When darkness falls and also a dusk-to-dawn lamp post tends to light, the first thing you should do is check the bulb. But if a new bulb does not fix the issue, or the lamp continues to exhibit odd behavior like flickering or turning on during the day, it is probably a terrible photocell. You’ll have to do some wiring to replace a lamp post photocell, but with the proper precautions it is a secure, straightforward process.
Turn off power to the lamp post in the support panel circuit breaker. Lock the support panel if at all possible, or put a piece of tape across the breaker and a warning signal on the panel cover so that the circuit is not accidentally turned on while you work.
Determine the location of the photocell. Look for a round protrusion using a plastic or glass lens located close to the surface of the post or on the lamp head. Get a post-mounted photocell by taking away the lamp head from the post. Otherwise, disassemble the lamp based on the manufacturer’s instructions to obtain access to this photocell. Normally, the lamp sections are held together with screws or decorative nuts.
Expose the photocell wiring. Many photocells have three wires, color-coded black, black, white and red, and are connected between the lamp receptacle and the home wiring coming from the lamp pole. Check all the wires using a correctly functioning non-contact circuit Warranty.
Eliminate the photocell by unscrewing the retaining nut holding it to the lamp post or assembly. Pull the photocell and connected wiring far enough from its mounting place to make it easier to work on. Do not put undue pressure on the wiring or allow it to rub against a sharp surface like the top edge of the lamp pole.
Remove the wire nuts connecting the photocell to the lamp receptacle and home wiring. Untwist the wires and get rid of the old photocell.
Connect the black wire of this new photocell to the black home wire coming from the pole using a wire nut. Twist the red wire of the photocell and the black wire coming from the light bulb receptacle together and connect them with a wire nut. Twist the white wire of the photocell together with the white wire coming from the light bulb receptacle, then connect them to the white house wire with a wire nut. Secure each wire nut to the wires it spreads by wrapping it using two or three turns of electrical tape.
Insert the barrel of the photocell in the mounting hole in the lamp post or assembly. Thread on the photocell maintaining nut and then tighten it securely using a set of pliers.
Arrange the wiring neatly, then reassemble the lamp or slip the lamp head back onto the pole and also reinstall the screws or decorative nuts.
Restore power to the lamp post. Cover the photocell eye using a piece of tape to block the light and check for proper operation. Many photocells have a time delay to stop flickering, so it might take five minutes or more to get the lamp to turn on after power is restored.