Wiring an external PIR

[JaiB]

Many thanks!

@SUNRAY finally got round to wiring it up.

Posting here in case anyone else has to do something similar.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Awesome! Live to live, neutral to neutral. Who could have guessed at that....

 

[JaiB]

Awesome! Live to live, neutral to neutral. Who could have guessed at that....

Great comment!

 

[ericmark]

I have to admit, I have given up with PIR's. The problem is, a PIR can lose sensing there is some one within the illuminated area. So the darn lights switch off, while you are on the steps coming up to the house, with hands full of shopping, so not in a position where one can easy assess ones phone and use the phones torch.

So moved to smart units, which I can switch on with my phone before leaving the car, and turn off with a voice command after entering the house.

But one has to remember a wire can be any colour it wants, grey, black, brown, red, yellow, blue there is no convention which says what they should be used for. Only yellow/green (earth) has one use.

Glad you are sorted, but this may not help others, theroy all should be brown, and that would be a nightmare.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I have to admit, I have given up with PIR's. The problem is, a PIR can lose sensing there is some one within the illuminated area. So the darn lights switch off, while you are on the steps coming up to the house, with hands full of shopping, so not in a position where one can easy assess ones phone and use the phones torch.

They depend upon movement, of an alternate temperature (warm) body, moving across in front of the sensor. The thing is to set the on timer, once triggered, to a long enough time, to allow you to do what you need to normally do.

 

[ericmark]

They depend upon movement, of an alternate temperature (warm) body, moving across in front of the sensor. The thing is to set the on timer, once triggered, to a long enough time, to allow you to do what you need to normally do.

This it seems was not enough time for me to walk from car to front door, that is two stories of a normal house, and I am getting old at 73, but the light spread is more than the PIR range.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

This it seems was not enough time for me to walk from car to front door, that is two stories of a normal house, and I am getting old at 73, but the light spread is more than the PIR range.

Then increase the time on period..

 

[SUNRAY]

Then increase the time on period..

I purchased one a little while ago with a range of app 2 to 20 seconds.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I purchased one a little while ago with a range of app 2 to 20 seconds.

Unusual - normally they run up to at least 20 minutes.

 

[SUNRAY]

Unusual - normally they run up to at least 20 minutes.

Yes I agree, I'd expect a number of minutes available. As it happens this one was only going to be around 30 seconds as part of a 'walk through event' and 20 was good enough otherwise it would have gone back.

 

[ebee]

The ones I used had a range from zero (actually say 2 mins) to 15mins or more and with the tungsten halogen tubes or filaments I`d set to at least 10 mins to prevent multiple on/off sequences which hasten lamp failure. I know some others had more constricted fixed times though and I`d avoid them.
If you time your usual journey time, than add a percentage, then perhaps extra for dropping keys/shopping/falling/getting sidetracked into a conversation you might work out a decent relevant time to suit most instances

 

[ericmark]

The house had two quartz halogen PIR controlled lamps when I bought the house, there was no option to change time or sensitivity, we had a leaking roof and rotten hand rails so removed and left dangling on wires during that repair, I decided that a smart bulb was likely the best way forward, to swapped for carriage lamps which would take smart bulbs.

The big thing is there are no street lamps or any other light in that area, it is not an as well, but only lighting, previous homes they were an extra to street lights. There also is no reason for a visitor to access the house from that car parking area, and I see no reason to light the way for intruders.

I have one remaining PIR lamp at the visitors door, it is really not much good, as by time a visitors has activated it, they have already negotiated slops, steps, and drops. I have a lamp away from the house which I will switch on if visitors expected, about the only time we see visitors announced is Halloween, and we turn the lamp to green at that point to show we do have sweets for the taking. Christmas set it to colour changing.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

The big thing is there are no street lamps or any other light in that area, it is not an as well, but only lighting, previous homes they were an extra to street lights. There also is no reason for a visitor to access the house from that car parking area, and I see no reason to light the way for intruders.

Not that much different to here..

We do have lights in the street, but it is very black at the side of the house, and even worse at the rear. For our convenience, we run a 5watt LED, in a lantern, offering some illumination on the drive, but supplemented by a 20w PIR, which gives more light to the drive, and at least some to the rear. Those are manually supplemented by a 70w SON for the drive, and a 70w HP both up in the eaves, operated by a Smart switch, on demand, for potential emergencies.

 

[ebee]

Just a point.

For safety you need light so good.

For security, light can be a good thing in a busy street.
I can sometimes have the added consideration that all can see whats what without resorting to torches, could be helpful for you and any right minder persons.
Might be good at helping "Sykes" when he turns up looking for your loot, just bear that potential increased risk to your property, it is not unknown in secluded places.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Just a point.

For safety you need light so good.

For security, light can be a good thing in a busy street.
I can sometimes have the added consideration that all can see whats what without resorting to torches, could be helpful for you and any right minder persons.
Might be good at helping "Sykes" when he turns up looking for your loot, just bear that potential increased risk to your property, it is not unknown in secluded places.

Burglars, don't generally like being suddenly brightly lit, in the middle of the night. Neighbours don't appreciate bright lights, coming on, with every passing vehicle, or person passing by innocently on the street. My only external PIR, is tucked away, on my drive, and only someone on my property on the drive can trigger it.