House electrical advice please.

For anything not directly related to Dolomites. Come in and relax!
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
80Sprint
TDC Member
Posts: 1173
Joined: Sat Oct 07, 2006 8:23 pm
Location: East Staffordshire

House electrical advice please.

#1 Post by 80Sprint »

I would like to install up/down lights outside my house. The boss has said she would like them on a timer, lets say in winter 16:00 - 23:00. in summer a later turn on time. After 23:00 the lights need to go PIR.

I can access the current porch wall switch for power. Now I am thinking -

Timer to set the desired times.
PIR for turning on after the timer.
A Photocell for sensing summer/winter darkness within the timer window and so they are not triggered in the morning.

I assume I need a timer that will be either be switched to timer or to permanent live. Possible and any suggestions ?
Stand alone PIR
Stand alone Photocell.

Now the tricky bit assuming I have the right items listed above. How it is all wired ?

Power to timer ?
One way direct to light ( powers light in timer window)
One way to photocell and to PIR to trigger in darkness outside of timer ?

Any help appreciated... Thanks
Mike

1980 Vermillion Sprint - 174bhp
User avatar
SprintMWU773V
TDC Staffs Area Organiser
Posts: 5429
Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2006 2:08 pm
Location: The Old Asylum

Re: House electrical advice please.

#2 Post by SprintMWU773V »

My old house had a timer controlled light. A socket had been wired into the lighting circuit and a timer plugged in. Worked perfectly, probably entirely unacceptable from a wiring point of view but did just the job. There was no PIR here though.

The lights in my home now are PIR and also have a switch so you can permenently switch them on or flick the switch off and they're PIR only. I dare say this sort of setup using a permanent live would be easy to do. Just substitute the on off switch for a timer.
Mark

1961 Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier Sportswagon
1980 Dolomite Sprint project using brand new shell
2009 Mazda MX5 2.0 Sport
2018 Infiniti Q30
User avatar
TrustNo1
Guest contributor
Guest contributor
Posts: 1635
Joined: Mon Jun 03, 2013 5:48 pm

Re: House electrical advice please.

#3 Post by TrustNo1 »

If they are outside why the need to have them on when no one is there, wouldn't a PIR on its on be ok. this would be easier to wire and save on energy?

The timer would have to be live all the time otherwise the clock within the timer won't work then a separate feed for the PIR. the PIR cant be on the timer circuit as it then wouldn't work when timer isn't live. Most PIR's will have a photocell built in.
Some people are like Slinky's, they serve no real purpose in life but bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.
oily66
TDC Member
Posts: 315
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:09 pm
Location: West Yorks

Re: House electrical advice please.

#4 Post by oily66 »

Try these, http://www.timeguard.com/products/light

used some of their kit for various projects, not the cheapest but always worked.
Trevor

75 Sprint in Magenta called GunGaDiN GGD944N
2017 Jaguar XE R-sport
cliftyhanger
TDC Member
Posts: 2542
Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 7:26 am

Re: House electrical advice please.

#5 Post by cliftyhanger »

I am not sure if wiring up a timed supply in parallel with a PIR would work. But that would seem to be the way, or better still get somebody to make a PCB to do what you wish. But in reality I think it is more complicated.
Best have a word with the management, explain it is not possible to have timer then going on to a PIR etc, and the obvious answer is a PIR only (or microwave, just installed a couple and the are much better than PIR) OR have some lights on timers, and other lights on sensors. But that is doubling up and a bit untidy.
Clive Senior
Brighton
Post Reply