Last summer I installed a set of PIR controlled outdoor halogen lights on driveway and inside a group of garages. Idea is that you are lit up as you drive down to garages and park in them with no switching required. Wired all lights up and tested the system using 13 amp plug with 13 amp fuse and extension lead. All worked fine over a period of some months so have now laid on permanent supply to garages terminating in Screwfix Garage Consumer unit. This has 40 amp 30 mA RCD and two MCBs, one 16 amp and one 6 amp.Have wired up power point to 16 amp MCB but this circuit is very rarely used. Lights are connected to 6 amp MCB and used daily. As you drive towards and inside the garages you activate a series of lights
6x150 and 1x500 watts so the total load is 1400 watts.I make that about 6 amps at 230 volts and usually all works fine but about once a week as the second or third light in the series comes on the 6 amp MCB trips and you are in darkness. The RCD never trips it is always the 6 amp MCB. Why does this trip on a random basis and not every day ? Do PIR Halogen lights draw a heavier current as they start up ? Would my best bet be to upgrade the 6 amp MCB to a 10 amp version ? Many thanks in advance for any helpful answers. John Chapman- posted
20 years ago