2 Floodlights and External PIR wiring ?

[ericmark]

I had two 500 watt quartz halogen lamps at each corner of the house, which to be fair gave enough light, but with PIR control were prone to turn off at most inopportune moments.

They had to be removed for repairs, so replaced with two carriage lamps, ample lighting wise, but as to control, the PIR simply did not work.

So I looked at wifi PIR and wired, but point where I wanted lights to light was 180º from point where I wanted it to switch off, in fact, wanted it to remain lit around 4 minutes after I had left the area the PIR could see, and also had a problem with PIR being activated by wind.

So I went for smart controls, turn on lights from car before leaving it with phone, and turn them off on entering house with voice control. Would this work for you, a lot easier to hard wiring.

 

[Rake722]

I had two 500 watt quartz halogen lamps at each corner of the house, which to be fair gave enough light, but with PIR control were prone to turn off at most inopportune moments.

They had to be removed for repairs, so replaced with two carriage lamps, ample lighting wise, but as to control, the PIR simply did not work.

So I looked at wifi PIR and wired, but point where I wanted lights to light was 180º from point where I wanted it to switch off, in fact, wanted it to remain lit around 4 minutes after I had left the area the PIR could see, and also had a problem with PIR being activated by wind.

So I went for smart controls, turn on lights from car before leaving it with phone, and turn them off on entering house with voice control. Would this work for you, a lot easier to hard wiring.

I’d certainly consider it.

I’d still need the flood light I guess.

 

[ericmark]

The light on the corner of shed to left, lights the way up the steps to main house, with a 12 watt smart bulb, other lights help, in all 8 outside lights, but that one does more than the rest, two are not smart so rarely used, the one on the pond, next to upper driveway, causes reflections in the reversing camera, so is set to 10% to reduce that, and at Halloween set to green. So kids know we don't mind trick or treat.

I use smart socket adaptors, smart bulbs, and smart light switches, and one lamp still has a working PIR. But the house does seem welcoming with 6 outside lights switched on. And at 12 watt each that's 72 watts, less than one 150 watt halogen lamp.

 

[morqthana]

Could you put a switch where the cables emerge at low level, which could be used to do the quick off-on to override the PIR if you want the lights permanently on for a while?

But neither that, nor snipping the cables, resolves the problem of them being concealed and out of zones.

 

[ebee]

My basic two units of PIR floods can be extended to more units the last one I did like that a few years back was actually 5 units wired such . Two at the front are and three at the rear area. A six gang switch utilised so that could all be set individually for area, range and timing then the switches could be set so that could be used as groups of 3 front and 3 rear or all 5 interlinked.

I particularly remember this one because my assistant ( another electrician) had not followed my instructions to wire 3 core and E from each unit to the switches and linked two units close together as piggyback fashion, we had just enough cable if careful but subsequent rerouting left us short , miles away from a wholesaler so additional time and labour .
When I asked why he had not followed my instructions he said “I got to thinking- saves cable and less work because less routing”’I told him “I do the thinking - you follow instructions - if you think you might have a better idea then ask me by all
Means but do not crack on regardless ( he had actually done “another thinking exercise “ on the main lighting in the large kitchen and beggard that up too because “it saved a lot of joints and labour” Ahhh I was furious. A couple of years earlier another Electrcian Assistant had something about as annoying by “thinking” and lost half a days work benefit “ therefore costing me a whole day off my job planned which had a subsequent effect off the next few planned jobs.

I don’t mind folks having an idea but I do expect them to run it by me first before carrying on regardless and causing havoc!

Anyway , sorry, back to the plot - Tungsten Halogen I always put on long times to reduce tube burnout.

A good alternative to what I’ve done on some of these jobs is to use a system such as for example the GJD lighting controls with separate 12v detector heads instead of mains PIRs or in modern days WiFi/internet/ wireless connectivity etc.

A more modern approach to the problem.

 

[mikehammer69]

But neither that, nor snipping the cables, resolves the problem of them being concealed and out of zones.

Is there a continuing problem with cables that are snipped at both ends so they cannot (easily ) be powered ?

Not something I thought about before but I'm not seeing the problem

 

[Rake722]

Is there a continuing problem with cables that are snipped at both ends so they cannot (easily ) be powered ?

Not something I thought about before but I'm not seeing the problem

No, nothing wrong with them except the fact that they are pretty much in the wrong place I have to be extended to reach the right place for the PIR

 

[morqthana]

Is there a continuing problem with cables that are snipped at both ends so they cannot (easily ) be powered ?

I thought he meant snipping the cables where they emerge half-way down the wall.

But without some kind of connection between them, what use is the one running vertically, and how do the lights and PIR get power?

 

[Rake722]

I thought he meant snipping the cables where they emerge half-way down the wall.

But without some kind of connection between them, what use is the one running vertically, and how do the lights and PIR get power?

Consumer unit to JB and lower tail, lower tail to vertical lower tail, JB on upper vertical tail, new run to PIR, PIR to front flood, front flood to side flood.

May look messy though

 

[morqthana]

Fixing this problem?

 

[Rake722]

I think I worked it out.

CU to lower side JB using the already present concealed cable to supply permanent live N and E.
Then run a 4 core (Live, N, E and Switched live around the lower corner to the PIR fitted to the front elevation. Then use the existing concealed wire running to the eaves for the side flood, then run another exposed cable up from the lower side JB to the eaves, around the corner to the front flood mounted high close to the eaves.

This way the only exposed wires on the front are those for the PIR, the rest are all on the side out of direct view.

 

[morqthana]

What do you do about this

 

[Rake722]

What do you do about this

View attachment 423198

I don’t understand what the issue you are highlighting is ?

 

[morqthana]

If you have a JB at low level to create a vertical cable zone, what creates one for when it turns horizontal?

 

[Rake722]

If you have a JB at low level to create a vertical cable zone, what creates one for when it turns horizontal?

The horizontal run from the CU is in the render and enters the low level JB from the rear of the box. It is the. Connected to the vertical runs via a wago 221 - I don’t see the issue. The cable routing in the image doesn’t exactly represent the actual cable in the render, it’s just a sketch