Manual override sw for 2x pir security lights

[Jayjay2324]

Hi I'm hoping I can pick a smart persons brain as this is baffling me. I'm sure this thread has been posted many times but I'm using my phone to do this and I'm struggling abit. Ok so basically I wanted 2 x pir security lights outside my unit and thought I'd wire it myself as I feel/felt confident to do it. My father was an electrician and he tried teaching me a few bits now and then.

What I have done is ran a new 6A supply in 1.5mm fp200 to a fuses spur for local isolation. From the fuses spur I ran the load to a 2 way switch.

Connections are: supply L - common
supply N - connector

From here I ran a 3 core and earth to a weatherproof adaptable box which then splits off, 1 cable to each Apollo 400w security pir.
Brown connected with brown, black to black, grey to grey and earth to earths.
3 core connection in 2way switch:

Perm L brown - common - with supply L
Neutral black - in connector with supply N
Switch grey - in L1 of switch

All correctly marked and earths connected.

With these connections I thought that when the spur is on the lights would come on via the pir when light settings permit. And then when switched by the 2 way they would come on permanently?

What is happening is when I turn the spur on the lights come on as stay on all the time and the switch does nothing? Have I connected something up wrong or can you not connect 2 pir lights together like that?

light connections are :
Perm brown to L
Black to neutral
Earth to green and yellow
And grey to a spare connection which has a pink/red cable going to the pir and then a fly lead to the lamp.

I would be wry greatly if someone would be kind enough to she'd some light of this for me. Thanks in advance.
JayJay

 

[EFLImpudence]

I think you seem to have wired it correctly but you are not understanding how the switch works.

It should be left ON for the PIR to work.
When switching ON for the first time the light will illuminate for the time that is set and then revert to automatic.

Most PIRs can be set to permanently on by switching off/on/off/on and
apparently not so obviously OFF is OFF.


You can wire it to work differently but this is the 'usual' way.

 

[securespark]

That seems OK as I read it.

This is how I described it in a thread a while ago:

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=73927#73927

Can you post some piccys of all your connections?

You must have gone wrong somewhere, as the lights are not going off, unless they have an override operated by momentarily cutting the power?

 

[Jayjay2324]

Quick update, manage to find my dads old dvm and I check at the 2 way switch between neutral and common- 230v but I checked across neutral at switch wire - L1 and that's 230v also wether I turn the switch on or not....knackerrd switch?? It's a click mode.

 

[Jayjay2324]

The fuses spur should be left on for pir to work but surely not the 2 way switch?? Unless tou want it on all the time? i put the switch i so its easier to use for the girls in the office as in sure they would get confused with the hole rapid on off on off thing.

Why do you need a 2 way switch and not just a 1 way?? As the neutrals are in connectors and 2 browns are together on common and grey in L1??

I think you seem to have wired it correctly but you are not understanding how the switch works.

It should be left ON for the PIR to work.
When switching ON for the first time the light will illuminate for the time that is set and then revert to automatic.

Most PIRs can be set to permanently on by switching off/on/off/on and
apparently not so obviously OFF is OFF.


You can wire it to work differently but this is the 'usual' way.

 

[Jayjay2324]

Will post pictures of switched spur, override sw and fittings when I get back

 

[EFLImpudence]

Remove the wires and check the continuity of the switch when operated.

If the switch is permanently on then the light should work correctly.


What terminals are at the light? Any chance of a picture?

I'm not sure the grey should be connected to a red and white.

 

[EFLImpudence]

The fuses spur should be left on for pir to work but surely not the 2 way switch??

Yes, if wired conventionally.
The switch is normally used to enable permanently off.

Unless tou want it on all the time? i put the switch i so its easier to use for the girls in the office as in sure they would get confused with the hole rapid on off on off thing.

You can wire it as you want but lets see if we can sort this first.

Why do you need a 2 way switch and not just a 1 way?? As the neutrals are in connectors and 2 browns are together on common and grey in L1??

You don't need a two-way switch but it may be used to operate it as you want.

 

[bernardgreen]

PIR with overrides

• bernardgreen
• 18 Mar 2011
• 20

Using two single pole switches to provide overrides for a basic PIR

The PIR and the lamp can be combined in one unit but the principle is the same.

 

[EFLImpudence]

The red and white is correct so you have black instead of 'your blue' and grey to red and white so it should work as you want.

 

[Jayjay2324]

That's exactly how I've wired it. I thought it also could have been because there two fittings wired together and the PIRs didn't like it hence them playing up. I've actually bought a new switch so I'm hoping this will solve the issue as I'm thinking they are constantly on due to the switch being in override position all the time?

Possibility??? Or could it be something more complex? I'm on my way back now so I'll post pics soon as I get back.

 

[EFLImpudence]

What is happening is when I turn the spur on the lights come on as stay on all the time and the switch does nothing? Have I connected something up wrong or can you not connect 2 pir lights together like that?

Just to add that, as I said, when switched on for the first time the light will stay on for the set time - could be twenty minutes.

If you don't wait this long and then have flicked the switch on and off a couple of times you could have initiated the permanently on mode.

Then you would need to turn off the FCU for a couple of minutes and start again.

 

[securespark]

EFLI - what's the wire marked "2"?

 

[JohnW2]

EFLI - what's the wire marked "2"?

Is it not just the N to the lamp?

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

I only copied it from the web.

I think it just means there are 2 white wires to the lamp.