hi guys looking for some advice i want to put up 5 security lights with pir around the house and i wondering what the best way of doing it is. i know i need a fused spur, whats the easiest way of doing it and whats the best cable for the job?
wiring 5 security lights
- Thread starter tamgunner
- Start date
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What wattage and type of lamp are they? How long will the cable be? How will you terminate at each light, given most lights don't have entry for 2 cables. Will the cable run inside or outside? In conduit or not? How will you be affording RCD protection to the outdoor installation? Are you aware of the legal implications of doing this work yourself?
they are 500w halogen lights cable roughly about 15 meters in total, not sure about terminate at each light thats why im asking?? been told i can run them in series? cable will be outside in conduit, what u mean about affording rcd protection? not aware of legal implications maybe u can tell me??
i was told by an electrican that i can run 2.5mm twin n earth from a socket to a spured switch then run the lights in series?
2.5kw of outdoor lighting is a LOT and I think there's some law that says anything over 300w requires permission. I bought a 20w LED PIR floodlight on ebay for £20 a few months ago and while there were some issues over its earthing safety which I resolved, it is a very bright light, equivalent to maybe 250w halogen.
Regarding the law, here is a factsheet from the niceic. Part P requires this work to be notified to your local building control dept and pay their fee for having it inspected. Many don't bother. Englishmans home and all that. However this could invalidate your home insurance policy if your house burns down due to faulty, uncertified electrics.
You need to install a waterproof junction box at each lighting location, linking them with conduit. But you must use solvent cement on the joints and drill weep holes at the low points. You then have a loop of flex from each junction box to the light itself.
All flex joints must be fitted with glands to maintain watertightness.
For 2.5kw of lighting you need 1.5mm flex/cable and a 13 amp fuse, but if you decide to use the low energy LEDs you can get away with 1.0mm and 5amp. The instalation must be RCD protected. This can either be at the main consumer unit or at the fused spur.
What kind of area are you lighting? Perhaps a MS Paint diagram so we understand it clearly. You can upload images to this forum in the reply page.
Regarding the law, here is a factsheet from the niceic. Part P requires this work to be notified to your local building control dept and pay their fee for having it inspected. Many don't bother. Englishmans home and all that. However this could invalidate your home insurance policy if your house burns down due to faulty, uncertified electrics.
You need to install a waterproof junction box at each lighting location, linking them with conduit. But you must use solvent cement on the joints and drill weep holes at the low points. You then have a loop of flex from each junction box to the light itself.
All flex joints must be fitted with glands to maintain watertightness.
For 2.5kw of lighting you need 1.5mm flex/cable and a 13 amp fuse, but if you decide to use the low energy LEDs you can get away with 1.0mm and 5amp. The instalation must be RCD protected. This can either be at the main consumer unit or at the fused spur.
What kind of area are you lighting? Perhaps a MS Paint diagram so we understand it clearly. You can upload images to this forum in the reply page.
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its for my sisters garden been trying to tell her that 5 lights is too many but u know what women are like lol
so regarding the rcd i can run a cable from a socket to a fused spur then in to an rcd then from there out to the lights?
5x 500W is really quite a lot of lighting. A 120W floodlight gives good illumination, 5 x 120W would be more than adequate for most houses I'd imagine. The legal limit (for planning permission purposes) is per lamp, not for the whole lighting, so 120W are fine here.
If the socket's already protected by RCD, then you won't need a second one.
ment to ask instead of using a fused spur then an rcd can i use a rcd fused spur like this one?
http://www.screwfix.com/p/safetysure-13a-rcd-fused-spur-white/26963
There is no legal limit imposed for planning permission purposes or other legislation - unless you can point to the Act and Section that I am not aware of?
Any domestically installed outside lamp, whatever the wattage, can be classed as a statutory nuisance if incorrectly installed.
Tamgunner you will not get very far with your installation if you install the lights in series as you stated. They need to be wired in parallel - if you do not understand the difference then perhaps this task is beyond you.
Steve the rules regarding Part P notification have changed - also the latest part P rules now apply to England only - Scotland, where the OP lives, has always had their own rules.
well considering i got told i can install them in series by an electrican!!
And yes, all outdoor lighting should be installed in such as way that it does not cause nuisance to your neighbours and any passing motorists.
And I think by series he (and his electrician) meant daisychaining L, N and E from one fitting to the other.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/B...-standards/publications/pubtech/th2013domcomp
6.5.2 Fixed external lighting
Where fixed external lighting is installed, such as to enable safe use of external areas when natural light levels are not sufficient or for security during the hours of darkness, measures should be taken to prevent wasteful use of energy by such fittings.
Fixed external lighting should either:
be rated at not more than 100 lamp-watts per light fitting with automatic control by both movement detection (e.g. PIR) and photocell to ensure operation only when needed or
have fittings with an efficacy of at least 45 lumens per circuit-watt, with automatically control by photocell to ensure operation only when needed.
In addition to the above, manual switching may be provided to override operation of automatic controls.
6.5.2 Fixed external lighting
Where fixed external lighting is installed, such as to enable safe use of external areas when natural light levels are not sufficient or for security during the hours of darkness, measures should be taken to prevent wasteful use of energy by such fittings.
Fixed external lighting should either:
be rated at not more than 100 lamp-watts per light fitting with automatic control by both movement detection (e.g. PIR) and photocell to ensure operation only when needed or
have fittings with an efficacy of at least 45 lumens per circuit-watt, with automatically control by photocell to ensure operation only when needed.
In addition to the above, manual switching may be provided to override operation of automatic controls.
Ok no worries I was simply repeating a piece of advice from ericmark and Johnmelad, see the thread here: //www.diynot.com/forums/electrics/trying-to-install-a-security-light.385377/#2957986
It appears to be a guidance within Building Regulations approved documents in England and Wales.
It's just England actually (bottom of page
) and as the OP appears to live in Scotland does not apply to him anyway.DIYnot Local
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