wiring for lights connected to timer and photocell

[thejarv]

hi

im looking to run 3 bulkhead lights outside which i want connected to a photocell. however i dont want the lights to remain on all through the night so want to add a timer to the circuit. i could just use the timer but this would need constant adjustments when the nights start to get darker/lighter so would like the photocell to do the job of determining when its dark enough to switch on the lights

i have a greenbrook timer, model T40S-C

http://www.greenbrook.co.uk/product-pdfs/T40S_Ins.pdf

the photocell is pretty standard with 3 screw connections, Line, load, neutral

The issue i have is getting my head around how to wire the timer into this circuit as the manual for the timer is pretty poor and does not explain very well how to wire the unit in. does my brown live wire connect to the live connection of the timer and do i then take another brown live wire from the load? what about the blue neutrals? do these just need to be connected together and not to the timer switch thus bypassing the switch and going straight to the photocell?

if anybody could help and possible provide a diagram i would be most greatfull.

Chris

 

[nozspark]

IIRC i think you can get both dusk/dawn and dusk + x Hrs photocells...

however if you want the light to come on at dusk and off at say midnight then connect the photocell supply and timeclock supply terminals to permanent live & neutral then the output through the timeclock terminals... set the clock to come on at say 1pm and off at midnight (or whenever)

 

[flameport]

Just get one of these, rather than using that overcomplicated timer.
http://www.allaboutelectrics.co.uk/photocell-with-timer.html

Or for a quality install which will probably last for ever, get a Sangamo solar dial time switch
http://www.sangamo.co.uk/web/FILES/ProductDataSheets/Q550_13.pdf

 

[thejarv]

noz

i think we are on the same lines however i just need to confirm a few things with regard to the timer i have.

basically the timer will supply the power to the photocell and then at a certain time(lets say midnight) the timer switches off thus cutting power to the photo cell and so turns the lights off

the next day the timer will switch on at a time when still daylight thus supplying power to the photocell and when dark enough will activate and turn the lights on

the timer has 3 connections, live, load and 2 way.

is it the case that i only need to connect the permanent live wire to the live connection of the timer and then take a wire from the load connection of the timer to the live connection on the photo cell. then from the load connection of the photocell this goes to the lights and returns back to the photocell neutral connection. the photocell neutral connection then connects back to the permanent neutral connection thus completing the circuit.

how does this sound?

what i guess im trying to determine is the fact that the neutral bypasses the timer switch and goes straight to the photocell.

 

[333rocky333]

Not sure your timer has the connections to do so, but try to wire the photocell before the timer, as every time the timer cuts in the lights may come on for about ten seconds until the photocell stabilizes,
even during daylight.

 

[opto]

hi

im looking to run 3 bulkhead lights outside which i want connected to a photocell. however i dont want the lights to remain on all through the night so want to add a timer to the circuit. i could just use the timer but this would need constant adjustments when the nights start to get darker/lighter so would like the photocell to do the job of determining when its dark enough to switch on the lights

i have a greenbrook timer, model T40S-C

http://www.greenbrook.co.uk/product-pdfs/T40S_Ins.pdf

the photocell is pretty standard with 3 screw connections, Line, load, neutral

The issue i have is getting my head around how to wire the timer into this circuit as the manual for the timer is pretty poor and does not explain very well how to wire the unit in. does my brown live wire connect to the live connection of the timer and do i then take another brown live wire from the load? what about the blue neutrals? do these just need to be connected together and not to the timer switch thus bypassing the switch and going straight to the photocell?

if anybody could help and possible provide a diagram i would be most greatfull.

Chris

Hi Chris
I was trying to do the same in an atempt to save energy but using both the clock and a photocell I found that the total power used over the 24 hour period was as much as leaving the lamp on all the time. It is a photocell that switches off at a preprogramed time not a number of hours after it gets dark.you can select the time you want it to turn off, I chose midnight, then you select the time you want it to stay off for I chose 6 hours so in the winter it comes on in the morning for a hour or so. The power used by it is less than 1 watt and it does the job of both the timer and photocell. brilliant!!!.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It's very public-spirited of you to join here just to pass on information like that, including adding to a topic which is 4 years old.

Especially for such a handily packaged and low-cost item - heaven forbid that people might buy something already in an enclosure, from a major supplier, like this for example, and end up paying a lot less.



And how clever of you to choose a name like "opto" to tell us about a company which has been operating in the outdoor signage industry designing new optical and electronic ideas since 2001.