Let me paint a picture. You bought a Ring battery camera off Amazon. You mounted it yourself, felt great about it. Three weeks later, you get a notification that the battery is at 15%. You pull out the ladder, take the camera down, charge it for four hours, put it back up. Repeat that every month or two. By month six, the camera is sitting on your kitchen counter with a dead battery and you haven't had security footage in weeks.

I see this all the time. Battery cameras are convenient to install but a pain to maintain. The good news? If your home already has hardwired motion sensor lights or floodlights, you have a much better option.

The 120V Advantage

Most homes in the West Palm Beach area — especially anything built after the 1970s — have at least one or two hardwired motion sensor lights. They're usually above the garage, at the back door, or on the side of the house. These are wired directly to your home's 120V electrical system, controlled by a wall switch inside.

That existing wiring is exactly what a Ring Floodlight Cam (or similar wired security camera) needs. I remove the old motion sensor fixture, connect the Ring unit to the same wires, and mount it in the same spot. The camera runs on house power 24/7. No batteries. No charging. No gaps in coverage.

How the Swap Works

Here's the step-by-step of what I do:

  1. Kill the circuit. I turn off the breaker and verify the power is dead with a voltage tester. Safety first, always.
  2. Remove the old fixture. Out comes the motion sensor light. Usually 2-4 screws and three wire connections.
  3. Mount the Ring bracket. The Ring Floodlight Cam comes with a mounting bracket that attaches to a standard electrical box. If your existing box is compatible (most are), this goes right on.
  4. Wire it up. Black to black, white to white, green to ground. Fixture-for-fixture swap. Same wires, new device.
  5. Set up the app. I'll connect the camera to your WiFi and walk you through the Ring app so you're not staring at a screen wondering what to do.
  6. Aim and test. I adjust the floodlight angle and camera field of view, then walk the detection zone to make sure it's capturing what you need.

The whole process takes about 45 minutes to an hour per camera, including the app setup.

What It Costs

$200 / camera Flat rate • labor only • you supply the camera

My rate for Ring camera installs is a flat $200 per camera. That's labor only — you purchase the camera yourself (I can recommend which model to get). This covers removal of the old fixture, full installation, WiFi setup, app walkthrough, and testing.

If you need two or three cameras done in the same visit, it's still $200 each, but you're saving time by having everything done at once. I'll usually recommend doing front and back of the house at minimum. If you have a side gate or detached garage, those are smart spots too.

Which Ring Camera to Buy

For a 120V hardwired install, you want the Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Plus or the Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro. Don't buy the battery-powered floodlight version — it defeats the whole purpose.

Key things to look for:

  • "Wired" in the product name — this means it runs on house power
  • 1080p or better resolution — both Plus and Pro models have this
  • Two-way audio — talk to whoever is at your door from your phone
  • Color night vision — the Pro model has this, and it's worth the upgrade in South Florida where a lot happens after dark

Budget about $170-250 for the camera depending on which model you choose. Between the camera and my install fee, you're looking at under $450 total for a permanently powered security camera with floodlights. Compare that to a professional security company charging $300-500 for install plus a monthly monitoring fee.

Why Not Just Stick with Battery Cameras?

Battery cameras have their place. If you're renting and can't touch the wiring, or if you need a camera in a spot with no existing electrical box, battery is your only option. But if you have the wiring already there, going hardwired is better in every way:

  • Always on. No dead battery gaps in your security footage.
  • Better performance. Wired cameras can record continuously, not just on motion triggers.
  • Integrated floodlights. These things are bright. 2000+ lumens. They light up your whole driveway.
  • No ladder maintenance. Set it and forget it.

What About Homes Without Existing Wiring?

If you don't have an existing hardwired light where you want the camera, that's a different conversation. Running new electrical to an exterior wall is a job for a licensed electrician, and it's going to cost more. I'm happy to assess what you've got and point you in the right direction. Sometimes there's existing wiring nearby that makes it easier than you'd think.

But for the majority of homes I work in around West Palm — Northwood, El Cid, Flamingo Park, Grandview Heights — there's already a motion sensor light begging to be replaced with something smarter.