Electrical assistance needed

[Father Kit Cool Gun Garth]

We have a light fixture over the kitchen sink that is motion sensor.
The original reason was to have a light automatically come on whenever you were in front of the sink.
[There are recessed lights throughout the kitchen operated by a separate light switch.]
Lately it has become an issue whereby standing still too long causes the light to go out, resulting in the necessity to move.
[Please, no jokes at this time]
Is there a way to open the unit and disconnect something to turn it into a regular light?
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[Rye Miles #13621]

There may be something on YouTube.

[Rip Snorter]

If you know you are going to be there for a while, flick on the other lights?  Last time I had an electrician, it was expensive and he ignored tasks on our list that he didn't want to do, he didn't charge for them either, but still annoying.

[Cypress Sun]

15 minutes ago, Father Kit Cool Gun Garth said:

We have a light fixture over the kitchen sink that is motion sensor.
The original reason was to have a light automatically come on whenever you were in front of the sink.
[There are recessed lights throughout the kitchen operated by a separate light switch.]
Lately it has become an issue whereby standing still too long causes the light to go out, resulting in the necessity to move.
[Please, no jokes at this time]
Is there a way to open the unit and disconnect something to turn it into a regular light?
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

Maybe. 

 

Post a picture of the light here, on this thread.

Probably won't be able to tell without removing the fixture from the ceiling but you never know.

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

Could you install a second light on a switch?

[Michigan Slim]

Does it have a timer you can set to increase the ON time? 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

With some motion detector lights, if you turn the switch on, off, and on again, they'll stay on.

[gabby the frog]

FIND MOTION AND ELIMINATE IT FROM THE CIRCUT

[Cactus Jack Calder]

Kit,

If you are at all concerned about your ability to effect a repair guided by instructions from a written page do not read further. I’ve worked as an electrician for several years, including on board ship in the US Navy.

 

The following is written as if you are a complete novice. Please don’t be insulted if they are too simple minded. I don’t want you to get jolted by electricity. Don’t ask!

 

Since you don’t want the light on all the time, 24 hrs, you need a switch to control it. Assuming that you do indeed have a switch you just need to eliminate the motion sensor.

 

So, make the circuit safe, that is turn off the circuit breaker at the breaker panel.
Never just use the wall switch. Why you ask? 
1. Someone almost always walks in while you are holding wires and unconsciously flips the switch. Again don’t ask!

2. Some switches leak, residual voltage may get past the switch and jolt you.

 

OK,  the motion sensor is just a switch that opens and closes the circuit. So, unmount the light fixture from the electric box in the ceiling and find the wire leads from the motion sensor, there should be two. One in and one out. You don’t need to know which is which.

 

Cut the sensor out of the circuit. Remove the sensor from the light fixture, it is just in the way anyway.
Connect the wires from the light fixture that were connected to the sensor.
 

You need to know how to connect the wires so that they will be safe. Do you know what a wire nut is? They are the small plastic cones that are used to hold and insulate the wire ends that are connected. 

 

To connect two wires.
1. Strip 1/2” of insulation off the end of each wire exposing the bare conductor. No more than that!

2. Hold the bare conductors parallel to each other with the ends pointing in the same direction.

3. Twist the bare conductors together like a twist tie for your bread package. Generally I use my use my left hand to hold the insulated portions together, my right hand to twist, twist clockwise.
4. Slide a wire nut over the end of the twisted bare conductors and screw it on, clockwise, just like tightening a nut and bolt.

5. The wire nut should grip the bare conductors and become tight to turn. If not the wire nut is too big.

6. Again, generally a yellow wire nut is sufficiently small to grip most lamp fixture wires.

7. Be sure the skirt of the wire nut extends down past the bare conductors and covers the end of the insulation.

8. Before remounting the fixture I would reset the breaker, test the light and then turn off the breaker before remounting the fixture to the electric box.

9. Reset the breaker after the fixture is in place, test it once again (sometimes you can jiggle a connection loose).

Wahlla,  you are now complete.
 

Good luck, please let me know if this was helpful.

CJ

 

[Father Kit Cool Gun Garth]

18 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

Maybe. 

 

Post a picture of the light here, on this thread.

Probably won't be able to tell without removing the fixture from the ceiling but you never know.

 

 

Light is mounted under the kitchen cabinets over the sink. 

 

[Trailrider #896]

Call an electrician from a reputable outfit. Will it be expensive? Probably. Or will you need to call one after you screw it up, and possibly get shocked in the process! Pay by credit card. If there is any problem, and the company won't stand behind their person's work, protest it on the card!  

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

I once worked with a PhD that had a motion detector light installed in his office - against his will.  It was forever shutting the lights off while he was sitting thinking.  He placed one of these duck toys just below the sensor.  It bobbed up and down, keeping his office lights on.  He was a clever, practical fellow.  

 

 

[Cypress Sun]

6 hours ago, Father Kit Cool Gun Garth said:

 

 

Light is mounted under the kitchen cabinets over the sink. 

 

 

The motion detector (MD) appears to be integral with the fixture. It's impossible to tell if the MD wiring can be bypassed or not. 

 

[Dirty Dan Dawkins]

2 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

 

The motion detector (MD) appears to be integral with the fixture. It's impossible to tell if the MD wiring can be bypassed or not. 

 

+1. There is a way around anything, but I cannot always accurately troubleshoot online or over the phone.

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

There comes a time when getting an electrician is the only, and only safe way to a project. Case in point, I purchased a larger Generator to also run House A/C and other items. This meant that going from my 10 Gauge to 6/4 (6 gauge, 4 wire) Gauge. I need a 1 1/8 opening into my panel box from the top. Problem is, the largest knockout on the top of panel are only 5/8. So using a punch to create a bigger opening was to close to the wires coming in from outside. Pulling the new smart meters is a no-no since the minute you pull it, it alerts the Electric Company for a possible illegal hookup.

So my neighbor is a Electrical Contractor and will have, lucky for me, have one of his men come out and do it. Cash deal. Says the kid is always working around Hot Wires and loves doing it and picking up cash on the side. 

[Texas Jack Black]

6 hours ago, Marshal Dan Troop 70448 said:

There comes a time when getting an electrician is the only, and only safe way to a project. Case in point, I purchased a larger Generator to also run House A/C and other items. This meant that going from my 10 Gauge to 6/4 (6 gauge, 4 wire) Gauge. I need a 1 1/8 opening into my panel box from the top. Problem is, the largest knockout on the top of panel are only 5/8. So using a punch to create a bigger opening was to close to the wires coming in from outside. Pulling the new smart meters is a no-no since the minute you pull it, it alerts the Electric Company for a possible illegal hookup.

So my neighbor is a Electrical Contractor and will have, lucky for me, have one of his men come out and do it. Cash deal. Says the kid is always working around Hot Wires and loves doing it and picking up cash on the side. 

Not very smart