My recent Project... I built it myself!!

[Dave9]

I give up.

This is the second time you've come here, asking questions, and then arguing with/ignoring the answers.

Do what you like - I'm off to bed, and I will never answer any more questions from you.

Goodbye.

I didn't meen to offend you & i am grateful for every second you have spent helping me - i really do appreciate what you have done for me & i am sorry if i have annoyed you, i am sorry.

Thanks to everyone who helped too - i am grateful

Merry christmas

 

[pk1was]

what a joke, please tell me where you live so i dont buy next door

TOTAL LOONY

please send me the photos when you have electrocuted yourself, it will amuse me for many an hour

 

[Steve]

dave9, most wires are made of one thing: copper. However, the colours of the insulation MATTERS because what if mr DIY comes along in a couple of years to fit a new plug or something, and finds you've put the wrong wires everywhere? What's he going to do (being an average DIYer with a severe lack of multimeters and common sense, like a lot of DIYers when it comes to electrickery)? Put blue to N, brown to L and g/y to earth, the logical way to do it, no matter what you've done before. Then he turns the lecky on, and the metal case of whatever he's plugged in becomes live, and he dies . . . . you want that on your conscience?

All electrical connections should be insulated, and protected from harm. Didn't we go thru this last time??? In your case, the best way is to use a plastic box or 2 with flex glands. Cheaper to use 1 box - less glands to buy. In fact, buy a large adaptable box, and fit a socket on the front of it, instead of the trailing socket. Then you just have a box with 2 plugs hanging off it.

I am giving you these suggestions in order that you might take them and end up spending a bit of money, since you are determined to keep this setup. Please stop trying to do electrical things on the cheap!

Go and buy a couple of metres of 3-core flex, and a bit of choc-blok too, and rewire the lot with an earth. Contactor doesn't need an earth afaik, but that trailing socket DOES (how is mr average, who may inherit this "thing", going to know that this doesn't have an earth? I doubt he will open it up and inspect)

 

[Dave9]

thanks for that crafty, that cleared things up what i had on my mind - I just wanted to learn a little, i know it would be un-safe to mix the colors up, i just wanted to know if it would work theorotically - so thanks for that.... This question has been bugging me all my life, i always kinda knew that the colors were only there for identification... but i didnt know for sure!!!

Yeah sorry for being cheap - im really skint at the minute & I was looking for cheap methods - however i will wait til after xmas & buy some waterproof casing & hosing for my rig - oh & luckily i had 2metres of 3 core wire hanging around so il use that to earth my relay.

Appreciate all the advice you guys have posted, really made my day!

Merry xmas!!!

 

[Dave9]

what a joke, please tell me where you live so i dont buy next door

TOTAL LOONY

please send me the photos when you have electrocuted yourself, it will amuse me for many an hour

So to see me die would be funny to you?
Let's just prey that nothing like that happen's to any of your family.
Although God works in mysterious ways. . .


Ps: Can someone please give me links to TLC products i need? (the casing & other stuff)
There are so many parts in TLC i cannot fiquire out the best one that fits my needs, thanks.

 

[andy]

but you still have not answered my point

he has. the timer cant take the load, so timer pulls contactor in, switching a higher load. and its even in the (lower) picture.

dave - get down to your local lectrical wholesaler. and get 3 core flex for safety. what happens if your next light needs an earth?

 

[Steve]

dave - get down to your local lectrical wholesaler. and get 3 core flex for safety. what happens if your next light needs an earth?

his CURRENT light needs an earth, if i have been reading correctly.

adaptable boxes (scroll down to Weatherproof Moulded Boxes IP56 and choose a size!)
You can do what you like with these. Fit sockets to the front, anything. We have a large one at work, that has a fridge control unit in it and an isolator, about 6 cables come from the top, to the various components of our coldroom. Just make sure everything's fixed together inside, so it doesn't rattle around.
flex glands

 

[Dave9]

Excellent Stuff - Many Thanks.
yup il order the "150 x 110 x 70mm IP56 Moulded Box" & some compression glands for the wiring.

Tell me if this is possible: I heard someone make a contactor that can also make a heater switch on when the light switches off, what sort of materials would I need for this & what sort of circuit setup for this be?

Once again thanks for all the help

edit: yes my light has a earth (from the ballast to the the E40 Plate).

 

[pdcelec]

And where is this contactor you keep on abour?. I can only see a relay.

