If you need to learn more about how do solar lights automatically work at night, then you come to just the right place.
In the article, we will talk about How Do Solar Lights Turn On Automatically at Night and off in the morning.
So without further ado, let’s jump right into it.
How Do Solar Lights Turn On Automatically at Night?
When it comes to solar lights, one of the most asked questions is how do solar flood lights work automatically at night.
Well, the answer is pretty simple.
Solar lights are equipped with something called photosensors, which are electronic components that detect (sense) sunlight.
The solar light’s photosensor works as a gate between the rechargeable battery, and the LEDs.
When the sensor detects no sunlight (night), it connects the circuit between the battery and the LEDs allowing the battery to power the LEDs.
As a result, the solar flood light will automatically turn on at night.
Related Article: How Do Solar Lights Work
How Do Solar Lights Turn Off Automatically In The Morning?
Similarly, when the photosensor detects sunlight (dawn), it cuts the circuit between the battery and the LEDs preventing the battery from powering the LEDs .
Thus, the solar outdoor light will automatically turn off in the morning allowing the solar panel to fully charge the batteries.
Why Are My Solar Lights On During The Day?
If your solar lights stay on during the day this means that your photosensor is faulty and it will sense no sunlight.
In other words, your light will act like it’s already dark connecting the circuit between the LEDs and battery resulting in an always-on solar light.
For this reason, your light sensor must be replaced. Don’t worry, photosensors are very cheap and you can replace it by yourself at home.
Related Article: How to Fix Your Solar Lights
What To Do If Your Solar Lights Are Not Working At Night?
There are many reasons why your solar lights are not working at night such as:
- Broken Wires
- Dead Battery
- Faulty LEDs or Sensors
- No Sufficient Sunlight
- Nearby Light Sources Confusing Your Sensors
Related Article: How To Fix Your Solar Lights
Types Of Solar Lights Photosensors
Solar lights use many types of sensors and in this section we will go through the most common ones.
- Light Sensor: This one is responsible for automatically turning on the lights at night
- Lux Sensor: This sensor controls how dark it has to be outside before turning on the light. In other words, it senses light intensity and you can easily adjust it to your preferred settings
- Passive Infra-Red (PIR): This sensor can be found in motion-detecting and security solar lights and it mainly senses the heat. Without overwhelming you with such technical details, this sensor will activate the light when it detects someone near and it can be also adjusted
Last Words
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Is it possible to have a solar switch that comes on during the day and off at night.
I want to run a pool water pump but since my house is solar I don’t want to use power on rainy days or at night (times when not generating power)
Yes, you can always set up smart sensors to control exactly when should the water pump work.
For inspiration, you can check solar powered irrigation timers.
Some of them are connected to the internet and will adjust their watering frequency depending on the weather forcast.
We have a solar light in our play area and it is automatically working based on the outside light. how we can off the auto system to save the battery charge when we required. it should be controlled by manually. Tried in remote but unfortunately it is not working.
Hi Dipu, you can turn the switch off. When turned off, the light will still charge during the day but it won’t work at night unless you turned it back on.
You can check my article on why solar lights have a switch https://solarenergyhackers.com/why-is-there-an-on-off-switch-on-solar-lights/