What's the difference between PIRs and Photocell controls for outdoor lights

Buying lights for the outside of your house can be a bit of a pain.You may have seen the word PIR on the box of one type of light fitting and the word photocell on the box of another, this can be a bit confusing.Do you know the difference between the two? If not don't worry , we are here to help.

Put simply outside lights with a PIR, which stands for Passive Infra Red, pick you up as you walk by, while photocell lighting provide dusk to dawn light.

Both PIR and photocell lights are operated by sensors.In the case of PIR lights this sensor is activated when it detects movement in front of it.This could be from anything, it could be from a person walking past or it could be an animal walking past. PIR lights are usually adjustable for the range/ distance for how far away the sensor will pick up. Movement detection is normally in close proximity to the light.

Photocell lights on the other hand are operated by a sensor that is triggered by the lack of light.This means as soon as darkness falls , your outside light will be activated.The light will then stay on and lit until the sensor detects daylight.

So which type of light is best? Well that really comes down to personal preference and why you need the light. If you are wanting a light that will deter intruders and / or a light that comes on intermittently then a PIR light will be the best,if you want a light that will constantly illuminate outside areas of your home then a photocell light will probably be best.There are of course positive and negatives for both. You can also have both these lights switched where you can manually switch on the lighting or a timer can be installed for automatic switching.