UK One security light not coming on unless the other is

[BeeDee]

Hello all, my first post here and I'm looking for some advice.

We recently moved house and the external garage has a couple of security lights on it. One of them works the other didn't. As they were quite old and the screws seized I was having trouble replacing the bulb (and sourcing a bulb) so I opted to buy a new light. I installed in myself (probably the problem) and was rather pleased with my work.

However, it doesn't work quite as expected. I would have expected both lights to work independently and if the sensor on either is triggered then that individual light and only that light activates.

How it actually works is that I walk past the new light, it remains off. I continue past the old light and both activate. The timings on them are such the new light goes out first, when it is out and the old light is on if activates if I walk past it. Once the old light goes out they both go out.

The old light behaves as it always has, it goes on if you walk past it.

In terms of the new lights behaviour, I'm not sure if that's how the original worked as it hasn't worked since we moved in.

To me it's almost as if they are wired in series instead of parallel (going back to high school here) and that the old light is the primary one.

I've attached the wiring on the original light before I took it down. The new light is connect via a waterproof outdoor cable connector with 3 poles (View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07CMM51KJ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A1KIPR78X3LPYD&psc=1
)

I assume I've done something wrong (generally my first and almost always correct assumption). Any help to get it working the way I would like would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[telectrix]

i would think that the feed to the new light is taken from the wrong terminal in the old light. switched L instead of perm. L.

 

[Dartlec]

The wiring you show is how older lights were commonly wired, with the cabling to and from the PIR sensor accessible - It meant you could wire more than one light to come on from the one sensor - and that's likely what you have managed to do.

Newer lights generally come with a flex, which needs to be fed from the permanent line (the red coming in from the 'mains power' noted on your pic).

 

[BeeDee]

Thanks for the replies, both seem to suggest different wiring is required, from line to permanent live.

However, I'm not sure what change I need to actually make. I don't have a picture of how it is wired now, but I could get one. It's wired through the connector such that the 'mains' red wire goes to the new light's brown wire, black to blue and the unsheathed wire to earth. I don't really understand how I can change that. Or is the change required elsewhere?

 

[littlespark]

Your unsheathed wire should be sheathed.... in green/yellow sleeving. Am I the first to notice that??

As others have suggested, just a little mix up.
If it’s two combined sensor/lights, then the incoming feed just needs to be looped between the two.
these older units had the L-out of the sensor into a terminal so that an override switch could be wired in.
Picture isn’t too clear as to which wires go where.

 

[Avo Mk8]

If, in your picture, your label "Cable off to security light" refers to the red and black wires to your new light further down the building, I think what you need to do is:
turn it all off
put a bit of green/yellow sleeving on the bare copper wire
take the red wire out of the top of the right hand terminal and add it with the existing red in the left hand terminal.
replace the lid
Switch the power back on!

 

[BeeDee]

Thank you.

I'll try this once I get off work.

If, in your picture, your label "Cable off to security light" refers to the red and black wires to your new light further down the building, I think what you need to do is:
turn it all off
put a bit of green/yellow sleeving on the bare copper wire
take the red wire out of the top of the right hand terminal and add it with the existing red in the left hand terminal.
replace the lid
Switch the power back on!