Wiring in PIR Secruity light, after recent break in

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Afternoon.

I want to fit 3x LED PIR Floodlight 10W PIR 820lm at different locations around by house/corner plot after a recent break in.
My house wiring is still original from 1960/1965 roughly when it was built, still on fused box not a consumer unit etc if that helps.

I was wondering is the best way for me to tee of a 3amp fused spare switch from a 2 gang socket (chisel out wall and fit switch at correct height)
and then use some Weather Resistant Rubber (Pond) Flex Cable (3183P) 0.75mm from the fused spur to my security light mounted outside. So i can just power down the
PIR lights in the day time and just flick them at night if movement is seen?

Thanks?
 
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I'm not an electrician but that doesn't sound right to me. The fused switched spur sounds OK (ish) but wiring to the light requires physical protection so should be enclosed in conduit where exposed - sounds like you plan to have them inside the wall inside?

Generally a PIR light will have a daylight sensor that you set so that it doesn't operate between dawn and dusk - you leave it switched 'on' all the time and the PIR detector controls the light switching on and off.
 
I'm not an electrician but that doesn't sound right to me. The fused switched spur sounds OK (ish) but wiring to the light requires physical protection so should be enclosed in conduit where exposed - sounds like you plan to have them inside the wall inside?

Generally a PIR light will have a daylight sensor that you set so that it doesn't operate between dawn and dusk - you leave it switched 'on' all the time and the PIR detector controls the light switching on and off.

I was going to find the closest 2 gang socket to location if external security light so I don't have to run to much cable externally, I chose the weatherproof one as it says its good against water and sun due to being black the uv wont break it down.

I probably will be wiring them from a socket upstairs on the first floor as I want the lights at a decent height outside projecting the light down. If the lights have a daylight mode that's fine I wont have to bother switching them off, would it best just to get a non switched 3a fused spare and locate it next to the 2 gang socket? save chiselling out any plaster to fit a switch?

Thanks Sean
 
The 'Dodgy Dave' route for this would probably just be to use weatherproof flex from the light, drip loop, through the wall and pop a 3a fused plug on the end, plug it into a plug-in RCD breaker and into the wall socket.
 
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Or you could ask an electrician in to do it for you... :eek:
 
You can do as suggested, although cables concealed in the wall will require RCD protection, which your 'fusebox' may not have.

So i can just power down the PIR lights in the day time and just flick them at night if movement is seen?
If you wanted - but the whole point of PIR sensors is that they are activated by motion at night, avoiding the need to sit next to a window for hours and switching them on manually.
 
You can do as suggested, although cables concealed in the wall will require RCD protection, which your 'fusebox' may not have.

So i can just power down the PIR lights in the day time and just flick them at night if movement is seen?
If you wanted - but the whole point of PIR sensors is that they are activated by motion at night, avoiding the need to sit next to a window for hours and switching them on manually.

Hi

Thanks for the reply, I just re read it and I wrote it wrong really. I mean just power the light on at night so if the PIR sees movement it will flick the light on, not me flicking the light on as such.

is a Fused spur not adequate? so I would be better with an RCD fitted for each one? I want 3 lights they all will be off different sockets depending on location on outside of house.

would this be ideal? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Protected-F...UTF8&qid=1457019472&sr=1-13&keywords=rcd+unit


If it has a daytime function and I don't need a switch to supply power on or off, and I can just use a fused spare could I just locate the fused spur next to a 2 gang socket and run cable straight outside and clip outside weatherproof cable along my wall to the lights location?

Cheers



Thanks
 
Last edited:
wiring to the light requires physical protection so should be enclosed in conduit
Not necessary, as the OP has determined that he would use
Weather Resistant Rubber (Pond) Flex Cable (3183P) 0.75mm
.

By its very nature, this is designed to be used outside! This assumes the cable is to be clipped to the wall and not in an area where it may be subject to mechanical damage.
 
wiring to the light requires physical protection so should be enclosed in conduit
Not necessary, as the OP has determined that he would use
Weather Resistant Rubber (Pond) Flex Cable (3183P) 0.75mm
.

By its very nature, this is designed to be used outside! This assumes the cable is to be clipped to the wall and not in an area where it may be subject to mechanical damage.

Thanks,
Ideally I would run cable from the closest power socket inside straight out as the cable is weather proof.... and then run it to the light location, it will be 1st floor level so should be well out the way of damage and visible etc.
 
If it has a daytime function and I don't need a switch to supply power on or off, and I can just use a fused spare could I just locate the fused spur next to a 2 gang socket and run cable straight outside and clip outside weatherproof cable along my wall to the lights location?
You could power them all from one place (FCU) so they all come on if any one of them is triggered, or have them as separate devices. So you would need to engineer 3 separate supplies. Its up to you.
Either way you would need 3xPIR floodlights and - for clarification - these have a light detector in them so they only operate after dusk.
 
is a Fused spur not adequate? so I would be better with an RCD fitted for each one?
A fused spur is fine - but if cables are to be concealed in the wall, they will need an RCD. Generally this would be fitted at the fusebox/consumer unit. You may already have this, although older installations generally did not have them.

If it has a daytime function and I don't need a switch to supply power on or off, and I can just use a fused spare could I just locate the fused spur next to a 2 gang socket and run cable straight outside and clip outside weatherproof cable along my wall to the lights location?
Yes, and that avoids the problem of cables concealed in the walls so no RCD required.
All lights with PIR sensors also contain daylight detectors so they only work at night.
 
If it has a daytime function and I don't need a switch to supply power on or off, and I can just use a fused spare could I just locate the fused spur next to a 2 gang socket and run cable straight outside and clip outside weatherproof cable along my wall to the lights location?
You could power them all from one place (FCU) so they all come on if any one of them is triggered, or have them as separate devices. So you would need to engineer 3 separate supplies. Its up to you.
Either way you would need 3xPIR floodlights and - for clarification - these have a light detector in them so they only operate after dusk.


Cheers for helping, that maybe by best solution, find the main location which is best, and run some of the weather proof cable nice and high out the way. They will cover all three corners so maybe a benefit if someone does come in the garden they cant run into a dark spot as its a corner plot with lands round all 3 sides and the front.

Thanks
 
is a Fused spur not adequate? so I would be better with an RCD fitted for each one?
A fused spur is fine - but if cables are to be concealed in the wall, they will need an RCD. Generally this would be fitted at the fusebox/consumer unit. You may already have this, although older installations generally did not have them.

Don't think I have due to being an older house, hopefully in the next 2/3 year ill have the ££ saved to get a spark in to rewire it all for me :)

If it has a daytime function and I don't need a switch to supply power on or off, and I can just use a fused spare could I just locate the fused spur next to a 2 gang socket and run cable straight outside and clip outside weatherproof cable along my wall to the lights location?
Yes, and that avoids the problem of cables concealed in the walls so no RCD required.
All lights with PIR sensors also contain daylight detectors so they only work at night.

Cheers good to know all PIR have the sensor, thanks for info and help
 
What amp fuse would be ideal to run 2/3 lights? only be 120-150 watt halogen or LEDS? would 3A be okay?

Cheers
 

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