HELP!!!! External Sensor Flood light

[Mali]

My kids were playing football in the garden and accidentally hit our external flood light with sensor and damaged it. So I purchased one of those standard square flood light with a sensor underneath.. It came with a

500watt Halogen Bulb.

The electricity that is used for the flood light is shared with 6 other inside lights all using 60watt bulbs.

So following the instructions, I fixed the bracket on the wall, wired it up, stuck the bulb in and turned on the electricity. The new light would not turn on. so I checked all the wiring, even purchased a new 500watt bulb and still nothing.

I then purchased one of those neon screw drivers used to test weather there is electricity going through, and used it to touch each end, where the halogen bulb sits and it lit up meaning that there was electricity going through.

Why wont the light come on? The previous light that the kids damaged had a

150watt Halogen bulb. Could it be that there is not enough electricity going in to light up the 500watt bulb? If this was that case, wouldn't the main fuse for the flood light automatically shut off?

When using the neon screwdriver should it light up when I touch both ends of where the halogen bulb sits?

If I purchased 150watt Halogen bulb, would this remedy the problem (500watts is overkill really)..

Please help, I don't know what to do.. Any help would be most appreciated... Mal

[Peter Andrews]

There should be plenty of electricity to not only light your lamp but, and I don't mean to patronise, kill you.

Are all the adjustors(?) correctly set, i.e. the 'on' time and darkness control.

If your neon lit up at both ends of your bulb (lamp) then you are probably missing the neutral return.

If in any doubt about what you are looking at seek help, neon testers can be very misleading as they light up with tiny leakage currents.

Peter

[Mali]

Thanks for replying :)

All the adjusters are set on test mode. according to the neon screwdriver, power is getting to the bulb

I have check and re-checked, the neutral is connected..

It very odd? so to make sure I understand, power is sent to the bulb via the LIVE wire from one end of the bulb>>>through bulb>>>and then exited out via other end of the bulb using NEUTRAL wire?? if so should the neon screwdriver light up when I use it to test both ends of the bulb?

I really appreciate all the help, (before I electrocute myself tomorrow)...

[Rivermersey]

I've seen a few of these lights where the bulb is not located on the pins correctly. With the electricity OFF hold the bulb un some clean tissue and gently move it from side to side and check the pins are located in either end of the bulb properly. Switch back on and try it. Even with all the settings set to the minimum you should get detection and light up after dark.

[Bob Watkinson]

This is the way your circuit works Mali. When you put a 240v live to one end of the lamp, assuming the neutral is connected and you have a complete circuit, then current will flow depending on the resistance of the lamp. Under these circumstances the lamp would light. If you were to test with your screwdriver you would find it would light at the live end but not at the neutral end. This is because in a complete circuit you get a full volt drop to zero across the resistance of the circuit. These facts are derived from Ohms law. If we imagine the neutral path is broken then your screwdriver would light at the live end, but because there is no current flow there would be no volt drop either. This means your screwdriver would also light at the neutral end as well. I think from what you say you have voltage at the live end. If you have voltage at the neutral end then check the following as you have either a faulty fitting or faulty neutral.

1. Is the lamp correctly seated?
2. Check the neutral internal wiring in the fitting is complete through to your incoming neutral wire.
3. Are there any nearby joints in the wiring you may have disturbed?

You would find a multimeter far more reliable for carrying out this kind of work particularly if you wanted to test continuity from your lampholder to neutral terminal on your fitting. Finally you could try temporarily connecting an ordinary baton type lampholder with a 60w bulb instead just to see if it lights. This would confirm either the fitting or wiring is faulty.

Hope this helps.

Bob

[Doctor D]

I would concur with this. It's very easy to think that the halogen tube is sited over the connecting lugs at the ends, when it's just got jammed on the porcelain.

As has been said hold the lamp with a cloth (not fingers, as the grease off your hands kills these lamps by causing hot spots) push it back and forth and ensure it is located over the lugs.

I hope you have a big garden as there is little more irritating than these

500 watt lamps blazing across roads, blinding drivers and sending your neighbours nuts by flashing on and off all night and floodlighting their bedrooms! They are totally misused because they are so cheap - but you more than make up for the cheaper cost by wasting 500 watts every time it flicks on during a windy night!

Often when I change these lamps for folk, I suggest I fit a 200 watt lamp unless the garden is large. They generally agree, and have no subsequent complaints. I have one 500 watt adequately illuminating a paddock!