LED lamps and security lighting controllers?

[t121anf]

i wish to use a security lighting controler to turn my porch lights on and off.

at the moment i have one of these wired in

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=37966

but i am tempted to swap to a motion based one like this

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=45045

problem is the combined wattage of the 2 lamps in my porch is only 2.4w, hence why i don't mind them being on a while using the original switch.

but this is well below the recommended minimum and why when turned off the led lamps are still on but dim, when i exchanged one for a halgoen lamp they were both off (when the switch was off).

so is there any such light switch that can cope with such a low wattage?

is there anything i can use to trick the switch into thinking the wattage is higher than it really is?

any help would be great.

ian

 

[electronicsuk]

You could add an extra dummy load in the form of another lamp or some other resistive load of your choice, but in any case it makes using LED lamps pointless as the dummy load is going to increase power consumption on the order of 2000% to reach the 50w minimum load required by some devices. You might as well just leave the LEDs on 24/7.

 

[breezer]

the reason it does as it does is because the switches / controlers you mention are electronic and do not physicaly break the supply. almost all light replcemnt timers will have the same problem

You have some choices

lump it

leave them on 24 7

fit a normal lamp too

buy a plug in timer and a standing lamp

use a good old fashined mechanical timer which will also require a neutral, which you will probably not have at a switch

 

[t121anf]

what would adding a broken 50w hologen lamp do?

 

[Taylortwocities]

That timer needs a load of at least 20W for it to work properly - its written in the spec.

You'd need a timer with a relay output for it to work properly or use one of the solutions above - all of which negate the efficiency of the LED lights!

 

[Taylortwocities]

what would adding a broken 50w hologen lamp do?

Nothing, it would look black and have no effect as the lamp woud be open circuit = no load = no effect.

 

[electronicsuk]

what would adding a broken 50w hologen lamp do?

Nothing. The filament is toast, it wont draw any current and it may as well not be there. There's no magical 'phantom' load* in this case, you really do need to draw more current to make this work properly for you.

*Please, let's not get into discussions about reactive loads

 

[breezer]

what would adding a broken 50w hologen lamp do?

give everyone a good laugh?

you will have to opt for one of my suggestions, since as also been said any load added does negate the point of having the led lights in the first place.

oh and i meant good old fashioned mechanical timer

 

[t121anf]

so what about replacing the switch with one of these?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Socket-Box-El...14&_trkparms=72:1301|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318

as its box mounted it should fit, but i guess i need a neutral which i wont have:-S

all i have is a red and black wire lol, live and common, i think.

(don't worry i may ask the questions on here but my dad is a qualified electrician he does the work, but getting new ideas out of him is a bit tough as he's not hands on any more)

 

[t121anf]

oh and i meant good old fashioned mechanical timer

got any links to said timers so i know what to look for?

 

[electronicsuk]

oh and i meant good old fashioned mechanical timer

got any links to said timers so i know what to look for?

You've already linked to a mechanical timer yourself just above, but it will require a neutral, and it sounds as if you only have live and switched live at the faceplate. Ergo, you wont be able to use a mechanical timer without some rewiring, and I don't think you'll find any timer with electromechanical switching that will run from this wiring arrangement either.

Honestly, just leave the lights on 24/7. At 2.4w it will take 17 days to consume a single unit of electricity, so even if you were paying 15p/kWh (which isn't cheap) your running costs will only be just over £3 a year.

 

[breezer]

t121anf, please read my first reply to your question. i gave you all the options.

oh, and be warned, just because you see it on ebay does not mean to say its cheap. the timer you linked to you can buy a new one for less than that

 

[t121anf]

ok thanks all for the responces.

i did consider leaving them on as they draw less than my V+ box.