Existing Lighting Wiring!!

[Watt A Name]

Good afternoon all!

I am currently scratching my head trying to think up the best way to modify my mothers exterior house lighting. At the minute she has a light outside her front door and a light in an alley way leading to her door. Each of these lights has a 3 way switch so they can be turned on/off from either end.



She wants me to install a PIR lamp that shines down the drive and turns the other lights on when activated. The light she has presented me with is an all in one unit from a popular DIY store that i simply connect power to and it does the rest.

Does anyone have any clue how i can achieve a 3 way On/Off arrangement using this lamp?! I don't think it is possible as the activation is internal to the light so i can not take a switching signal out. If i am right and this is impossible could someone please suggest a product that will allow me to carry this out?

Thank you very much for reading this, any suggestions gratefully recieved.

 

[telectrix]

you can take a switched L from the PIR light, taking note of the max. extra load allowed. that will allow you to activate the existing lights from the PIR, overriding the existing switching. make sure, however, that you take the PIR supply from the same circuit as the existing lights, so there will only be 1 point of isolation.( lighting MCB)

 

[Watt A Name]

Thank you for the swift reply Telectrix! Where do i obtain the switched L from? The only connections i have access to are the supply connections in the base of the lamp. The light will be wired into the existing installation for sure, unless i can not affect the switching, in which case it will be a stand alone supply.

 

[telectrix]

having rethoughts. if you did as i said, then the 2 existing lights would not be independently switched. best to fit the new one as a stand alone. some of these units have a 4 way connector block so you can take a s/l/ off. yours don't appear to have this.

 

[cogsey133]

If you don't mind me asking some of your terminology would suggest you are not an electrician is this so? The reason i am asking as to do as you want may take a bit of alteration to the wiring and you really need to know what you are doing. Where about in fife are you i can perhaps swing by your place and advise

 

[Watt A Name]

You are absolutely right Mr Cogsey! I am no sparky, i have an electrical background but i don't have the expertise required in domestic/industrial applications. The thing that is hardest for me is trying to integrate the new with the old. I think you are correct, this may need a re-wire to achieve! If that is the case, i am sure i will be told that it is too much work and i will just install the light as a stand alone as Telectrix mentioned. I was hoping someone could recommend a more suitable lighting unit? The one we have at the minute isn't versatile enough.

Thanks for the replies gents!

 

[cogsey133]

Thanks you for the honesty you have shown here its more than some show to us. MY offer still stands and advice is free just pm me if you change your mind.

 

[cogsey133]

Sent you a pm watt.

 

[skystorm]

take away the switches and Re-configure the wiring so if someone comes up the drive the PIR will turn on the outside lights

 

[Watt A Name]

Thanks Mr Storm, that's not a bad idea and probably the simplest solution! The only issues with that are; they will not switch on when someone leaves the house (drive is round a corner), it wouldn't switch on when someone comes up the alley and I would have to dismantle the light to get the switching signals from the PIR sensor. 3 separate PIR's and lamps would overcome this however it falls out with the initial brief of using the existing wiring and switches!

I thought this was going to be quite easy initially!!

 

[cogsey133]

You have 2 switch wires outside, one for each light, you can remove one light and install a stand alone pir in its place. From this pir you can re-site the light you have removed and take a feed to the other existing light (making sure you safely disconnect the supply going to it) and the new light. This will give you a switch to bypass the lights and all lights will be on the pir.

 

[Watt A Name]

Christ, you are like a forum ninja!! Thanks Cogsey, i replied to your PM but it wouldn't let me send it due to my forum infancy. I will look into this and get it down on a cig packet to visualise it

 

[cogsey133]

I think you need 15 posts to reply....sorry i forgot about that. You can go welcome some new people to get your post count up....lol

- - - Updated - - -

Where about in Fife are you anyway...if you dont mind me asking

 

[cogsey133]

Just sent you my email address so you can contact me there....hope you get it ok

 

[Watt A Name]

Just sent you my email address so you can contact me there

Awesome, thanks buddy.