First Alert PIR720RN Motion Sensing Light Socket Reviews

Customer Ratings:

I purchased this for an understair closet with a bare socket light and a switch that was hard to reach. The socket is hung horizontally from the wall, not the ceiling. When I first put it in, it didn't work at all either didn't come on or didn't go off. It took some doing but I was able to get it to work by using blue painters tape around about 2/3 of the clear portion (so only a portion facing the entrance door is clear). It doesn't look the best, but I have to admit it's been a life saver. But be forewarned, it's not bullet proof. I suspect the problem in our case was the very tight quarters that because the light hung horizontally, the sensor did not have enough clear space 360 degrees around it. However, when I masked all but the front facing portion of the sensor, it started to work and has worked well since then.

See it in action in video and note the tape.

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I've had three of these for about 10 years. Two are still working after all this time and the third one failed when the bulb burned out and caused a momentary short circuit. The sensor failed a fraction of a second after the bulb. Shame but stuff sometimes happens. Replaced the failed unit with a spare and all is still well.

Another reviewer mentioned that the range is insufficient. I've found that while the units do respond to a 360 degree circle, they do not respond equally in all directions. The unit responds excellently in two opposite directions and poorly in between. The manufacturer must know this because the center terminal is spring loaded and makes electrical contact about a half turn before the sensor screws tight into the socket. Thus, you can unscrew the unit by about a half turn and still have it work. I've taken a few days and slowly unscrewed the sensor from the ceiling socket a few degrees at a time until the most sensitive direction faces my single point of entry. Works much better that way. Doing similarly might help some folks.

November 2012 addition --Newer units from this manufacturer make finding the sweet spot easier as they now mold in a small bar (or mark) on the sensor which matches the direction of best sensitivity. My old units are not marked and trial and error is used.

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This is an amazing product. I love it! If they were less expensive, I'd buy five or six. I have one in my basement, where the bulbs are old-fashioned screw-in-to-turn-on types (not pull chains). Yes, I could rewire the basement, but in the meantime, this is the perfect choice. Like many motion-sensing devices, this socket doesn't work with a flourescent bulb; package instructions say to use it only with incandescent bulb. It also can't be used in an enclosed fixture, only a bare-bulb fixture. But for closets, garages, pantries, basements, etc., it's perfect.

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I bought four of these. So far they appear to work well. They do not work with compact flourescent lights well, but are fine with incandescent bulbs.

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I bought this item because I wanted to convert an existing regular light fixture into a motion activated one, but at the end, I could not use it for what I wanted.

This sensor will only work with ceiling mounted bulbs (according to the instructions, only with incandescent bulbs between 25 & 100W, but see below). It will not work with wall-mounted lights, even if it's a bare bulb, unless you manage to set the sensor in a vertical position (as if it were hanging from the ceiling) AND manage to keep the sensor at least 12 inches from the wall. The problem is that once the light is on, the heat reflected from wall will keep the sensor always on and will not turn the light off after you leave the room. Also, according to the instructions, the sensor will not work if it's inside any kind of enclosure, even if it's glass or clear plastic, it will only work with bare bulbs.

The instructions state that the sensor will NOT work with fluorescent bulbs, but I tried it anyway with a 23 W bulb (100 W incandescent equivalent) and it works, except that it takes a while for the bulb to warm up and for the light to reach its maximum intensity; after that it's fine. The delay is an issue of the fluorescent bulb, not the sensor. I noticed that another reviewer tried a fluorescent bulb and it flickered, but I had no problems except the delay time. It is possible that the other reviewer used a 15 W fluorescent bulb (the 23W bulb I used is close to the minimum 25W recommended). Or, maybe it only works with certain brands of fluorescent bulbs, (my bulb didn't have the brand printed on it, but it's a regular compact spiral one).

The sensor does not have a photocell, so it will always turn the light on once it detects movement. Therefore, it is best for places with low light or no windows where, if you are in the room, you will always need the light on, regardless of whether it's day or night.