I've got a 500w floodlight on the external rear wall. A light of some description has been there for several years without any issue. More recently when the light is on for a while (anything from 30 to 90 mins), it trips the circuit. The floodlight was swapped for another one so I can rule out the unit. The wiring is in the loft and would take a considerable amount of work to get to. Just want to do the basics before getting a sparky in. Is it likely the switch could be causing it to trip after bring switched on for a while? Cheers.
External lighting tripping
- Thread starter Goulders
- Start date
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unlikely the switch will be causing it to trip
What's tripping? The MCB or the RCD?
RCD on the right, MCB on the left
What's tripping? The MCB or the RCD?
RCD on the right, MCB on the left
My mistake. It's blowing the old style fuse. It doesn't have the RCD or MCD.
what fuse is it on? 5a?
Do you have lots of other lights on the same circuit? 500w is nearly half of 5a so I personally would be considering swapping it for LED
My electricity bill would also be telling me that if I was leaving 500w on for 90 minutes at a time
Back to the problem, does it have a PIR or just a standard switch? Switch inside or outside?
Do you have lots of other lights on the same circuit? 500w is nearly half of 5a so I personally would be considering swapping it for LED
My electricity bill would also be telling me that if I was leaving 500w on for 90 minutes at a time
Back to the problem, does it have a PIR or just a standard switch? Switch inside or outside?
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It's got a 5amp fuse in. The rest of the house is on the same circuit and it does only go if we are entertaining which means there can be several lights on at the same time.
It is a standalone unit with no sensor and the switch is inside.
It is a standalone unit with no sensor and the switch is inside.
then all signs are pointing to it just being plain overload.
Try swapping it for something smaller, either one with a compact fluorescent lamp or better yet an LED one. Your wallet will thank you in the long run
You can get LED ones pretty cheap
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Lighting/LED+Lights+IP65+Rated/d220/sd3210
cheaper than getting a spark out to probably tell you the same thing. If it was a dead short, chances are it would blow the fuse immediately, it COULD be an intermittent wiring fault that only shorts occasionally but I am inclined towards simple overload
Try swapping it for something smaller, either one with a compact fluorescent lamp or better yet an LED one. Your wallet will thank you in the long run
You can get LED ones pretty cheap
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Lighting/LED+Lights+IP65+Rated/d220/sd3210
cheaper than getting a spark out to probably tell you the same thing. If it was a dead short, chances are it would blow the fuse immediately, it COULD be an intermittent wiring fault that only shorts occasionally but I am inclined towards simple overload
You're a star. Thanks very much. Will give that a whirl and hopefully cure it. Cheers.
maybe you could change the bulb to 300W if you can get them still.
A 5A fuses will take a fair overload for a time. If it is a rewirable fuse then it will take 10A for up to an hour. A Cartridge fuse will take 7.25A for up to an hour hence the fact it is blowing is saying the circuit has too much on it anyway.
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