Security lights and your home

Q: I cannot afford a security system or the high electric bills from leaving outdoor lights on all night. How much does it cost to operate motion-sensing security lights and which ones are best? - T. A.

A: Automatic motion-sensing outdoor lights are one of the best security options for any home. They are now available as decorative lanterns, post lights, standard two-bulb floodlights and extra bright halogen lights.

If you already have an outdoor light, just attach an inexpensive add-on motion-sensing control to it. The light can still be operated as a normal light. Just flip the switch twice and the light stays on as normal.

Motion-sensing lights use only a fraction as much electricity as leaving lights on all night. Installing them can easily save more than $100 per year in electric bills and pay back their cost in several months.

Easy-to-install solar-powered motion-sensing lights operate for free and use no wiring. Once installed, they require no maintenance. These are ideal for remote areas, garages or storage sheds with no electricity available.

The sun charges the built-in battery during the day. One day's charge provides enough power to switch the light on and off more than 150 times. I use an extra bright solar model with a fluorescent bulb on my tool shed.

In addition to saving electricity, outdoor motion-sensing lights make a would-be thief think he was seen. The ones that I use in my front yard have a transmitter to also switch on an indoor lamp (or alarm) for extra security.

Although many outdoor motion-sensing lights look similar, don't just buy the least expensive one. There are significant differences in the level of sensitivity, range of coverage, and convenience and security features.

The angle of coverage for floodlights and decorative lanterns ranges from a 110 to a 226-degree arc. A greater coverage arc reduces the chance that a burglar can sneak around it. Some decorative post lights provide 360 degree total coverage. The built-in sensor lens is tinted, so it is not obvious.

Adjustable distance sensitivity ranges from a maximum of 30 feet on cheaper ones to a maximum of 100 feet on the best motion-sensing lights. The on-time, after no motion is detected, is adjustable from one to 20 minutes.

A new feature is a two-level light. The outdoor light can be set to stay on from one hour to all night at a dim (20 percent full brightness) energy saving accent level. When motion is detected, it switches to full brightness for several minutes. This provides security and accent lighting in one fixture.

Write for Utility Bills Update No. 799 showing a buyer's guide of 10 motion-sensing electric and solar-powered security lights listing styles, sensitivity arc and distance, features, prices and a cost to operate chart. Please include $2.00 (with checks payable to: "Jim Dulley") and business-size SASE, and send to Jim Dulley, Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708.

Q: I have added an insulating pad under my carpet and now I have to cut one inch off the bottom of my wooden bathroom door. What is the best way to saw it so it doesn't splinter? - J. S.

A: If your house has inexpensive wood doors like mine, they splinter and leave a rough edge. First, plan to cut enough off to leave at least a l/2 inch gap for adequate air inlet area when the bath vent fan is running.

Using a sharp utility knife, score a deep groove along the cut line. This will keep the veneer edge from getting rough. Carefully saw along the bottom edge of the groove. Sand the edge.

James Dulley is a mechanical engineer who writes on a wide variety of energy and utility topics. His column appears in a large number of daily newspapers.

Copyright 1996 James Dulley

10 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING MAY 1996