External Bulkhead light needs PIR connection Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[johnh]

I have a B&Q bulkhead light at the back of the garage. The 60w light illuminates the back garden when I need to get anything in poor light. The bulkhead light is on an external wall.
The light receives power from a separate switch at the side of the house. It works perfectly.

I have an unused PIR connector, in its original box, that is for fitting between existing external lights and their supply switches.

How do I put the PIR into the cable/wires feed between the switch and bulk head light? Do I simply cut the main cable (All disconnected at the Circuit breaker box of course) somewhere convenient for PIR activation. Strip the wires and run the earth wire through the PIR connections and on to the bulk head light, and the live feed the same way?

This seems too easy to be true or safe. I want to leave the original switch in the 'on' position, and have the bulk head light only illuminated when the PIR senses movement.

I may fit a Halogen light to replace the old bulk head light. B&Q sell halogen only security lights for under £10 and because I already have a PIR connection, I can have a more secure garden lighting system.

Any help will be much appreciated.
Thank you.

[moggy1968]

It depends on how your current lighting is wired. The way I would have done it if I were wiring it is to run a cable from the DB to the switch. The red (or brown on new cable) goes into com on the switch. the load cable coming out (red or brown) goes into L1. your neutrals are fastened together in a suitable connector (i.e. choccie block) then wrapped in tape. the earths are connected together either in a block (but that means it gets a bit crowded behind your switch) or in the earth termonal on the back box. If your using metal boxes they must be earthed. Your load cable then runs to the PIR, and then on to the light, easy peasy. This is the 'loop behind the switch' method.
If your current set up isn't like this then let us know how it is done, it all depends where your loop is, because basically you must have a live, neutral and earth running to the PIR and then the light. If your loop isn't done behind the switch you need to find where it is done and take the feed from there. If when you open the switch you only have 1 blue(or black) and one brown (or red) then the loop is elsewhere and you need to find it. The ones in your switch if this is the case are both lives and if you try and use the 'neutral' as a neutral it will go bang as it is actually a switched live.

I've dug myself into a rather lengthy explanation there but hopefully that makes sense.

slightly more complex is this may come under part p if you put in any new cable.

of course I would encourage you to follow the part P requirements even on such a simple job ;o)
It probably wouldn't take a spark long to do this so wouldn't cost the earth.

[ericmark]

PIR connections vary make to make and some are only for 12VDC so a suitable one would need selecting. Because of the chance of water any work where external connections are made needs Part P registration and at £100+ to DIY this is uneconomic to be done as a DIY job so no real point in me going any further.