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

[Harry Bloomfield]

Mali explained on 13/03/2005 :

No, it should not be live at both ends. Live means the neon would light up. It should not light if on either a nuetral or the earth.

Several possibilities....

1. It is inhinited from coming on during daylight plus you have perhaps crossed over the live and nuetral wires.

1. It has the nuetral connection missing.

2. You have failed to insert the lamp properly in its holders.

1. The unit itself is faulty

[Ian Stirling]

A small number of bulbs don't work when plugged in. You can't get 150W bulbs for that size of light, I think the smallest in that length is 300W. You might try returning the 500W light "doesn't work" and buying a 150W one. Does it click when power is supplied to it, or when something moves in front of it? (this is not foolproof). Take an inspection light, or similar, and wire it where the 500W flood is, to check the mains is functional.

[Peter Andrews]

see reply in free.uk.diy.home

[Andrew]

FGS, don't touch both ends! it should light up touching one end.

Make sure the bulb is properly fitted, they are a bit tricky to get seated correctly. And either use a cloth or wipe it with meths before turning it on.

I've fitted a few, and it generally has been the bulb not quite seated correctly.

appreciated...

[John]

When it is fixed I hope you will aim it downward. Near where I live people seem to think they should be mounted so that the beam is horizontal - thin means that 50% of the light is wasted. Please keep the light on your own property and avoid the usual annoyance.

>

[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)...

[Lurch]

On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 22:12:59 GMT, "Mali" strung together this:

That's because you've wired it up wrong. Leave it alone and call someone out before you kill yourself and your family.

[Mali]

Thanks for replying :)

I have made sure that the wires are not crossed and that all the wires are conected...very puzzling??

Tried 2 different bulbs, definlt inserting them properly..

I tested the light with a direct link to a power socket, so cant be faulty...

what else could I try???

[Mali]

Thanks for replying!!

It uses a small 3 inch Halogen bulb which comes in 500/150 watts (according to the instructions). The sound whats so ever when the power is turned on, or when franticaly waving my hand at it trying to get it to work :)

Like a small lamp if I take the plug off..

[Mali]

The bulb is definatly visibly seated..

[Mali]

yes..I know what you mean...

[mike ring]

"John" wrote in news:%H1Zd.3461$ [e-mail]:

Hear, hear.

And 500 watts is a bit of a killer if you're the one who's getting it in the eyes. ;-((

mike

[Harry Bloomfield]

It should be something like this:-

L___________/ _______o--------o____________N sensor lamp switch

Your test with the neon would seem to indicate that the N (nuetral) is not connected, or that there is an internal break somewhere.

The way it works is that the PIR is triggered which connects the live to one end of the tube, the live then flows through the tube to the nuetral. So the end of the tube should only normally be live when the switch is closed, however there is an exception. Some PIR's derive their supply to operate by being in series with the lamp.

The other odd point, is that the PIR sensor seems to be working, or you would not see a live at one end of the lamp. The PIR sensor requires a nuetral to be able to work. Not conclusive, but can you hear a relay clicking as you trigger the PIR?

In a different thread you suggested you had checked the whole unit on the ground, which would seem to eliminate a fault in the unit itself. All put together this would seem to indicate there might well be a break in the nuetral of the cable feeding the light up on the wall. Could you perhaps try an ordinary bulb, lampholder and flex connected in place of the combined PIR and lamp unit? If this lights up, then you have at least proven you have a live and neutral going to the above point.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Harry Bloomfield expressed precisely :

Just to make sure, the lamp is the o-----o symbol

[Andrew Gabriel]

There's a 200W one also, but it's hard to find. GE also do a 225W (or something around that) with an infra-red reflective coating which gives same light as a 300W, and similarly a 375W (or something around that) which is same output as a 500W.

I think the best advice for someone who can't diagnose a non-working light really is to call an electrician, sorry.

[Dave Stanton]

Could you make up your mind wether you are going to top post or bottom post, so far you have done both.

Dave

[Nick Atty]

Do you get the neon lighting up at both ends when the bulb is not connected (suggesting a miswiring where L and N are both going to live) or only when the bulb is in (suggesting, like everybody else, that N is o/c).