CONNECTING UP OUTSIDE LIGHTS.

[johnopaulo]

Hello, I am just looking to find the best way to power my outside lights. I have a very large garden which is over 60m in length and over 40 m wide. I have 5 outside security lights dotted around. These were installed when I bough the house. All the cables for the lights run along the top of an exisiting fencline and I already think they would be safer in proper outdoor cable trunking and buried below ground.

All the lighting cable come into the kitchen via a hole in the wall and all the lights have individual plugs which are in an in an extention cable with a built in trip. Is this overloaded? Could Ijoin all these cables and install a gang switch and run these lights of a more secure system? Would one switch take the load?

I am just looking for the safest system for these lights.

 

[johnopaulo]

By the way thanks in advance for any and all help regarding my questions

Johno

 

[ban-all-sheds]

All the cables for the lights run along the top of an exisiting fencline and I already think they would be safer in proper outdoor cable trunking and buried below ground.

It should be buried armoured cable.

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Book/7.13.3.htm

All the lighting cable come into the kitchen via a hole in the wall and all the lights have individual plugs which are in an in an extention cable with a built in trip.

Is this overloaded?

As we don't know the wattage of the lights...

Could Ijoin all these cables and install a gang switch and run these lights of a more secure system?

When you say "join them", what do you mean?

What is "gang switch"?

Would one switch take the load?

 

[johnopaulo]

I have looked into this a bit more and what i really wanted to ask is can i parallel wire these lights which are PIR's and each with a 150w output halogen with the nearest light running of a spur from an internal main ring socket. Would this socket be able to take the load assuming it is 240v And would I need to fit a FCU? Would 2.5mm cabling be sufficient for the load and with the wiring being done this way, would any light activation by motion sensor trigger all other lights at the same time. One final question is how would it be passible to install a manual switch to operate this system whilst having the lights on automatic activation at the same time.

Thanks again for all your help

Johno

 

[MalcofArabia]

I have looked into this a bit more and what i really wanted to ask is can i parallel wire these lights which are PIR's and each with a 150w output halogen with the nearest light running of a spur from an internal main ring socket. Would this socket be able to take the load assuming it is 240v And would I need to fit a FCU? Would 2.5mm cabling be sufficient for the load and with the wiring being done this way, would any light activation by motion sensor trigger all other lights at the same time. One final question is how would it be passible to install a manual switch to operate this system whilst having the lights on automatic activation at the same time.

Thanks again for all your hep

Johno

750 watts of a FCU is not a problem as that is just over 3amps. Get rid of the extension leads fit a FCU off the ring, making sure that the socket you take it off is not already a spur but is part of the ring.

Then as BaS say get rid of all that cable attached to the top of the fence and do a proper installation using either buried SWA or conduit to surface.

Yes you can parallel the five lights together then.

Now has each light got it's own PIR. If that is the case then each light will only operate as each PIR is activated. If the lights are just normal non PIR type then you can wire it so that a PIR will activate all the lights at once. Obviously you will have to get a PIR rated to take the 750watt load.

Yes it can be wired so that you can bypass the PIR and switch the lights on say during the day or non activation, but this is quite a complex procedure

But the crux of this is

a) if your capable of doing this work you will need to notify it under part P as it comes under special locations.

b) If your not get an electrician in that will sort everything out,

 

[johnopaulo]

How complex is this to do? I can do everything else no problem but before I make an informed choice to have my local spark do the work my idea might be to tackle this job and have him come along and check everything is good to go.

As for the PIR's. Yes each light has its own one. I thought if one activated then they all would activate at the same time. So am i understanding you correctly. I would need to ditch all these lights and buy the non PIR type and fit a single motion sensor in the loop that would activate all the lights at once? And if I have this correct then would the case be that non of them would activate if the sensor in situ was only covering a certain area of the garden and thus any and all 'black spots' in the garden would remain unlit on automatic activation.

Thanks again for all your help it is really very appreciated.

 

[MalcofArabia]

This website maybe of help hope so



http://www.securitywarehouse.co.uk/...uct_info&manufacturers_id=99&products_id=1535

 

[johnopaulo]

Thanks for the web link. So this is just as i thought. The sensor would need to detect motion before activating the lights. So, given the size of the area covered 1 sesor would not be enough to provide at least 90% activation coverage so to reiterate would this parallel wiring system still activate all the lights if more that 1 sensor was placed in the set up, or is this only going to work with 1 sensor and control unit.

Thanks again

Johno

 

[ban-all-sheds]

How complex is this to do?

I'm not trying to be funny, but it does seem to be taxing you..

I can do everything else no problem but before I make an informed choice to have my local spark do the work my idea might be to tackle this job and have him come along and check everything is good to go.

That's not how it works.

IF you want to comply with the law and end up with certificates you have to have the electrician do it all because he has to certify that he did it all.

As for the PIR's. Yes each light has its own one. I thought if one activated then they all would activate at the same time.

You only have the supply to the PIR inputs paralleled, not the outputs.

1) Access to the outputs isn't easy, as that's not how the lights are designed.

2) As they aren't designed to have all the outputs connected together then doing that might not work, or do them any good.

So am i understanding you correctly. I would need to ditch all these lights and buy the non PIR type and fit a single motion sensor in the loop that would activate all the lights at once? And if I have this correct then would the case be that non of them would activate if the sensor in situ was only covering a certain area of the garden and thus any and all 'black spots' in the garden would remain unlit on automatic activation.

That's why Malc pointed you at a product which can have up to 8 detectors....

 

[johnopaulo]

Thanks BaS for your reply. I have to say that it not really taxing me I just like to get all the information i can on something and if its something I'm not 100% sure about then I just keep asking questions till i am sure. I suppose like anyone does really.

Anyway, after getting the replies from this forum and researching the system I need I am happy with my decision to get the electrician in on this one.

Thanks everyone. This is a very helpful place indeed.

Johno