides of the cord to reattach them the same. THEN... maybe your two wires on the photocell can be connected to wires on the cord. You know? Hook one photocell wire to coming... and the other photocell wire to going... and leave the other cord wire connected.
Then hold your breath and plug it in... Have a helper keep their eye on the breaker box, shield your eyes from the bulb in case it explodes and then wait to see if the photocell works.
Hold you finger over the lens (making it dark) and see if the light comes on. It may take up to 5 minutes to activate, so give it time. If it comes on point the lens to the light and see if it goes off.
If that test works then do the same thing on where you want to install the photocell.
I hope that made sense, if not ask again, I am happy to help. I may not answer fast, but I do try to get back with people who are polite.
I am curious how it all turns out, let me know :)
I installed a photocell on two lights I have just outside the garage. One of the light is blinking on and off, what could be causing that?
I hope it has stopped blinking by now and is working fine, sometimes they just need to work themselves out. If not I hope you have returned it and the replacement words fine. If not, I am not sure why it is blinking. Maybe it is the time of day dusk/dawn and it is not sure to be on or off... other wise... it is probably defective, esp if the other one is working fine.
What if the photocell only has two wires, black and white? Do the three black wires all go together?
Here is a question... "Can the RED wire be the main source of power that connects to other lighting loads??" To make a little bit more clear, I don't want the photo cell to be near the lighting load I want to be creative and place the photo cell in a different position so that means the Red wire will connect to a 14 AWG to connect to the lighting fixture... will that work??
I guess you could run some extension wires, but it will still be wired the same. I suggest calling the manufacturer of the photocell and ask them the smartest way to do this. I call help desks all the time and ask them about smarter ways to do things like this. I actually look to do business with (buy the products of) places that have a toll free 1-800 help desk number listed on the package. Give them a call and let us know what they said.
I have three wires from sensor. The wire I'm running from the sensor to the transformer is two wires. How would I hook that up, or do I need to get three wire to run from sensor to transformer?
If I understand the question and it is like most things I have dealt with.... The transformer is just a like any power line with 2 wires coming from it. the fixture has 2 wires. The photocell sensor has 3 wires. Follow the diagram in the video and hook 3 white wires together, then hook the other wires to each other as the diagram shows.
Why in God’s name aren’t the directions that come with them this clear? Is this some collusion to drive business to certified electricians? I could have stopped the video after the first two seconds thanks to your clear and easy to understand diagram.
What’s the house wire ?
@7777jayhawk
1 minute ago
There are two wires coming from the house, one is black and one is white... as shown in the video.
The diagram calls them "Power Supply".
What if the power wire coming off your breaker is a red wire?
Well... if I KNEW it really was the power wire and just happened to be colored red (and I knew for fact it really is the power wire)... i would think it does not matter what color it is... I would just hook it up. BUT....if someone else was doing it....and they were not sure what they are doing then maybe they should call a licensed electrician.
I tried this and it caused my water heater to stop working.
I understand, I posted but it seems someone delted the disclaimer for the this video. I said that doing this has been to known to cause blackouts, cursing, excessive drinking, water heaters to stop working, Sleepiness, Dizziness, cars to suddenly run out of gasoline, wives to start nagging, extra urination, erection problems, weakness, leg cramps, thoughts and desires of wanting to ride a horse or jet ski are just a few of possible side effects. In addition Fatigue, Clumsiness, Weight gain, Indigestion or nausea, Nervousness, Memory loss, Headache, thoughts of drinking a lot of beer, Intense and sudden foot pain, gout, garbage disposal to act erratically, wive to act erotically, lawns suddenly need mowed, strange feelings that you want to move away, Diarrhea or constipation, Swelling of hands or feet, Fever, Itchy eyes, Thoughts of suicide or harming yourself, Seizure, fatigue, Intense and sudden foot pain, gout, garbage disposal to act erratically, wive to act erotically, husband to start fixing everything or nothing depending on the season and location, lawn suddenly need mowed, sudden feeling you want to move away, please check the packaging and with your Doctor, Lawyer, CPA and others before ever trying this on you own.
The Poster and hoster of this video is not responsible what you do... everyone is responsible for their own actions and non-actions.
@@7777jayhawk Man, I have all these symptoms. now I know what to stop doing, thanks.
Thank you!!
My pleasure Darren! Thank you for taking the time to post some good words :)