Two Outside Lights? - One Fused socket

[rogers_danny]

Last year I had an electrician come out and fit me a security light on the side of my garage. My garage has its own main fuse box that controls sockets and the strip light.

The electrician added a swicthed fuse so the light can either be permantly on or just on the security mode where it comes on goes off as it pleases.

What I want to do now is add a second light to the back of the garage that lights up my garden...

Am I ok to run the new light wire directly into the switched fuse socket that the electrician added, this socket would then control both lights

 

[JohnD]

You say "switched fuse socket " but I do not recognise this term. Can you put up a photo?

 

[davy_owen_88]

It seems lots of people recently are confusing socket with switch.

Do you mean this:

Or do you mean one of these:

 

[JohnD]

I was thinking

but I can't see how to set the auto/manual-on switching with one.

 

[rogers_danny]

sorry, I meant to say Fused Connection Unit.

Like pictures below - one switch with small fuse lug on the casing

mine doesn't have a light on the casing, just a switch which remains in the on position so the floodlight can use the PIR detector and turn on/off when it is disturbed[/img]

 

[davy_owen_88]

Some PIR's have a function where switching the feed on, off and back on again in quick succession will set it to always on, or always off or PIR.

Unless you know the PIR functions the same as the current light you may end up with a very confusing switching control.

You'd be better off wiring a switch with the switched live going to the PIR output and a permanent live going to the PIR input. That way the switch works just like a normal switch (when on the light is on, when off the PIR is functioning).

 

[rogers_danny]

Both lights are identical, model/make etc

So the question is can two identical lights be connected to one FCU? The swicth will remain in the on position as all I want them to do is come on when moving about the garden

Thanks for the time taken to look at my question

 

[davy_owen_88]

So long as the additional load is within the capacities of the fuse there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[securespark]

I was thinking

but I can't see how to set the auto/manual-on switching with one.

Some PIR/floods, you flick the supply off & on V quick & it switches to "on all the time" mode.

 

[securespark]

It is best in the circumstances to have individual switching of the floodlights. Is the current switch on a radial circuit of a value >6A? If so, just tap off the feed terminals to a second switch & wire the new light into the load terminals of the second switch.

 

[rogers_danny]

Thanks for the help guys

Out of interest, I've just been out and checked the fuse that is inside the switched FCU and its 13A

 

[davy_owen_88]

What size cable if used after the FCU and what type of lights are you using?

 

[rogers_danny]

the cable feeding the first light is a 1.5mm twin core and earth...

So, for the second light I was going to use the same, 1.5mm twin core and earth

Both cables going directly into the FCU - keeping the 13A fuse in place

 

[rogers_danny]

sorry...

The question relating to the lights. The are just standard security lights with PIR

the first is a 150W twin spot light ( 75W each) with PIR

The light I want to put on the back of the garage is a 150W floodlight with PIR

 

[JohnD]

Grrrr, a 13A fuse is for loads of 3kW.

About ten times what you have.

Pull it out and fling it away, fit a 3A fuse.

Remember the point of a fuse is to blow in the event of a fault causing overload. Carrying 3kW will provide a jolly little fire before it blows.