Help me identify mystery box

[seasickstevie]

... point the 'N" as close to north as you can.

On top of a lamppost that is obviously the correct way, with 360deg of sky, but I've often pondered that up against a flat wall where there's probably no more than 180deg of visible sky, and often a lot less, I feel 'N' is best pointing to the wall.

But that's just my theory. . .

 

[JohnW2]

I appreciate it may be a low risk, but it's not such a low risk that I'd want to see a small child poking around after the live (head-less) socket has been exposed to a long spell of rain. ... Maybe I'm just a bit over cautious.

I guess you'd get as many opinions as to what was 'over-cautious' as the number of people you asked.

I imagine we can probably agree that, indoors, these things are a lot safer than accessible bayonet lampholders (e.g. in table lamps) - so the only issue arises when the top is unplugged and they are exposed to the external elements. The design is such that the lower part of the housing, which contains the terminals and connections, ought to fill up with water at an early stage, causing an RCD (hopefully there would be one!) to operate before there was a flud path from live conductors to the outside world. I therefore thing that the risk is probabloy extremely low - but, as I said, whether it is 'over-cautious' is really a personal/individual question.

Are you happy with (indoor!) table lamps and standard lamps (which can fall over) in the presence of children (or even stupid adults)?

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

On top of a lamppost that is obviously the correct way, with 360deg of sky, but I've often pondered that up against a flat wall where there's probably no more than 180deg of visible sky, and often a lot less, I feel 'N' is best pointing to the wall. But that's just my theory. . .

I would have thought that it depends upon what functionality you want to achieve.

For example, if one orientates the cell such that it is most sensitive to light in the direction of the rising sun, it will turn lights off earlier in the morning and turn them on earlier at night than if it is pointing in the direction of the setting sun.

Kind Regards, John

 

[seasickstevie]

I take your point about table lamps falling over etc., but in that scenario, 99% of people would pick the table lamp up and replace the bulb.
Here the PEC could be missing for weeks while someone thinks about ringing an electrician to fix the car park lights.

The up-shot is, it should be mounted out of reach. And ideally at a height where there's less obstruction from the surrounding building, and a better view of the sky.

It's noticable how much longer it takes carpark lights to go off in the morning when the PEC is badly positioned. Each light burning 70w for perhaps an extra 15 minutes every morning . . . not very green. But hey, that's another story.

 

[JohnW2]

I take your point about table lamps falling over etc., but in that scenario, 99% of people would pick the table lamp up and replace the bulb. Here the PEC could be missing for weeks while someone thinks about ringing an electrician to fix the car park lights.

It was standard lamps I mentioned as falling over. With table lamps, the child can climb up to reach them, remove the lamp (maybe burning themselves!) and then stick their fingers in - all before any adult even knows it's happening.

The up-shot is, it should be mounted out of reach. And ideally at a height where there's less obstruction from the surrounding building, and a better view of the sky.

Yes, that does make sense.

It's noticable how much longer it takes carpark lights to go off in the morning when the PEC is badly positioned. Each light burning 70w for perhaps an extra 15 minutes every morning . . . not very green. But hey, that's another story.

It's not quite as simple as that. As I said, if one re-adjusts such a sensor so that the lights go off at the earliest possible time in the morning, the lights will probably come on earlier in the evening, thereby again potentially non-green. These non-adjustable light sensors do not allow for much flexibility, and hence are probably very often resulting in less than ideal 'greeness'.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Lectrician]

Are you happy with (indoor!) table lamps and standard lamps (which can fall over) in the presence of children (or even stupid adults)?

I was doing a few jobs in a pub fairly recently when the landlord asked me to look at a light fitting for him. One of the staff had received a shock when changing a BC candle lamp in a brass picture light. They had stuck their fingers in the fitting for some reason, and they knew it was on.

 

[JohnW2]

Are you happy with (indoor!) table lamps and standard lamps (which can fall over) in the presence of children (or even stupid adults)?

I was doing a few jobs in a pub fairly recently when the landlord asked me to look at a light fitting for him. One of the staff had received a shock when changing a BC candle lamp in a brass picture light. They had stuck their fingers in the fitting for some reason, and they knew it was on.

That would presumably be one of the 'stupid adults' to whom I referred

Kind Regards, John

 

[stem]

The "Mystery Box" you wish to identify may not be related. If you look carefully at the photo the photocell cable appears to go through the wall not into the box. If so the box may just be the termination of SWA cable feeding an outbuilding.

 

[JohnW2]

The "Mystery Box" you wish to identify may not be related. If you look carefully at the photo the photocell cable appears to go through the wall not into the box. If so the box may just be the termination of SWA cable feeding an outbuilding.

You could be right - although I would not put my shirt on it without seeing another photo without the cobwebs. I presume that the OP can tell us where it goes.

However, even if that cable does go through the wall, I think most of the speculation regarding what it's all about probably still stands. We've been told that all the nearby houses (but no longer the OP's) have 'illuminated bollards', so the power must get to them somehow - that box/SWA would seem to be a prime suspect - and the very close proximity of the photocell and the box would be consistent with that. If the wire does go through the wall, perverse though it seems, I suppose it could then return into the back of the box - maybe to avoid having to effect a weatherproof entry for that cable into the box!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Lectrician]

A photo with the gewiss boxes lid off would help.

 

[JohnW2]

A photo with the gewiss boxes lid off would help.

Indeed it would - I wonder if that could be provided?

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You could be right - although I would not put my shirt on it without seeing another photo without the cobwebs.

Nor I.

If the wire does go through the wall, perverse though it seems, I suppose it could then return into the back of the box - maybe to avoid having to effect a weatherproof entry for that cable into the box!

Particularly as the knuckle-draggers who installed it used T/E.

 

[JohnW2]

suppose it could then return into the back of the box - maybe to avoid having to effect a weatherproof entry for that cable into the box!

Particularly as the knuckle-draggers who installed it used T/E.

If it is T+E (it certainly looks rather like it), then there's another problem, because they presumably will have had to use the CPC for the S/L!

Kind Regards, John

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Might be 3-core.

Might be a PIR which doesn't need a neutral.

 

[Lectrician]

My eyes and experience leads me to believe it is 3C+E, although no gland has been used in the bottom of the photocell (not PIR Mr Sheds )