Security Lights

[EdB]

Hi all,

Please help! I have a security light at the front of the house that has not been working for some time. So I finally got round to replacing it. I went and bought a new one, up the ladder and replaced the old one.
There are 2 lots of wires going into the light coated in white.
Out of one of them comes a black, red and copper earth wire. Out of the other just a black wire.

I think the single black wire comes from a pull switch I have that turns the lamp on permanantly rather than working from a sensor.

I wired it all up as per the instructions, came back down the ladder, switched the mains on and hey presto - well no actually it didn't work.

So I guessed that the old light wasn't actually broke and that it was something to do with the wiring inside the house.

I went up into the loft and found where the two wires go out of the house to the light. I traced them back, they both go to the pull switch then 1 wire comes out of this and goes to a small black circular junction box, this in turn goes to another and so on, in all I counted about 4 of these junction boxes all over my loft. (I have 2 security lights at the back of the house running through these junction boxes - also not working.

Firstly, does this sound right, I remember a while ago a bedroom light stopped working and a sparky did something with these junction boxes and got the light working again, but I think he may have done something which has stopped my security lights working.

Anyone have any ideas where to start with tracing this back to see where the problem lies. Is this safe the way it is currently wired with these boxes all over the loft? How should I test where the live stops being live?

Please be gentle, I do not understand most of the terms used on this forum! I'm only a beginner learning eveything from here and books. Please don't scare me with abbreviations!

Many thanks in advance.

 

[kendor]

How do the cables connect up in the pull cord switch? Need this info to progress further with your inquiry.

 

[EdB]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.
Inside the pull switch there are 3 terminals
In 1 terminal there is a black wire
In 2nd terminal a red wire
In 3rd terminal another red wire.

Is this enough info?

Thanks

BTW- I have one of those screwdrivers with a bulb inside. When I touch either of the red wires with the screwdriver neither of them light the bulb.

 

[kendor]

fraid that still isn't enough info in order to give you a proper answer as opposed to a guessed one, will also need to know where these wires are coming and going

 

[EdB]

I'm sorry, will take another trip up into the loft and work out what wires go where, will post again after my little adventure!

Cheers

 

[EdB]

OK.

Now I am even more confused!
Two wires coming into the loft from outside. Out of one of them comes a black wire into one of the terminals in the pull switch. Out of the other wire a red wire going into one of the terminals in the switch.

Then the third terminal in the switch, the one that contacins a red wire, is the wire that goes off to the black circular junction box.

So going back to the security light. One of the 2 wires has just a black wire coming out of it. The 2nd wire has a red, black and copper wire coming out of it. So if I am not mistaken the black wire and copper wire that comes with the red wire are not actualy connected to anything at the other end

Cheers

 

[kendor]

OK.

Now I am even more confused!
Two wires coming into the loft from outside. Out of one of them comes a black wire into one of the terminals in the pull switch. Out of the other wire a red wire going into one of the terminals in the switch.

Then the third terminal in the switch, the one that contacins a red wire, is the wire that goes off to the black circular junction box.

So going back to the security light. One of the 2 wires has just a black wire coming out of it. The 2nd wire has a red, black and copper wire coming out of it. So if I am not mistaken the black wire and copper wire that comes with the red wire are not actualy connected to anything at the other end

Cheers

I'm not surprised your confused, It looks like a complete lash up! your best bet is start again as follows:
taking that the black junction box was installed purely for this security light, if so then you should have a twin and earth(T&E) coming from another junction box into this one, take another T&E to your light from the black box and a T&E to your switch connect the switch up red to Common black to one of the other terminals(doesn't matter which as the switch doesn't have an orientation)Copper wire(needs to be sleeved green /yellow)to earth terminal,
connect up your light, red to Live black to Neutral Copper wire(needs to be sleeved) to Earth,
now at the black junction box connect the red from the cable that goes to the switch to the red from the other junction box into a terminal the black from the switch to the red from the light, and the black from the light to the black from the other junction box, all the copper wires should be sleeved and connected together.
if connected up correctly the light should work when the pullcord switch is making. you can leave it on sothat the sensor takes control of the light (most PIR security lights have the function of making the light stay on permanently if you switch it on then off then on again within a short time period).

 

[EdB]

Many many thanks Kendor for the clear, exact and jargon free! instructions.
I am planning on doing this tomorrow, so will let you know how I get on!

I know not to use that electrician again!!! .... If you want a job doing properly, do it yourself (with a bit, OK a lot, of help from these forums of course!)

Thanks again
Ed.