New Downlights

[Naka]

Alrite? Small problem, apprentice spark btw, I want to put downlights in the 'walk in cupboard' in my bedroom using a PIR motion detector switch. I was wondering if i would be able to take a L + N from the existing bedroom light(which goes to another light) to the PIR and then to the transformer? Is it as easy as that? cheers

 

[Deleted member 9648]

As long as the supply at the bedroom light is a permanant live and not a switched live what you propose will be fine.....(walk in wardrobe????....how much are they payin' you boys now?)

 

[Naka]

Haha, cheers mate. I gave it a bash, bedroom light came on when switched on and started flashing when switched off, downlights didnt come on though...any ideas??

 

[johnnyb]

You haven,t supplied the pir with a permanent L&N mate as you were told in one of the previous posts, you have just looped a SW&N .

 

[Naka]

You haven,t supplied the pir with a permanent L&N mate as you were told in one of the previous posts, you have just looped a SW&N .

Ahh ok, sorry mate im just a beginner, I took a live from the loop to the PIR, is that not permanent?Where would i get a permanent live? cheers

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Thought you were an apprentice sparks.....why dont you ask the sparks you are apprenticed to for help??...or is that a countryside aroma coming from my pc ?

 

[Naka]

Thought you were an apprentice sparks.....why dont you ask the sparks you are apprenticed to for help??...or is that a countryside aroma coming from my pc ?

Haha, nah, laid off just recently mate, I don't really know anybody experienced enough for this, plus real life sparks are moany *****

 

[mechelec]

"plus real life sparks are moany ******"

Now that is a great attitude to have on an electricians forum that you are asking for help on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[johnnyb]

Haha, nah, laid off just recently mate, I don't really know anybody experienced enough for this, plus real life sparks are moany ******

Not really a wise thing to say on here in my opinion, just makes me wonder why you were laid off, if you would be so kind as to enlighten us all.

 

[Naka]

Not really a wise thing to say on here in my opinion, just makes me wonder why you were laid off, if you would be so kind as to enlighten us all.

......no work......economical crisis and all that patter big man....ye heard?? Anyway, it was a joke, u see the smiley face?

 

[a.e.s]

How many cables are at the light that you took the supply from? If there are just one or two T and Es terminated in terminals marked L N earth, then this will be a switch live. Open up the light switch and you should see two or three cables in there with the neutrals in terminal block. Take your live from the common and terminate your neutral with the other neutrals. Hope this helps, now stop sl*****g us off lol

 

[High Tower]

please dont take this as a attack, because it really isnt ment to be one, but even as a fairly inexperienced appretice you sould be able to use a multimeter to test supplys and identify the releven live conductors. to give you a idea i will sumarise the common components in a ligting circuit

Loop in - +240v constant live
Loop out - +240v constant live
common to the switch +240v constant live

return from switch (load) +240 switched


the first 3 are normally found in the 3 poles of the loop on a light fitting, the first 2 (the loops) should never be seperated as they are the radial circuit.

the third supplys you switch, this can be identified by isolating the power, turning the switch on and performing a continuity test between this and the return (load)

while testing with the power on the loops will have a continous 240v supply that remain uninterupted by the switch it is these that you need to spur from.

as i say i am not trying to critisise as there are gaps in everyones knowledge, even mine. and everyone is at different levels of ability. me personally i run rings round some sparks with 20+ years experience and i have only been going for 3, because i am a late starter i too have experienced how arsey some sparks can be, however you will never change this and you will find this wherever you goso it is you that needs to improve to avoid this.

Experience aside you should already be able to use test equipment to test and identyfy conductors, once you have mastered such then this sort of problem will never trouble you again

Regards

Aid

 

[Naka]

Thanks for your time and replies, you are all gentlemen! I don't a multimeter btw just a cheap voltage tester, shockin isnt it.

I sacked the PIR and I've kinda got it working now, but something weird has happened. I took it through a 2 gang switch but the downlights wouldnt come on, so i tested at the transformer and was getting 240v but nothing after it.

So to test the transformer was working, i took it straight from the bedroom light, and they come on!

And another test, i took a single switch up in the loft and connected my L to that and it worked, so i think i might be doing something daft in the 2 gang switch??

I'm struggling to find out the difference here, i thought if i had 240v, it should defo work? I'm missing something??

 

[Smugley]

You know mate, the best way to approach a problem of this sort is to draw a circuit diagram. Then if it still isn't obvious what you've done wrong, post your diagram on here and someone will help - much more informative than a paragraph of "this wire to that wire" etc.. good luck!