Box controlling security lights

[Garrybibson]

I have a box in my airing cupboard that seems to control my security lights. Have uploaded a photo. It basically is connected to 3 lights and 3 sensors on the outside of my house.

Only moved in about 6 months ago and not worried about it till now, but only one of the lights is now working and it appears I can only trigger one of the sensors, so I am assuming it is the sensors not sending the required signal back to the box rather than the bulbs going. Two did work till quite recently though....

Anyone know anything about troubleshooting a system like this? I am seriously considering just pulling it out and sticking in three stand alone PIR's, especially as they don't seem to have any daylight awareness and end up on all day in the bright sunshine!

Any advice appreciated.

 

[Garrybibson]

Untitled

• Garrybibson
• 4 Oct 2014
• 1

 

[Garrybibson]

My only caution about stand alone PIR's is that the lights are very high up just under the roof (two story house), would these work ok that far away from the ground?

 

[deadshort]

Hi, i have a friend who has that system and it's twenty + years old and has been no hassle, it would be easy to replace the lighting as you suggest. Try google for the instructions and check setup . There is an override button which will keep the lights on all the time !


Regards,

DS

 

[JohnW2]

My only caution about stand alone PIR's is that the lights are very high up just under the roof (two story house), would these work ok that far away from the ground?

Many people seem to get acceptable performance from PIRs at that sort of height - but if it were a problem, or you feared that it would be a problem, you could have separate standalone PIR detectors lower down than the lights.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Garrybibson]

That's a good point, when I push manual the light on the box comes on but the light outside remains off. So I guess that means means bulb and sensor have gone :s

I would love to google for instructions but it has no branding on it whatsoever...??

 

[Garrybibson]

Thanks john, just had a look on screw fix and it appears range is ok, but as they are high might have limited ability to point the sensor where I need. Any recommendations on a a suitable PIR? Assume I should go for LED?

 

[Taylortwocities]

A PIR is a PIR (movement detector)
A LED is a type of light source, I don't understand what you mean…

My favourite PIR is this one, http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TLPIR270.html
Cheap ones are unreliable and can be subject to false triggering.

I have installed lots of the above and never had a problem…………yet.


PS, that control panel seems to be a standard device, I have never seen one, but I expect that all of the PIR and light connections come back to that.
A decent electrician could work out what is faulty in an hour.
Just swopping sundry components at random is never a good way to find a fault, especially if it means going up a ladder!

 

[JohnW2]

A PIR is a PIR (movement detector) ... A LED is a type of light source, I don't understand what you mean…

I assume that the OP was using "PIR" to refer to a combined lamp/PIR (he previously proposed replacing all of the present installation with "three stand alone PIR's") - although I did suggest to him that he might possibly want to consider separate lamps and PIRs.

Kind Regards, John

 

[flameport]

Untitled

• Garrybibson
• 4 Oct 2014
• 1

That is a GJD Emerald controller, an older one (MK1 possibly).
The company still exists, and still make a more recent equivalent of that unit. Replacement sensors also available.

 

[deadshort]

Glad to hear they still exist ! I think they are ideal for the situation you describe as the pir is independent of the light source.

DS

 

[Garrybibson]

Thanks guys. I have an electrician coming round in a few weeks to do some work, I will ask him then.

 

[Garrybibson]

The only reason I am thinking about replacing is due to the lights coming on during the day, is this supposed to happen?

 

[JohnW2]

The only reason I am thinking about replacing is due to the lights coming on during the day, is this supposed to happen?

I would have expected most PIR sensors, certainly even remotely 'modern' ones, to be adjustable/configurable so as to avoid that.

When, as in your case, one has multiple lights and multiple PIR sensors, there can be a problem if one sensor can 'see' the light from one of the other lights. That can mean that once one of the lights comes on (at night), the other sensors will think it's daylight and therefore will not respond to movement. A few years back I had to do a lot of fiddling when a neighbour installed an on-all-night light, which was fooling one of my PIRs into thinking that it was daytime!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Garrybibson]

Thanks for your help guys, I think I've finally worked out what is happening.

From the advice above I have found my sensors, or at least the updated models.
http://www.gjd.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/wpsc/downloadables/Opal-XL-Manual-.pdf

They do have light detection, so basically what is happening is one of the sensors is triggering in the day and as such both of the lights in that zone go on. The other PIR is working fine, but only after dark. Same with the one out the front.

So basically I have deduced I have one sensor that I need to take down and look at the lux setting and two lights where I need to replace the bulbs. Thanks everyone for your help, much appreciated.

Just not looking forward to going up the ladder now!