Led flood lights failure

[martinh89]

Evening chaps,
A few months ago I installed 6 x 30w led flood lights around a commercial building, I wired them in series from a ip66 box with a night and day sensor and a contactor, I went to each light via a smaller ip66 box in 2.5 sy cable, everything tested OK so off I went.

I received a phone call about 2 of the lights have gone out so up I went and discovered that 2 of the ip66 boxes were completely filled with water and upon further investigation I discovered there weren't any seals, I replaced the boxes and the lights and left.

I've had another phone call that 3 lights have gone now, and I'm stumped? I'm going down tomorrow bit I'm wondering weather this could be the effect of capillary reaction from what ever water got in to the cable last time?

My plan of action tomorrow is to check the boxes but I'm pretty confident they'll be fine as I sealed them last time as a double measure.
Any ideas?

Cheers

 

[Rosco]

Did you check the other boxes to see if they had seals this could just be the others that didn’t fail last time, these may also have water in?

 

[martinh89]

I did, I checked the rest and they were fine, I'm even considering changing the wiring tomorrow including going to a new weatherproof box and then taking individual legs to each light, I'll obviously keep know more tomorrow when I get up there but this will be the third time on the roof, definitely not happy

 

[telectrix]

it'susually the drivers that fail. got one at home need to have a look at when i get the inclination.

 

[snowhead]

Do the cables enter the boxes from the top, side bottom or a combination?

 

[martinh89]

The boxes are mounted horizontal on the side of the wall and all cables enter side on with stuffing glands fastened

 

[mattg4321]

Wired in series?? Are you sure? Do they come from a constant current driver or something?

Also wouldn't use SY cable outdoors personally. A/C installers seem to love it though.

 

[123]

Why did you use SY cable?

What brand of flood lights?

 

[Octopus]

Connections coming in through the sides and they were full of water? Really?

 

[willy fixit]

Should've drilled a small drain hole in the bottom!

 

[PEG]

Hi,SY cable can migrate and hold water,between the sheath and braid.

You can see the blackened,corroded sections,at the ends,on older installations,and i would not choose it for a job such as described,for this reason.

The water can arrive,via the cable,or travel down it,from a wet junction box,only to return,after the box has been dried/changed.

 

[HandySparks]

Should've drilled a small drain hole in the bottom!

So, did you drill a drain hole in each box?

Any photos of the installation?

 

[Squid]

Have the flood lights, flooded?

 

[DPG]

Wired in series?? Are you sure? Do they come from a constant current driver or something?

Also wouldn't use SY cable outdoors personally. A/C installers seem to love it though.

I don't think he means series wired, I think he means wired from one to the next, etc. ie parallel.

 

[mattg4321]

Hopefully I'm wrong but it sounds like he hasn't got a scooby