Replacing PIR?

[Skyman318]

I'm replacing my old PIR sensor (which has broken) with a new one.
The cable is 2 c+e. The new PIR sensor has a N, E, L & L1 connections. Tried connecting the cable via the L, but the PIR and lights didn't work. Today, I connected the live wire to the L1 and still seems not to work (although it is daytime).
To complicate matters further - there is a switch in the kitchen that allows the outside lights to be turned on continuously; even though there was no switched live wired into the old PIR? This switch now doesn't work either.

My question is (and forgive my ignorance), do I need to connect the L and L1 contacts in the PIR with a piece of wire to make this work?

All thoughts gratefully received.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[Skyman318]

All I have coming down the outside of the house is a 2 c+e cable.
The old sensor just had a L,N & E connectors and it worked.
Do I need to buy a sensor with only L,N & E or is there an easy way to get this sensor to work with the L & L1 connectors?

 

[Steve]

You need to open up the switch indoors to find out what carries the switched live from it. The only way that switch can have worked the way you describe is if the CPC has been used as a live conductor. A big no-no, and you must not connect up this way again if this is the case.

And the old PIR did NOT have L, N and E. It had L, SL and E. Your new sensor has a neutral in addition to this.

 

[Skyman318]

Okay - just checked the old PIR. It has N, L & SL. So the 2c+e was connected to these three terminals. Are you saying that I should not connect the new sensor just using N,L & L1 in a similar fashion?

 

[Steve]

No. You should not. Someone has used the earth as a live conductor. Which is wrong. You must not reuse this cable until you have re-terminated the other end, to make it live, neutral and earth.

Most PIRs dont need an override switch anyway. Just switch the live to the fitting and cutting the power for a couple of seconds will override the PIR to on, until power is then cut again for 10 seconds.

 

[Skyman318]

Thanks Steve. I'll crawl up into the loft and re-wire the sensor.