Manual / Automatic Overide of Security Light with PIR

[pomme-abroad]

Hi there. I hope someone will be able to help me with this problem.

I have moved to NZ and am installing some security lights with PIR's on my new property. Electricity supply is same as UK and the wiring is based on the UK system. The problem i have is that the lights that i have bought come with no wiring diagram due to NZ regs (to stop dangerous amateurs tampering). I have an electrical background in fixing boilers and wiring central heating systems in the UK so am electrically competent.

The limited instructions state the following with regard to the manual overide control of the light -

'MANUAL CONTROL - if you wish the light to stay on for a longer period simply turn the unit off and then on again within 1 second at the wall switch. To return to AUTOMATIC CONTROL turn the unit off for 10 or more seconds and then back on. After 1 min the unit will resume its normal automatic operation.'

The terminal block on the light has a 4 way connector block with only 3 markings L / N / E to which i have connected my phase, neutral and earth wires and the light works correctly in PIR mode,

but how do i wire it to allow manual overide via a switch?

and does the light have some sort of microswitch that is operated by a pulse of 240v being sent to it momentarily? -

i realise that an additional core (using 3 core and earth) could be permanently wired into the fourth connection within the light so that a switch would give it a switch live feed but that is not the way the instructions state it should work ie. switching the light off and then on again to obtain manual control.

If anyone could help me i would be very grateful.

Cheers

 

[ibruceuk]

The way you have it wired is correct. To override the light simply interupt the phase for a brief time (1 sec) i.e. switch it off and on.

The PIR has solid state circuitry that "detects" the interuption of the supply and latches the relay on.

Hope this helps.

 

[pomme-abroad]

Thankyou for answering so quickly ibruceuk.

I had already tried the 'off and then on again' manual overide as you suggested and that does infact illuminate the light, but only for the appropriate time that is selected via the 'time on' dial on the PIR.

Surely the idea is for the light to be illuminated permanently until you switch it off again? Is this correct?

I am now beginning to suspect that something is defective within the PIR, however the PIR is working okay in relation to its detection ability.

If i swop the light for another of the same model and the same thing occurs is it acceptable to add the extra core sw/l that i mentioned earlier and place it in the remaining terminal within the PIR, therefore by-passing the PIR when the wall switch is operated and giving the spotlight a live feed until the wall switch is moved to the off position? or does this place too much stress on the circuitry/product?

I look forward to your reply

Cheers

 

[JohnD]

The way you have described it, you would just be bypassing the PIR and using it as a switch-controlled lamp. That way, if the switch is off, there will be no power to the lamp so the PIR cannot switch it on and it will always be off. If the switch is on you are bypassing the PIR so it will always be on.