Ask The Trades - External light with PIR

Welcome, Guest. Please Login or Register

	Feb 21^st, 2026, 6:35am
View recently thanked users View top thanked users

Quote: Why do people without a watch look at their wrist when you ask them what time it is?

Ask The Trades › DIY Forum › Electrical Questions › External light with PIR

(Moderator: Lectrician) - (Moderator Group: Board Moderator)

< Previous Topic | Next Topic >

Pages: 1

External light with PIR (Read 6469 times)

Nobby Stiles

GDPR opt-out

External light with PIR
Jul 1^st, 2012, 10:28am

I recently installed an exterior light with a PIR detector to light up my drive. I wired it up to a fused spur which I took off a conveniently positioned 13A socket. All worked fine until after a few weeks the PIR stopped working and the light stayed on permanently. I replaced the light and the same problem occured again a few weeks later.

I want to know why this failed - it seems unlikely that I got two faulty lights. Could it be the way I have wired it in? There is a fridge plugged in to the 13A socket so I wondered if that could be causing a surge that is taking out the PIR. Is that likely? Should I rewire it from a lighting circuit? I didn't do that before as that would have been far less convenient.

IP Logged

Lectrician

Administrator
Trade Member
Author

Offline

Ask The Trades
Posts: 8815

Total Thanks: 109
For This Post: 0

Braunton, North Devon
United Kingdom
Gender: male

Trade: Electrician

Re: External light with PIR
Reply #1 - Jul 1^st, 2012, 11:57am

Did you try resetting the light each time it latched on?

Most PIR activated lights these days have a "Permanent On Override" facility. This is activated by the switching the power to the PIR off and then on quickly. Unfortunately a power failure can do the same thing.

To return to auto mode you need to turn the power to the PIR off for a around 15 seconds and then back on again. Then let the PIR do it's 'setting' up (when the light remains on for a few minutes).

Need to post a picture? Click HERE for info!

IP Logged

Nobby Stiles GDPR opt-out Total Thanks: 109 For This Post: 0	Re: External light with PIR Reply #2 - Jul 1^st, 2012, 6:55pm Yes I tried resetting it several times as you say, but still the light remained on permanently.
Back to top	IP Logged

CWatters Super Member Offline "Daddy fick it" says James Posts: 5150 Total Thanks: 58 For This Post: 0 Gender:	Re: External light with PIR Reply #3 - Jul 2^nd, 2012, 5:10pm Strange. I supose possible the fridge was spiking the supply but would hope the PIR is robust enough to cope with a bit of that. Are there adjustment on the PIR? One typically one set the light level at which the PIR is enabled so it only comes on at night. Were these set up ok?
Back to top	IP Logged

Nobby Stiles

GDPR opt-out

Total Thanks: 58
For This Post: 0

Re: External light with PIR
Reply #4 - Jul 2^nd, 2012, 6:13pm

Yep - adjustments all set up and it was all set up and working perfectly - switching on and off as required, until it stopped after just a few weeks.

It was a cheap Homebase lamp, so maybe I should have bought a more expensive one!

I've got another replacement, so I'll connect that up and see how it goes, but I'm a bit concerned the same thing's going to happen.

IP Logged

CWatters Super Member Offline "Daddy fick it" says James Posts: 5150 Total Thanks: 58 For This Post: 0 Gender:	Re: External light with PIR Reply #5 - Jul 2^nd, 2012, 8:05pm Think I'd try different make and model.
Back to top	IP Logged

Pages: 1

(Moderator: Lectrician) - (Moderator Group: Board Moderator)

< Previous Topic | Next Topic >

Ask The Trades › DIY Forum › Electrical Questions › External light with PIR