 

[Steve]

Excellent Stuff - Many Thanks.
yup il order the "150 x 110 x 70mm IP56 Moulded Box" & some compression glands for the wiring.

dont forget the 3-core flex too.

Not sure about the heater. Using contactors, a lot of things are possible, but dont try too much at once. Why would you need the heater ON when the light is OFF anyway? Extra wiring and a switch would be needed if ever you needed to have both on at once.

Was it really so much bother to turn the light on and off using a switch or a plug?

 

[Lectrician]

What the hell is 'earthing a metal plate' meant to achieve??

Ideally, you want an enclosure with a socket mouted on the front, with your relay base mounted on a piece of dinrail (they do fit). And why not fit a panel mount timer to the enclosure as well?

Or better still - buy a decent timer, or one designed to switched a higher load (yes it will require wiring into the flex - but better than your efforts).

I also must say that your realy (it is not a contactor) will probably also fry shut switching a large inductive load - as your timer no doubt did. You need an AC3 contactor.

 

[Dave9]

Excellent Stuff - Many Thanks.
yup il order the "150 x 110 x 70mm IP56 Moulded Box" & some compression glands for the wiring.

dont forget the 3-core flex too.

Not sure about the heater. Using contactors, a lot of things are possible, but dont try too much at once. Why would you need the heater ON when the light is OFF anyway? Extra wiring and a switch would be needed if ever you needed to have both on at once.

Was it really so much bother to turn the light on and off using a switch or a plug?

yeh thanks m8 - yeh i did have some 3-core lying around however just ordered a 100m roll of white multi-purpose 3 core wire from TLC which will come in handy for future use, £10 too which is pretty cheap

in the day the light's are on, but when the light's go off for a few hrs it starts to get cold & I need the heater to come on while the light is off... and when thr light come's on i want the heater to switch off (phew!)

Anyways here's the idea i was on about:




yeh crafty it does come a problem switching them manually everyday - sometimes im not around to do this so i needed a automatic way of doing it.

Thanks for the help

oh and @PD yes I have a relay & you probably didn't see my post on the first page (yellowed circle is the relay) (pic below)

 

[Dave9]

What the hell is 'earthing a metal plate' meant to achieve??

I don't know - I thought earth need's to be connected with a copper /metal plate.

However the light i got came pre-wired & the earth was just attached to the E40 holder plate... same as many others, im sure its doing its job

 

[Lectrician]

It's not doing it's job unless you make sure you connect the fittings earth to the supply earth......



ALSO - Re your heater:

Does your aquarium heater not have a thermostat in it as mine does?? If the light heats the water as you think it does, the heater stat will turn off - job done. Once the light goes off, and the tank temp falls, the heater will come on......you are over complicating things.

If there was a high call for the circuits you are trying to build, they would be easily found in aquarium shops etc........THEY ARE NOT.




It is rare that I advice someone to stop messing with lecky.......but with you I feel I must.

The pics you post are poorly constructed even as a temporary 'experiement'. And the lack of knowledge of earthing is highly dangerous.

The type of light fitting you have will no-doubt have a large 'ballest' incorporating an inductor, ignitor and a PF capacitor. These items are usually fitted to a metal tray, with atleast the inductor being of metal contruction. Not having an earth for these items IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS.

Are you also aware of the type of voltage that the control circuit will produce? Greater than 1000v at times.

You keep mentioning earthing metal plates etc...what for?? Are you going to by a metal plate, and try to use this as an earth - I truly am lost?? You say you have an earth from the ES lamp holder to the choke - so what? Where else does this earth wire go??


What are you on about with 'tubing' (sorry can't remember the exact term you used)? Why do you feel you need to tube the cabling??



I am sorry, it is rare for me, I suggest you send the items back, and purchase the correct items for the job that are simply ''plug and play''.





I would also be highly interested in your source of the circuit you made, and of the forums where you find people who also consider making such dangerous circuits. I would like to voice my concerns to them also.





In closing - bin the lot, by a decent timer, rely on your heaters stat, or eat the fish.




Not normally as direct and as irritated by posts, but this really takes the biscuit.

 

[breezer]

Lectrician, i agree with you, but i feel it will fall on deaf ears, dave9 seem hell bent on continuing with this appaling way of doing things as his first "project showed.

why not join myself and ban in not replying to him any more