Adding a PIR to two existing outside lights

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pinheadplanet

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Hi

I have 2 lights in the garden (on the walls of the back of the house) that I'd like to a dd a PIR to so they become security lights. I'm assuming I can do this, so long as I leave the light switch in the house turned to on, is this correct?

Cheers

Kelv
 
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I should add at the moment I've got quite dim/ambient lights in the garden, it would be good to beef them up a little but at the same time I don't want to p*** off the neighbours too much! The Mrs is a postie and she goes into the garden everyday at 5.30am to get her bike, which would trigger a PIR so a 500W Floodlight wouldn't go down very well. Rather than fitting a PIR to the existing circuit would it be easier just to replace one of the lantern in the garden with a combined PIR lamp like this:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/iq-single-pyro-pro-symmetric-pir-sensor-floodlight-graphite-120w/50908

Is a 120W too much?

Essentially I want something that light up a burglar but won't annoy the neighbours (or wake me up when the Mrs goes to work lol)
 
pirs dont discourage many burglars
they simply activate it several times and if nothing happens they carry on doing what they where doing
ask your wife how many times she notices a curtain twitch when she activates a security light on her rounds:eek: :eek:

making areas more exposed and using noisy gravel will help
 
My wife has a tendancy to deliver the post through the front door, not peoples back gardens that have a private woodland behind them which are closed to the public.

And yes I check the window everytime a neighbours PIR is triggered and I go out when a car or house alarms sounds. And if it's MY PIR being triggered I'll be out there like a Jack Russel down a rabbit hole.

The question remains is it possible?
 
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pinheadplanet said:
I should add at the moment I've got quite dim/ambient lights in the garden, it would be good to beef them up a little but at the same time I don't want to p*** off the neighbours too much! The Mrs is a postie and she goes into the garden everyday at 5.30am to get her bike, which would trigger a PIR so a 500W Floodlight wouldn't go down very well. Rather than fitting a PIR to the existing circuit would it be easier just to replace one of the lantern in the garden with a combined PIR lamp like this:
Click to expand...
Yes - though it will in part depend on how the current lights(2) operate.
If a single wall switch turns boths lights on together then it might be better if you replace both lights because otherwise one will be one all the time.
For the new lamps you will require live/line neutral and probably earth at each lamp - just check you have that arrangement.

pinheadplanet said:
Is a 120W too much?
Click to expand...
No though there are 28w energy saver ones or LED's that last longer and give out as much light.
 
riveralt said:
If a single wall switch turns boths lights on together then it might be better if you replace both lights because otherwise one will be one all the time.
For the new lamps you will require live/line neutral and probably earth at each lamp - just check you have that arrangement.
Click to expand...
I did wonder if that would happen

pinheadplanet said:
Is a 120W too much?
Click to expand...
riveralt said:
No though there are 28w energy saver ones or LED's that last longer and give out as much light.
Click to expand...
Where from? doesn't look like screwfix do these.
 
riveralt said:
If a single wall switch turns boths lights on together then it might be better if you replace both lights because otherwise one will be one all the time.
Click to expand...
Or if they are daisy chained, connect the live for the second light to the switched terminal of the PIR light - then they'll come on together.

Adding a PIR to the lights would be notifiable - replacing one (or both) of them with a PIR equipped fitting wouldn't.
 
SimonH2 said:
riveralt said:
If a single wall switch turns boths lights on together then it might be better if you replace both lights because otherwise one will be one all the time.
Click to expand...
Or if they are daisy chained, connect the live for the second light to the switched terminal of the PIR light - then they'll come on together.

Adding a PIR to the lights would be notifiable - replacing one (or both) of them with a PIR equipped fitting wouldn't.
Click to expand...

Does it matter which is the 'first' light and which is the 'second'? For example I would like to replace the Right hand light on the wall with a PIR Floodlight and leave the left hand light as it is. What if the left hand light is the 'first' light? Not sure I'm explaining this properly, do you understand? What if the live feed goes first to the left hand light?
 
For both lights to come on and off via the PIR you will need to run the power through the PIR lamp first - and then to the non PIR lamp.
Most PIR lamps have an additional switch live terminal for additional lights just check the one you buy has this facility.
 
you can get light fittings that are PIR controlled for security reasons but they also have a manual overide so that if you double click,ie "on/off/on/off the switch within a couple of seconds they will stay on permantly until the next lux switching moment (dawn). By switching off the switch and waiting for a few seconds and then switching back on it will revert to security mode.
 
riveralt wrote:
For both lights to come on and off via the PIR you will need to run the power through the PIR lamp first - and then to the non PIR lamp.
Most PIR lamps have an additional switch live terminal for additional lights just check the one you buy has this facility.


It would be this one, can you tell from the description?

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Lig...dlight+Floodlight+with+PIR/d220/sd2678/p67830
 
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