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Ask The Trades › DIY Forum › Electrical Questions › photocell on lampost

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photocell on lampost (Read 7142 times)

teri

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photocell on lampost
Apr 6^th, 2010, 11:40pm

I have a lampost with sodium bulb.The bulb was replaced and I think a wire came out which has resulted in the light staying on all the time,previously only came on at night with the photocell.The light has a ballast,ignitor and resistor so the normal wiring diagrams for fitting a photocell do not help.The loose wire seems to be coming from the ignitor where it is joined the blue wire.I have tried connecting it to every possible connection to no avail.can any body please provide some assistance as this is driving me mad.The photocell has a brown,blue and white wire.

« Last Edit: Apr 8^th, 2010, 6:46pm by Lectrician »

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dj-paul-c GDPR opt-out	Re: photocell on lampost Reply #1 - Apr 7^th, 2010, 5:21pm what colour is the loose wire ?
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teri GDPR opt-out	Re: photocell on lampost Reply #2 - Apr 7^th, 2010, 7:33pm the loose wire is white,the connected end is in the ignitor together with the blue wire from the photocell.
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Lectrician

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Re: photocell on lampost
Reply #3 - Apr 8^th, 2010, 6:34am

Photo or diagram of what you already have would help. We can then correct this diagram to what is required.

You can post pics here by clicking the link below and the bottom of my post.

Draw a pic in MS Paint on your PC, or scan a drawn diagram, and then post it here for us to see.

I think you may be confusing the ignitor for something else as you do not mention other items. I think you are confusing the capacitor for the ignitor? I assume there is a capacitor, a ballast and then the lamp cap (the lamp having the ignitor). OR you have a capacitor, a ballast, an ignitor and the lamp cap (the lamp having no integral ignitor). In addition to this you then also have the photocell.

Tell me which setup you have and I can do a diagram.

It is not tricky. If you have the fitting working you know you have the lighting components wired correctly. It is just the photocell thats not.

The photocell has a blue, brown and white.
BLUE: pick up a neutral anywhere.
BROWN: take the live feed to the light fitting to this cable with nothing else.
WHITE: take this cable to the live feed into the light fitting in place of where the brown came out.

« Last Edit: Apr 8^th, 2010, 7:30am by Lectrician »

Need to post a picture? Click HERE for info!

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teri GDPR opt-out Total Thanks: 109 For This Post: 0	Re: photocell on lampost Reply #4 - Apr 8^th, 2010, 11:15am The lamp does not have an internal ignitor so there is an ignitor, ballast and capacitor.I have tried to upoad drawing without succes.
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Lectrician Administrator Trade Member Author Offline Ask The Trades Posts: 8815 Total Thanks: 109 For This Post: 0 Braunton, North Devon United Kingdom Gender: Trade: Electrician	Re: photocell on lampost Reply #5 - Apr 8^th, 2010, 4:29pm If you have a pic on your computer, use this link to upload it. http://www.askthetrades.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?action=viewgallery;username=t... Give your album a name (my pics or something), browse and find the file, upload.
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Lectrician Administrator Trade Member Author Offline Ask The Trades Posts: 8815 Total Thanks: 109 For This Post: 0 Braunton, North Devon United Kingdom Gender: Trade: Electrician	Re: photocell on lampost Reply #6 - Apr 8^th, 2010, 4:47pm Here is a scematic. It is not necessarily where each core needs to connect. You have several choices where to connect the neutrals for example. They do not need to connect as per the scematic aslong as each neutral is connected together.
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teri GDPR opt-out Total Thanks: 109 For This Post: 0	Re: photocell on lampost Reply #7 - Apr 8^th, 2010, 6:01pm Hi Have now added images.
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Lectrician Administrator Trade Member Author Offline Ask The Trades Posts: 8815 Total Thanks: 109 For This Post: 0 Braunton, North Devon United Kingdom Gender: Trade: Electrician	Re: photocell on lampost Reply #8 - Apr 8^th, 2010, 6:45pm That is wired as expected. I would strongly suspect your photocell is faulty. They do go faulty and latch on. You need to get a replacement. They are available here: http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Security_Menu_Index/Lighting_Controls_1/i...
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teri GDPR opt-out Total Thanks: 109 For This Post: 0	Re: photocell on lampost Reply #9 - Apr 8^th, 2010, 7:04pm Thank you very much for your help after studying your diagram I realised the wiring was correct and replaced the photocell.The light now works fine. I must admit I was sceptical about these sites but with people like you on it I will definitely use it again.Thanks again.
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