Please Help PIR Nightmare

[U WATT]

Hello,

Would really appreciate a little help. I have recently installed an outdoor lighting circuit complying to 17th edition regs. My client wanted a pir installed to trigger the lights but also wanted to be able to switch the lights on aswell.

So i ran a 3core SWA 2.5 to the pir and another to my first light. I then terminated them into a 1gang two way switch so i could then seperate the SW.

The switched live works perfect and the lights operate perfectly. When i switch to the pir the lights stay on all the time?

Does anyone know what i have done wrong?

Does the pir need a 5 min warm up?

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
D

 

[trev]

PIRs usually do need a warm up mate

 

[topquark]

You've possibly activated a PIR override, turn the switch off and leave it off for about 30 secs, then on again.

 

[U WATT]

Thanks. Back at it in the morning. All the best

 

[U WATT]

Cheers. Appreciate that

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Hello,

Would really appreciate a little help. I have recently installed an outdoor lighting circuit complying to 17th edition regs. My client wanted a pir installed to trigger the lights but also wanted to be able to switch the lights on aswell.

So i ran a 3core SWA 2.5 to the pir and another to my first light. I then terminated them into a 1gang two way switch so i could then seperate the SW.

The switched live works perfect and the lights operate perfectly. When i switch to the pir the lights stay on all the time?

Does anyone know what i have done wrong?

Does the pir need a 5 min warm up?

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
D

Have a read of the installation instructions. These things usually have a stabilise time of 5 minutes or more.

Cheers..........Howard

 

[cbw]

When I wire them this way I use a 2G switch, one for on and off and the other for PIR usage, needs to be wired in 3C+E for my method.

 

[GT1]

Just spent 5 mins drawing that out to see how I would do it.
(I haven't needed to wire one that way as yet ! ).
My 1 gang 2w switch would be...
permanent live to common.
L1 would be "supply" to the PIR. ie energises it upon closure of L1.
L2 would be sw live to the light. And also the sw live output from the PIR.

So the switch would operate:
L1 closed: power to PIR. output from it operates lamp.
L2 closed: PIR de-energised. sw live operates lamp.
Rough drawing attached !
However. My knowledge of PIRs isn't too good. So I've had to assume that the energised switched live wont harm the PIR when it's turned off ?

 

[WayneL]

Whereas, if you wired it so.......

Two way switch -

Common - Switch Live to light

L1 - Permanent Live / Live feed to PIR

L2 - Switch Live from PIR

Neutrals in a choc block / CPCs in a choc block

Job done.......no warm up for the PIR

 

[ruston]

Yes the pir requires a permanent live. As you re-apply the pir live in your method you will activate the set time . Two gang is the way to do it.


or as above , misread it - oops

 

[WayneL]

Yes the pir requires a permanent live. As you re-apply the pir live in your method you will activate the set time . Two gang is the way to do it.

And what's wrong with my one-gang method??

 

[ruston]

And what's wrong with my one-gang method??

Not a thing , see my edit

 

[WayneL]

......

 

[Spudnik]

I do the one gang method.

Perm live to common looped to PIR perm live.

I then bring the sw live & lamp live back together to L1.

That way, the PIR keeps its perm live regardless of switch position.

 

[ringer]

Using the above methods, how do you isolate the fitting to change the lamp?
Or the PIR when it starts playing up, as they all seem to do these days.

 

[micknew]

Turn off the circuit breaker feeding it!

 

[ringer]

Turn off the circuit breaker feeding it!

Not very convenient having to turn off all lights to change one lamp. It is usually dark at the time a blown lamp is noticed!

 

[GT1]

Yes I wondering how I would get round the warm up period for the PIR. !
I would've got there in the methinks.
Honest guv. !!

 

[WayneL]

Using the above methods, how do you isolate the fitting to change the lamp?
Or the PIR when it starts playing up, as they all seem to do these days.

We were talking about wiring for functional switching between the PIR and manual.

If you required seperate isolation for the PIR controlled lights you could either feed via a SFCU - or use a two gang switch and have the first gang switching the permanent live feed before it enters the other switch.........this would also be convenient as it gives you the option of turning everything off - if you go on holiday or something.

 

[mogga]

2 gang method grid switch tho main feed to PIR switched through a key sw to prevent some silly person turning it off and the override through standard sw SORTED
as for isolating to replace lamp MCB