Wiring in a PIR for downstairs toilet light & extractor

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Hi,

I'm new so apologies if this is in the wrong place. I found some help on here over the weekend. It didn't solve my issue and I thought it only fair to post up what I did incase it helps others.

So, we live in a new build property. If you don't know new builds do not have lighting switches inside bathrooms (not sure from what year). As the downstairs loo is the one guests normally use, without fail they would enter a dark room, leave..look for a switch... turn on the hallway light... then find the toilet light, then go to the loo. Add in my Wife is in on crutches or in a wheelchair all the time, and it made sense to me to fit a PIR sensor, and blank the switch.

I bought a PIR from eBay, an LAP Standalone PIR. IP44 rated 360° sensor etc.

Obviously all lighting circuits are off before commencing work!

Luckily for me the power to the light was E N and L. I wired this to the mains in on the PIR. New mains cable was then run to connect the neutral wire from the light to the neutral on the mains in in side of the PIR. The live for the light I then fitted to the switch live of the PIR, worth noting the PIR comes with a factory fitted bridge wire which stays in place.

So this was great. I left the wall switch on and the PIR turned the light on and off when you passed its field of vision... trouble was I had interupted the light feed only, and not the extractor at all... so the extractor assumed the light was on all the time as the wall switch was on, and therefore the extractor didn't turn off (unless I used the isolate switch).

To solve this I ran the switched live wire from the extractor isolator to the live wire on the mains side of the PIR. I then ran new mains live cable from the switched live on the PIR to the switched live on the extractor.

Voila. This allows me to:

Have the light on via the PIR and the extractor off via the isolator if I wish.
Have the light and the extractor on when the light is triggered, retaining the permanent live to the extractor for once the light is off.

I then took the switch cover off the wall, connected the mains wiring (so there is now a constant flow to the PIR), ane replaced with a blank front plate.

Cheers,

Mike
 
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Have you checked that waving an arm while sitting on the toilet is enough motion to ensure the light comes back on when the PIR times out before the person has finished.

Also what will you do when the PIR fails.
 
Have you checked that waving an arm while sitting on the toilet is enough motion to ensure the light comes back on when the PIR times out before the person has finished.

Also what will you do when the PIR fails.

Yep, and the PIR has a timer from 5 seconds to 15 minutes.

IF the PIR fails (OK OK, when..) I would turn off the lighting circuit, remove the blanking plate and remove the constant connection. Replace PIR and replace connection.
 
Not been into any new builds recently, but I thought switches outside a bathroom were a 60's and 70's thing. Not sure why new builds would have switches outside a bathroom unless the person in charge of these things was a bit simple and didn't know about pullswitches.
 
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I have no idea about why I'm afraid. Our last house was built in 2008 and was the same, our current house we've only just moved into and as I say has all the toilet switches outside the rooms.
 
Not sure why new builds would have switches outside a bathroom unless the person in charge of these things was a bit simple and didn't know about pullswitches.
Or, it would seem, very stupid and didn't know that there are no special restrictions for switches in WCs.
 
According to:

"Part P – Electrical safety

...Part P ensures that all household electrics are installed safely; rules for bathroom electrics for example specify the maximum voltage levels for different areas in the bathroom and state that light switches should be pull chord operated or located outside the bathroom. "


So I would also need to ceiling mount it and make it a pull cord.

I added this thread to help others if they Google for similar things.
 
Its interesting.

My downstairs toilet is like that. (switch outside) and I guess its what they do in Europe.

I suspect the reasons are:-

A) Lazyness, when having looped at switch lighting and using multi gang switches.

B) It just doesn't seam "right" having a switch in a toilet. Maybe they are concerned about an accident and someone will take legal action.
 
OK, I am only going by Google results (which I know are not 100% correct).

As said I am not in the trade and don't claim to be an expert. I merely did this myself for my own home. :D
 

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