BigMac
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 07:15 PM |
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Home Electrics: Wiring up an Outdoor light with a PIR
Hi Guys
Was hoping to call on the knowledge of anyone with home electrics experience!
I bought an outdoor security light as a replacement to our old one today. Being me, I took the original off without really paying much attention to
the wiring layout- thinking it would be your standard Brown, Blue and Yellow/Green affair. I think that the cable outside the house uses the newer
'harmonised' (?) wiring, so I have a cable with 4 cores- black, grey, brown and an exposed copper cable...
I've wired it up according to the instructions, under the following assumptions:
Live = Brown
Neutral = Black
Earth = Grey
Power back on and nothing, not even with the sensor on full daylight mode- you can't even it hear it click when movement is spotted? I'm
pretty much sure it's my wiring, but I don't really know which way everything should go! None of the trips in the house have gone, so my
wiring can't be catastrophic- but it still doesn't work!
Can anyone tell me whether I've wired this up right and if I should be using the exposed copper cable for anything?
Thanks in advance!
Ben.
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stevegough
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 07:30 PM |
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I'm not a 'leccy, but exposed copper cable is ALWAYS the earth!
Luego Locost C20XE.
Build start: October 6th 2008.
IVA passed Jan 28th 2011.
First drive Feb 10th 2011.
First show: Stoneleigh 1st/2nd May 2011.
'Used up' first engine may 3rd 2011!
Back on the road with 2nd engine may 24th
First PASA mad drive 26/7/11
Sold to Mike in Methyr Tydvil 19/03/14
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stevebubs
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 07:34 PM |
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Did the old light have a switch somewhere to turn it on/off?
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slingshot2000
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 07:43 PM |
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Brown = Live (Permanent)
Black = Live (Switcthed. Identified with brown sleeving)
Grey = Neutral (Identified with Blue sleeving)
Bare copper wire should be sleeved with green?yellow and be connecting any metal components to earth !
Need to know alittle bit more about your install to work out what and why you had 3 core and earth to a light !
Regards
Jon
(Edited for typo, There may be more !)
[Edited on 22/9/12 by slingshot2000]
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Krismc
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 08:19 PM |
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What else do you have on that circuit? Unsure why have you got a switched live to the light along with a permanent, seems very strange unless you
linking to another item/product and one wire is junctioned in the light.
Built, Ivaed, Drove and now Sold - 2011 MNR VORTX RT+ 2000cc Zetec on R1 Throttle boddies.
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lsdweb
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 08:44 PM |
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Switched live to control the lamp from a switch as well as via a PIR?
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daniel mason
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 09:04 PM |
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we always wire a 3 core to outside pir fittings via a 3 position switch.
brown is permanent
black is switch wire (brown sleeve)
grey neutral (blue sleeve)
bare copper earth.
3 position switch gives off,on or sensor mode with the black (switched live) direct to lamp terminal in fitting
[Edited on 22/9/12 by daniel mason]
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BigMac
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 09:22 PM |
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We've been in the house for a few weeks and I gradually come across more and more things that don't seem to conform to the
'norm'. For instance the seals on the electric meter weren't even there when we moved in (luckily I reported it the day we moved in
and the supplier has patched them up without asking us any questions). This was our first house so there was obviously quite a few things I
didn't know/expect to look for.
So in terms of why the setup is the way it is, I can't answer it- all I want to do is fix it to what it should be. I believe that it is a
switched supply, we have a light switch on the wall in the kitchen (light's on the back of the house, with the kitchen) that I've no idea
about, so that must be it.
I did think the exposed copper cable was the earth, so that's how it is at the moment- having the grey wire confused me from my expectation of
blue, brown and yellow/green.
I'm afraid I'll have to confess ignorance on the 'sleeving' you're talking about? Each of the cores on the wire from the
house have insulation around them, but it's to the grey/black/brown colours- there was no sleeving on it when I took the old lamp off. So my
lamp only has three connections for live/neutral and earth- what do I do about the brown and black wires?
Thanks so far guys!
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daniel mason
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| posted on 22/9/12 at 09:31 PM |
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ideally put a multimeter across each of them to earth to find out how its wired!
if brown is live with switch off its a permanent live, if it comes live when switch is on a switched live. then test it to grey(which should be
neutral) and you should get voltage. the black may be un used completely. un screw the switch and the wires should be in there.to see how its wired.
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