Waterloo Electrical Services: Pros and Cons of Motion Sensor Lighting

Waterloo Electrical Services: Pros and Cons of Motion Sensor Lighting

When considering electrical services in Waterloo, you might want to think about a significant change that can offer multiple benefits to you, your family and your property. Motion sensor lighting is designed to turn on the illumination in your home in response to your natural movements. It offers many advantages, but it might not be correct for every property. Here is a look at its advantages and disadvantages.

Motion Sensor Lighting Pros

When the motion sensor detects movement in the room, it turns on the lights. When you leave the room and are no longer moving around in it, it turns the lights off. This is a more efficient use of energy because the lights only go on when you need them. Because you use less power, you may see a significant decrease in your monthly utility bills.

If you are a parent, you know that children can be absent-minded and distractable. Sometimes they forget to turn off the lights when they leave a room. Other times, they purposely do not turn off the lights because they only intend to be out of the room for a moment, but then they get distracted by something else and do not return for an hour or more. Then you are stuck paying the bill for the wasted energy. You don’t have to worry about this with motion sensor lighting because the lights go off automatically when the children leave the room. It is also good for young children who cannot yet reach the light switches as well as family members who have difficulty operating them, such as elderly people with arthritis or people with disabilities that affect manual dexterity and motor skills.

Another common reason why people consider residential electrical services to install motion sensor lighting is security. If a burglar breaks into your home, the lights will go on automatically. This alerts you to the threat so that you can call for help and may scare the burglar away.

Motion Sensor Cons

For all the many benefits of motion sensor lighting, it has its weaknesses as well. To take full advantage of the convenience they offer, you have to give up a measure of control. For example, the lights may go on when you do not want or intend them to. If the sensors are sensitive enough, the lights may go on as you are just walking by a room. Some homeowners find this to be an annoyance.

The motion sensors detect movement but cannot tell what is causing it. Therefore, the lights may go on when the room is empty except for a dog or a cat, animals that are equipped by nature to navigate effectively in a dark room and do not need the lights on to get around.

The opposite problem can occur as well. You may find that the lights go off when you do not want them to if you have been still for a long time while watching television or reading a book. It can be annoying to be suddenly plunged into darkness without desiring or even expecting it. However, this is a problem that can be remedied, either by making a point to keep moving at certain intervals to keep the lights on or by combining the motion sensor lighting with lamps that you can operate manually.

Contact Us for Electrical Services in Waterloo

CJ Brubacher Ltd. has been providing both residential and commercial electrical services in the Waterloo area for nearly 100 years. Our experienced technicians can install your motion sensor lighting and, if you ever have a problem with it, perform repairs as necessary. Find out more about the potential benefits of updating the lighting in your home with a motion sensor system.

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