One Photocell Swap for Three Yard Light Poles in Longview, WA

A commercial yard in Longview asked us to put new photocells on three light poles. When we traced it out, one photocell controls all three through a pair of contactors, so we swapped that one.

How the lights are controlled

A photocell is the small sensor that turns lights on at dusk and off at dawn. On a big site it usually doesn’t switch the lights directly. It switches a contactor, which is a heavy-duty relay, and the contactor switches the power to the poles.

Here the photocell and two contactors sit in one box on a post. With one photocell running all three poles, a single bad photocell takes all three out, which looks like three separate problems.

Saving the customer some money

Replacing photocells on three poles would mean a lift and three trips up a pole. Swapping the one photocell at the control box took a lot less time and material. We were on site about an hour.

If your parking lot or yard lighting goes dark, it’s worth checking the controls before anyone goes up a pole. We cover Longview and the rest of Cowlitz County. Call 360-828-7143 or tell us which lights are out.