Lighting contactor

[akcorbin]

Evening,

basically I have 3 lighting circuits controlled by a one photocell.

I have fed my photocell and then the switched live from the photocell comes down to my contactor.

My contactor is as follows


1. 3. 5.
A1

A2
2. 4. 6

I have taken the switched live from photocell to a1 and the neutral from photocell to a2.
I have taken my 3 lighting feeds to 2, 4 and 6
I have linked 1,3 and 5 to a1
i have connector blocked my 3 lighting feed neutrals and linked with a2

Please could someone tell me if this is correct?

Many thanks

 

[sjm]

No in a word.
From the way you describe it it seems that you are using the contactor as a glorified connector block.
The point of the contactor would be to switch live in and live out and or neutrals without running the power through the photocell.
Have you got lighting feeds and supplies or are you only feeding the lights from the contactor?

EDIT: It will, work however it seems a little pointless.

 

[Moses]

Evening,

basically I have 3 lighting circuits controlled by a one photocell.

I have fed my photocell and then the switched live from the photocell comes down to my contactor.

My contactor is as follows


1. 3. 5.
A1

A2
2. 4. 6

I have taken the switched live from photocell to a1 and the neutral from photocell to a2.
I have taken my 3 lighting feeds to 2, 4 and 6
I have linked 1,3 and 5 to a1
i have connector blocked my 3 lighting feed neutrals and linked with a2

Please could someone tell me if this is correct?

Many thanks

You have no idea what you are doing,

And you should not be doing it!

Get an electrician to do the job for you.

It will be safer for you.

 

[akcorbin]

i have taken my 3 lighting feeds back to the contactor, then from the mains board wired up to the photocell and then back down to the contactor...

 

[mickytuff]

Your contactor looks to me to be single pole, would be better being double pole so as to isolate the neutrals as well as the lives.
The switchwire from the photocell needs to go into a1 alone. On your contactor 1,3,5 will have the 3 feeds from the fuseboard or 1 feed linked to 3,5. Connections 2,4,6 should be the switchwires as it were to the 3 lighting circuits. So once the photocell activates it pulls in the coil A1 and energizes all the lighting circuits, the neutrals will have to go in a connector block or din rail, A2 needs a neutral to work the coil.

 

[Spudnik]

a1 & a2 are your switched live and neutral for the coil.

The lighting feeds go in the top individually and the loads from the bottom.

You do not link a1 to anything.

 

[mickytuff]

The photocell needs a permanent live, switchlive, neutral, earth wired to it, although the photocell is normally double insulated. goodluck!

 

[sjm]

So no point to having the contactor then.
I think Moses makes a good point.
However, very quickly, 3 x times lighting supplies from main board lives through contactor 1 3 5. Lives out to lights from 2 4 6. Join neutrals together seperately.
Feed live and neutral to photocell then switched live and neutral to A1 (switched live) and A2 (neutral).
Good luck but I would seriously take note of what Moses says and get a professional in.

 

[Des 56]

May I ask, are you aware of the functions of a contactor and the uses and reasons why they may be used

 

[akcorbin]

thanks for the reply mickytuff.
so i need a permanent supply to the 1,,3,5 contacts instead of using the switched live coming back from the photocell.
This makes sense!

thanks again.

 

[Knobhead]

Try this

View attachment 12895

 

[JUD]

Here's how I'd wire it...

***EDIT***

Just noticed the missing neutral to A2. Just take one from neutral bar