Outside Security light with PIR - wiring

[tufty38]

Hi all, i'm new to this site so apologies if this is posted in the wrong section. I did try to post it in the DIY section but couldn't post a thread in there.

Ive had to change my security light outside and the new lights wiring is confusing me (its not hard!!)

In the new light there is a 4 way 'chockie' block, which states there is a L, N, E and i think a switch live. The wiring outside at the light has a Red, Black and Earth conductor. When you check at the switch, the black wire has red tape around it, so i presume that this is the switch live. My question is, do i need a negative wire, my old light (which i cant remember how it was wired) worked fine with the existing cabling.

Please can anybody offer any advice, thanks in advance.:frown:

 

[HandySparks]

Before you start, make sure that the supply is off.

The cable at the switch is probably not the same one as at the light. There'll likely be a junction box in between, which connects into the supply.

Make sure that you connect the, uninsulated, earth wire to the earth terminal of the light, putting a piece of green/yellow sleeving over the exposed section.

After that, I'd try black to the N terminal and red to the L terminal. No connection to the switched live.



If you want to be sure that it's a safe job, get an electrician to do it. He will be able to properly test the earthing.

 

[tufty38]

Many thanks for your reply. ill give it a go with what you suggested, if not ill get an electrician out to have a look. Thanks again.

 

[Darkwood]

Good advice above and it seems your fitting has a override facility so if you connect as above you leave you switch in the on position all the time so the PIR can function as designed, the SW terminal is if you had other PIR's that were used to control this light too or even an override switch to bring it on permantly.

 

[tufty38]

many thanks

 

[tufty38]

Hi handysparks and darkwood,
following your advice I wired the light as you said handysparks and hey presto, the light works fine, thanks very much.
There is one question though id like to ask if i may and that is the outside light is on a 2 gang switch with the kitchen light and since the outside light has been wired, when the kitchen light has been on and i turn it off the outside light immediately comes on. This has happened several times. i have not touched any wiring in the switch and only wired the outside light as you suggested.

Any ideas????

 

[telectrix]

could be a dodgy switch for the outside light and the vibration caused when you turn the kitchen light off blips the other switch. it couls also be a wiring issue. can you post a pic of the connections in the 2 gang switch?

 

[HandySparks]

Could just be electrical 'noise' from the switching being picked up by the PIR in the outside light. PIRs built into light fittings tend to be pretty cheaply made and could be more prone to picking up noise than a more expensive stand-alone PIR. Does the outside light eventually go out after the timed period?

If this is the cause, a suppression device fitted to the inside light switch may do the trick, but if the outside light goes off after a short while, I'd probably not bother trying to fix it.

 

[tufty38]

Hi mate, thanks for your reply. Not sure what you mean by 'built in PIR' but this one is under the rectangular security light, anyway, in reply to your question, yes the light works perfectly as it should do and goes off after the set time period, so i think i'll take your advice and leave it be. Thanks once again for your help.

 

[telectrix]

when he said " built-in PIR", he meant that the PIR is fitted onto the light as opposed to a remote PIR from the light

 

[HandySparks]

when he said " built-in PIR", he meant that the PIR is fitted onto the light as opposed to a remote PIR from the light

Indeed. My experience is that the PIRs which are part of the light are frequently rubbish. If you buy a separate unit, you can choose a good quality one (at a price). I usually offer a PIR which costs me £25. This is frequently more than the customer would have paid for the whole light fitting (including PIR) if he had chosen one himself.