Outside light wiring

[ricky81]

Hello,
Just a quick query (I don’t want to get this wrong).

I’ve just taken an old light off an outside wall and want to replace it with a pir light.

The old light was controlled by a switch inside the house. Which had red, black and an earth wire to the outside.
This fed into a lantern light. Red to Blue wire (on the lamp unit) and Black to Brown wire (on the lamp unit).

On the new unit...Does the red wire from the internal switch connect to Neutral and the black connect to live?

Thank you,

Richard

 

[ricky81]

I will add that the switch always operated upside down in the house. If that makes any difference. Has someone incorrectly wired this originally?

 

[EFLImpudence]

On the new unit...Does the red wire from the internal switch connect to Neutral and the black connect to live?

I wouldn't think so - but it does not matter with just a bulb but the PIR should be wired the correct way.

To be sure, please post a picture of the switch wiring.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Other way round - Red (brown) to live/L, Black (blue) to neutral/N.

You could turn the switch the correct way up?

For it to work via the PIR, the switch will need to be on. Some PIR's have a switch operating sequence built in, to enable the PIR to be overridden.

 

[ricky81]

Hello, thank you for your quick responses.

this is the inside light switch and wiring.

 

[ricky81]

These are the pir instructions.

 

[EFLImpudence]

As said Red to L and Black to N.

 

[EFLImpudence]

If you want the switch to work 'the right way up', move the single Red to the other terminal.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

If you want the switch to work 'the right way up', move the single Red to the other terminal.

If the single red is in L1, move it over to L2. If it is in L2 move it to L1 terminal.

 

[bernardgreen]

The switch has a metal face plate and should therefor be Earthed by a wire to the terminal on the switch and not rely on the fixing screws.

 

[ricky81]

Thank you for all your help. All working beautifully and the switch is the right way round.

 

[ricky81]

The switch has a metal face plate and should therefor be Earthed by a wire to the terminal on the switch and not rely on the fixing screws.

would this mean connecting an earth wire from the earth fixing on the back of the metal fitting onto the earth clamp inside the terminal housing? (as shown on the photo)

 

[bernardgreen]

would this mean connecting an earth wire from the earth fixing on the back of the metal fitting

Yes, or slightly better... put the Earth wires from the cables into the terminal on the switch and add a wire from there to the back box.