OT dusk to dawn light

Does anyone have a clue why my dusk to dawn light goes out when the central air kicks in? It doesn't make any sense. Naturally there on seperate circuts. Any help appreciated. Thanks

I cant answer your question, but I would take the danged thing down.

I have never liked them. Can't see the stars.
Plus, I want a light that comes on with a switch, when I want it on. I think those lights just light things up for the crooks.

On a dark night, you can drive by my place and not see the house. But with a flip of a switch I have the big halogen floodlights that shine AWAY from the house. If I have a problem with crooks, I want the light in their eyes and me in the shadows. Not the other way around.

My brother lived out along the hard road and kept having problems with trespassers, hitch-hikers, people with car problems, etc. Highway patrol man suggested he take out his light. The problems stopped.

Not many people want to walk up to a totally dark place.

Gene

Gene: My wife has been on me forever to put the light on a switch for the same reason. She likes it dark when we're on the patio, then when we go in she wants the light on. But now that you mentioned it, I wonder if it would be better with the light off for secutity. But boy would it be dark out here. Thanks for your input. :>)

Im not an electrician but maybe check for bad grounds or loose connections

If you have a HPS light, they can be pretty senitive to voltage changes. It is not quite so bad if you have a Mercury vapor. Your light might be on a seperate breaker but your A/C is probably 240 V therefore the light shares one side of the 240V load with the A/C. They may have seperate breakers but those breakers are attached to the same phase in the breaker box. Same goes with all the rest of the breakers in the panel. They all share the same phase with other breakers in the panel. The light is evidently sensitive to that drop in voltage when the A/C starts. Same thing you see when you are using a arch welder that's turned up. The light flicker a bit when you start to weld. Try switching the light breaker with the breaker directly above or below the one its on. This will put it on the other phase. If this makes a difference then I would get a load (amperage) test on each 120v phase coming into the main and see if one side is loaded a lot more than the other. If it is try balancing the panel out. Good Luck.
Funtwohunt

Most likely a loose/poor connection. A central air unit has a fairly high starting load, which will result in voltage drop during starting. Since the light and the air are on separate breakers it's likely the poor connection could be at the mains or meter socket. Cycling the air conditioner with a volt meter connected should show you where it is.

I agree with GeneMo and BigIrish, I prefer to control my lights with a switch. When we moved here there was a yard light already here, had it activated and enjoyed it for some time. I could split firewood at night when I got home from work. But I too, like to enjoy the night sky, so I asked the power company if an on/off switch could be installed. Sure, but it'll cost you three dollars a month. WHAT? Three dollars a month to save electricity? Come and get the D----d thing! Haven't had one since.

When your AC turns on, you will have a voltage drop. Normally this is not a problem but if the voltage supplied to your house is low, then you will experience weird events. Such as your light coming on or TV turning off, etc.

You may want to have an electrician or the power company check your house voltage level.

Mine goes off when my air compressor comes on and
they are on seperate circuts.There must be a voltage drop in the line when the compressor comes on.

Have your light company check the voltage.When everyone get to runing the AC line voltage will drop I have had three cases of low line voltage. The augued till they finally put a recording meter on that showed voltage every minute. It showed up then. it can be caused by a load somwhere on the line. gitrib

Got to agree with you on the people coming towards the light for help or for what ever reason. I finally took mine down and it was a lot quieter after dark. They can't see you as easily.

Could be as simple as putting in a new bulb and it will be good again for several years. These lights get more sensitive to this as they age.

I have 2 motion lights that work fine.Wind bothers them at times.I worked in a city tv shop in the early 60s.We had a recorder put on the line and found a 10 to 15 voltage drop from 11 am to 2 pm.Not a good time to work on narrow picture problem.I alway check line voltage in my shop now.Im at the end of a new 3 phase line here.Voltage hangs at a steady 122 volts and 242 volts.

Its likely due to voltage drop. Things that can lessen that are bigger wires ran to the AC unit and Id have the utility check the voltage at your main panel. The AC unit may have a problem causing excess starting current draw. If the incoming utility voltage is low on the marginal side that can worsen your problem. Has the photo cell in the light been changed lately???

John T

Replace the blub. Both MV and HPS have issues regarding cycling as they age.

I"m like some others who answered here...we keep
it dark, but when the dog starts barking I have
2 "X-10 Powerhouse" remote switch"s and can turn
on a blaze of lights from where ever I am, all
pointing outward!

Every central A/c I've seen runs on 220 vac and my dusk to dawn runs on 120 vac. Not to say that some dusk to dawns may run on 220vac, just haven't seen one.

Either get an electrican out or invest in a voltmeter. Measure the 220 volts feeding your main CB and see what happens to the voltage when the A/c comes on.

Do other lights in the house flicker when the A/c comes on? If they do, you definetly have an issue. I've seen old 60 amp services connected to a 100 a circuit breaker box. That will cause issues like you may have. I've seen old breaker boxes (load centers)that need replaced. Sometimes lightning hits your service wire and damages a splice or you could have a bad connection in your meter base. You have all sorts of possibilities that can cause your problem. If you don't know what you are doing and my guess is you may not because you are asking an electrical question on a tractor sight, GET PROFESSIONAL HELP!

George

As previously stated, the yard light suffers from VD during the AC compressor starting inrush.
Look on the side of the AC unit. It will list locked rotor amps which is also the current the compressor draws for the first few cycles.

Mr. Marsh Sorry I didn't mean to offend you by asking this question. It relates to tractors because the light is on the garage where I work on my tractors. As far as seeking profesional help, I've been told that before, but my phychiatrist doesn't know anything about electricity. But Thank You for your comments.

Sorry, If I came off sounding rude.

Been thinking, if your light goes out, your voltage has to be dropping way more than it should when your compressor kicks on. If you have a good 200 amp service, this should not be happening. However, if you have an old service where the power lines coming in to your property are not tri-plex, 3 wires twisted together, you may have an old 60 amp service.

What is the size of your load center? Old fuses mean 60 amp, 100 amp circuit breakers, or 200 amp circuit breakers?

I have a 3 ton A/C, a 20 year old 200 amp service and none of my lights flicker when it kicks on.

All the dusk to dawn lights I've seen, when on, the light sensor will not turn the light off when subjected to low voltage because the relay inside the sensor is already in the off position when the light is on. Therefore, you definetly have a problem for your voltage to be dropping below the ionizational potential need to keep a mercury vapor light working.

Where I live, the owner of the property can up-date his electrical service. You will need to get a permit and get it inspected by the county building inspector before the power company will connect to it.

If you do nothing, make sure the batteries in your smoke detector are good.

It may be cheaper to hire an electrican than paying a phychiatrist

You could learn how to trouble shoot with a voltmeter or stay at the Holiday Inn Express.

Please forgive me, George

Had a situation while I was still working for PSNH! Customer had a welder, and his mother kept complaining about lights dimming when son was welding. We ran separate service drops from the transformer to the house and shop! Problem was lessened a little, but still noticeable! Ended up hanging separate transformers on the same pole for the 2 drops. That solved the problem!