PIR Security lighting

[EastYorksIan]

Can anyone tell me why when a 500 watt bulb blows on a security light it burns out one of the connections that it clips into.
Ive got three seperate 500 watt PIR lights on the wall and i must have replaced each one with this same problem.
The lights are wired up correctly so i cant understand it.
Has anyone else had this problem or is it just me......

 

[breezer]

May be brand of lamp, are you sure it is amking a good connection, to burn out means arcing, implying poor connection

 

[securespark]

Hi EastYorksIan - guess u r called Ian and live in East Yorks - hows that for intuition??????


I get the same problem with customer's fittings - sometimes the weather/damp has got in, and this causes arcing, but often as Breezer says it is a poor connection.

This also creates arcing where the electricity jumps a gap and that deteriorates the terminals.

When fitting the lamp, make sure that the lamp endcaps are well seated into the terminals and check that it is a snug fit ie good contact between lamp & terminals.

Fitting quality units plays a part here also. Lots of my customers buy a bargain bucket 500W PIR flood for under a tenner, then ask me to install it. I will, but only if the customer takes responsibility for the fitting ie when it goes faulty, they don't ring me up six months down the line & whinge that its beggered because they bought a cheap one.

Superswitch and Smiths are two manufacturers that offer 3 year g'tees on their floods. I've fitted upwards of 100 of these over the years and only one went back. (to be replaced under warranty!!) Of course they are dearer, but only about twice the price of a cheap unit from the DIY sheds.

 

[EastYorksIan]

Thanks Secure,

I do actually buy the under a tenner jobs so perhaps thats where i am going wrong,i suppose nowadays you get what you pay forIl try and get somat descent of the shelves.
Thanks for your advice mate.........

 

[breezer]

try an electrical wholesaler.

as i have often said (and caused debates) you get what you opay for.

 

[EastYorksIan]

Very true breezer,why buy a burger when you can have steak......

 

[breezer]

i read what you have written, i understand what it means, what i do not understand is why did you get the burger as opposed to the steak in the first place?

or was it the smell of it that inticed you?

 

[EastYorksIan]

To be honest for the price i thought they would have done the job fine but you only learn of these things i suppose with the help of these great forums and feed back of people in the know.
It always seems to be the same problem though,that one of the terminals burns out where the bulb connects into,very annoying !!!!!!

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

Totally agree with breezer, ask my my better half, why put up with second best

 

[securespark]

Scoby

If, by your own definition your other half is "better", then she must be putting up with second best!!!!!!

 

[breezer]

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

Scoby

If, by your own definition your other half is "better", then she must be putting up with second best!!!!!!

ARRRRRRR**