What's a DIscharge Light?

[mottsy]

What's a Discharge Light?

The reason behind the question is as follows.

1. I have a 500w halogen floodlight fitted to the outside wall.
2. This is hard wired to a remote receiver switch in the loft that is powered via a junction box spur on the upstairs lighting circuit.
3. The remote receiver switch, gets it signal from a wireless PIR transmitter at the end of the driveway.
4. The wireless PIR transmitter also transmits to a wireless chime receiver so I know if anyone comes up the driveway.

Now the wireless chime I want to work 24/7 and the light I want to work only in darkness. I was going to fit a timer switch between the wired receiver switch and the the junction box, and set the timer accordingly.

The only problem is that when I started to look at the timer switches they state "Not for use with discharge lighting." Do any of you know if I can use one for a 500W floodlight please?

Many thanks.

 

[Steve]

discharge lighting is such lighting as mercury and sodium lamps, which produce an arc to create light. For example streetlights, parking lot lights, lights in big rooms / shops.

Instead of a timer switch, use a photocell (light detector). a 500w floodlights shouldnt cause you any bother.

Its worth considering discharge lighting for this application, as they can be as low as 70 watts, which would be a considerable energy cost saving over your half-kilowatt halogen lamp, less than a fifth of the energy. Normally they aren't used for domestic stuff, due to the long warm-up (think streetlights), but if its going to be on all night, long warm up time doesnt matter.

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...mercial_Index/Bulkheads_Commercial/index.html
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...mmercial_Index/Commercial_Lighting/index.html

 

[tim west]

Flourescent lighting is also discharge lighting(basically any lights that don't have filaments or are non incandesant), the warnings are usually because the timer's switching contacts are rated at a certain amps and discharge lighting loads need to be half that rating or the switching device may be electronic such as a triac output which discharge lighting loads upset.

 

[barera]

Crafty,

Read what the OP wrote, he doesnt want his floods to come on during daylight when someone triggers the PIR so he wants to stick a timer in the circuit to prevent the floods from coming on during daylight but still allow the chime to operate at all times

Now that we have established that you never read his post properly in the first place how would fitting 70W SON's help in this case??? by the time they have warmed up the burglar has disappeared!!!!

 

[barera]

Mottsy,

to answer your original question, 500W Halogens are NOT discharge lights and the average timer will handle them without a problem, but Crafty's idea of using a photocell makes more sense in your case as it is controlled by daylight as its' name suggests!

HTH

 

[plugwash]

just to clarify since people are mentioning discharge lighting you have to make a choice with automated outdoor lighting, fast responding but inefficiant halogen lights on a PIR (only on when there is activiy) or high efficiancy discharge lights on a photocel (on all night).

putting discharge lighting on a PIR would be stupid even if the contacts were built to allow it because they are slow to start and frequent starting is bad for them. Putting halogens ona photocell would be a huge waste of energy.

which is better depends on such factors as the level of activity and whether people are trying to sleep nearby.

 

[Steve]

Crafty,

Read what the OP wrote, he doesnt want his floods to come on during daylight when someone triggers the PIR so he wants to stick a timer in the circuit to prevent the floods from coming on during daylight but still allow the chime to operate at all times

I have re-read the OP, however it could be interpreted either way, depending how you look at what he wrote. He wasn't entirely clear to start with.

Now that we have established that you never read his post properly in the first place how would fitting 70W SON's help in this case??? by the time they have warmed up the burglar has disappeared!!!!

As I said before, I based the recommendation of discharge lighting, on the lights being left on all night. Why react like this when you appreciate that I "never read the post properly to start with"? And again, for the record, i did read the OP properly, but interpreted it differently to yourself. Is that a crime? No.

 

[mottsy]

Many thanks to all for the advice.

Job done