I have changed several PIRs with in-built override on feature for ones with out the feature. The reason is because they were found to have been ON for hours due to brief power outages.
External welcome lights - PIR plus override?
- Thread starter dpm_dpmartin
- Start date
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yeah I have wondered about that.
I guess its only a problem if you live in an area where you get power cuts for a period of several seconds.
The cleaver ones turn off at dawn, so not too bad. (e.g if you were on holiday)
I guess its only a problem if you live in an area where you get power cuts for a period of several seconds.
The cleaver ones turn off at dawn, so not too bad. (e.g if you were on holiday)
It's happened to me a couple of times, but I can live with that.
I can't recall having come across one which switches off at dawn if it's in its over-ride mode, but that doesn't mean that they don't exist!
Kind Regards, John
One type would go into override ON mode after just a short period of reduced voltage, not a total cut, which was quite common in rural areas.
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This also sounds kind of acceptable; understanding the potential downsides. I think I'd prefer the switch series override approach as described by bernardgreen if it was possible, but I'm trying to get my head around what the actual work involved is.
Obviously I'd be asking someone to change the current 3-gang plate (1 x external lights, 1 x hallway, 1 x landing) for a 4-gang plate - which will likely involve digging out the wall a bit, I assume... I'd need to ensure the lights I bought did not have this override function built-in, it seems? Would there be new wiring beyond that what is local to behind the new 4-gang plate?
As you say it will damage decoration inside
And you will need a new cable between light and switch. More decoration problems.
I don't think you need to avoid that function.
And you will need a new cable between light and switch. More decoration problems.
I don't think you need to avoid that function.
This is what concerns me, as I'm talking about 3 external lights that I'd want to PIR and override enable... from a single switch location (but 2 switches).
If each light already had a L, N and SL connecting to it (I certainly don't know if it does) then can all the work be done in the back of the switch plate? Or am I talking about 3 new runs of wire to each of the PIR-enabled lights and all the disruption that will cause?
My apologies if that is just a stupid question... my initial assumption being that the actual light bulb is either on or off and the control of that simple boolean state shouldn't require a new run of wire to the location of each light?
[ assuming that you are talking about the Bernard 2-switch approach] A single run of L, N & SL going from switches to the three lights (if all had PIRs - if not the three cores could go to the one with the PIR and then just S/L and N on to the other two)) would be fine. However, the current wiring between lights and to switch presumably has only L & N (no SL).
As above, any of the lights which have PIRs would require the three cores, and all three would also have to go to switch. Lights without PIRs only need S/L and N.
Does that make any sense?
Kind Regards, John
Yes, I understand, thank you... the approach I take will end up being defined (practically speaking) by what wires currently exist inside the walls of the property. The 2 switch approach is desirable but simply may not be practical.
Fair enough. Unfortunately, it would seem very unlikely that you would currently have 3-core (plus earth) cable going to the switch. If that's the case, then you would not be able to get the desired override functionality using the 2-switch approach without installing a new cable to the switch - so you might be stuck with having the rely on PIR(s) with built-in 'over-ride' functionality.
One thing I'm not totally clear about (not that it alters the above comments). Are you now thinking in terms of (a) having three lamps, each with built-in PIRs (with their detectors maybe pointing in different directions), or (b) having just one PIR lamp, with the other two just plain lamps, 'slaved' off the PIR one, or (c) three non-PIR lamps, with a separate standalone PIR unit working all three?
Kind Regards, John
Yes, I'd always been thinking of a)... each light having its own PIR, they would be separate in terms of coverage... side of house, rear of house and in a porch.
Fair enough. As I'm sure you understand, with any sort of 'linked wiring' such as we have been discussing, activation of one lamp by its PIR would cause all three to come on, even though motion had been detected in only one of the areas.
Kind Regards, John
I did not understand that explicitly, but that is certainly not a problem. After all, if I had the override, I would want all three lights to respond in unison, so them doing that by PIR activation is also totally cool.
OK. The point is that once you have linked the SLs of the three lamps/PIRs by wiring, they will necessarily all behave identically and simultaneously (in terms of being on or off) - so all three will come in in response to just one of the PIRs detecting something, or if one invokes an over-ride (either by the two-switch approach, or by using buit-in over-ride functionality).
Kind Regards, John
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