Showerthought after talking to an electrician last Tuesday

I was on a job out in Beaverton last week, this electrician named Dave was running his own wires next to me. He said something like 'you guys really overthink where you put your motion sensors, the bugs will find them anyway.' It hit me different because I realized he was right. I spend so much time finding the perfect spot on paper, but in reality, a cat or a fly will set it off no matter what. Since then I stopped being so picky about placement on regular houses and just focus on getting it mounted solid. Has anyone else had a random comment from another trade make you rethink your whole approach to installs?

2 comments

2 Comments

lily_gibson131mo ago

Dave's got a point about bugs and cats being unpredictable, but I think he's missing something important. Placement matters way more for how the sensor picks up human-sized movement patterns, not just random critters. My neighbor installed his motion floodlight right above his garage door and now every time he pulls in, the light blinds him because it's aimed straight at the driver's seat. A fly or a cat might trigger it sometimes, but a bad angle means it fails when you actually need it, like if someone's creeping around the side of the house. Bugs don't care about your sightlines, but your clients sure do.

milap351mo agoMost Upvoted

So did your neighbor just not think about where the light would hit, or was he trying to cut corners on wiring length?