A PIR/Motion detector in a two way lighting circuit?

[Welderpaul]

Electrical folks..

I'd like to put an external light on the garage which faces the house 'cos it's pitch black at night!

I want to wire it to a PIR so it automatically comes on when you approach, but i'd also like to put a waterproof switch on the garage so i can turn it on and leave it on whilst i'm doing anything at the back of the house.

Will this work?...and how do I do it?

Thanks!

 

[the snooper]

Yes that will work I've done the same just connect the output of the pir to the lamp same as the switch you want to use here is a terrible drawing

 

[RonA]

Most of the PIR floodlights I’ve ever dealt with have the function if you turn them off & on again rapidly they make the light come on & stay on. To restore the motion detection operation you simply turn the supply off for a minute or so, switch it back on & they go (after a brief auto set up) back to normal PIR operation.
So the circuit would just need your garage switch in the supply to the PIR floodlight to achieve what your after.
RonA

 

[gaz1]

for your info a pir light on a switch if turned on and off fast enough it stays on until you de power it for 15 mins thats how the older ones used to work paul

unsure if the new type leds do the same

if you use a fused switch would suit your application

rona just beat me to it

 

[Fazerruss]

Snooper beat me to it

 

[Welderpaul]

It is a separate PIR unit (or will be when i buy one) - the builders fitted quite nice olde worlde lantern type lights so I have bought a matching one -they don't have integral PIR's in them.

OK, I sort of understand your drawings (I'm a fabricator not a sparky) i'll have a look at the terminals and suss it out.

Thanks chaps

 

[RonA]

It is a separate PIR unit (or will be when i buy one) - the builders fitted quite nice olde worlde lantern type lights so I have bought a matching one -they don't have integral PIR's in them.

OK, I sort of understand your drawings (I'm a fabricator not a sparky) i'll have a look at the terminals and suss it out.

Thanks chaps

The separate PIR’s have the same functionality, I have one on the flood in front of my garage. A quick off/on & the flood stays on. Turn off for a minute or so, back on & PIR operation restored. Just wire your lights through the separate PIR, job done
RonA

 

[the snooper]

The separate PIR’s have the same functionality, I have one on the flood in front of my garage. A quick off/on & the flood stays on. Turn off for a minute or so, back on & PIR operation restored. Just wire your lights through the separate PIR, job done
RonA

The only problem I see doing it this way is paul wants an external switch which means some dodgy character could turn off your security lighting when upto no good

 

[rtbcomp]

The only problem I see doing it this way is paul wants an external switch which means some dodgy character could turn off your security lighting when upto no good

If you wire the switch and PIR in parallel as in the above diagrams, the PIR will override the switch if the latter is turned off.

 

[the snooper]

If you wire the switch and PIR in parallel as in the above diagrams, the PIR will override the switch if the latter is turned off.

Yeah I already know that lol, but Rons way was to have a switch controlling the pir so you could flick the switch and have the pir keep.the light on

 

[RonA]

The only problem I see doing it this way is paul wants an external switch which means some dodgy character could turn off your security lighting when upto no good

Put the garage switch inside the garage, the PIR will switch the light on as you walk from the house to the garage or if some toe rag walks into your garage uninvited. Once you’re in the garage you can turn the flood light to steady on or back to PIR, free from outside interference.
RonA

 

[the snooper]

Put the garage switch inside the garage, the PIR will switch the light on as you walk from the house to the garage or if some toe rag walks into your garage uninvited. Once you’re in the garage you can turn the flood light to steady on or back to PIR, free from outside interference.
RonA

I had mine in the garage but one would be handy outside so you don't have to unlock the garage all the time, I had a transit parked against the door aswell

 

[Welderpaul]

I had mine in the garage but one would be handy outside so you don't have to unlock the garage all the time, I had a transit parked against the door aswell

That's the idea, security isn't an issue.

 

[awemawson]

When I put in my PIR floodlights a few years back I wired an external switch in parallel with the pir so that I could easily switch it on permanently if needed - trivial wiring opening up the back of the unit and finding the switched pair from the PIR

More modern LED ones tend to be sealed so you can't do this

My latest external floodlight is a 100W one on the Tractor Shed which is sealed, but has a remote control that you can zap it with to change all it's settings or turn it on or off, but it's not as simple as when an external switch could be wired to do this function - you have to go hunting for the zapper for one thing

 

[the snooper]

When I put in my PIR floodlights a few years back I wired an external switch in parallel with the pir so that I could easily switch it on permanently if needed - trivial wiring opening up the back of the unit and finding the switched pair from the PIR

More modern LED ones tend to be sealed so you can't do this

My latest external floodlight is a 100W one on the Tractor Shed which is sealed, but has a remote control that you can zap it with to change all it's settings or turn it on or off, but it's not as simple as when an external switch could be wired to do this function - you have to go hunting for the zapper for one thing

You could still do by switched wire straight to the bulb holder live

 

[awemawson]

No the entire unit is sealed - no access to anything

 

[RonA]

When I put in my PIR floodlights a few years back I wired an external switch in parallel with the pir so that I could easily switch it on permanently if needed - trivial wiring opening up the back of the unit and finding the switched pair from the PIR

More modern LED ones tend to be sealed so you can't do this

My latest external floodlight is a 100W one on the Tractor Shed which is sealed, but has a remote control that you can zap it with to change all it's settings or turn it on or off, but it's not as simple as when an external switch could be wired to do this function - you have to go hunting for the zapper for one thing

Just bought a 20 W LED floodlight made by Mirrorstone & it came with an incredibly short marin’s lead. Fortunately the case was in two halves joined by cap screws. Inside the main leads where soldered to PCB supply with shrink wrap over the soldered joints. A bit of a pfaff just to extend the mains lead but it’s a great light now it’s installed & above all cheap to run
RonA

 

[Fazerruss]

Paul is using a separate PIR to 2 separate vintage lights so there will be no need to break open a sealed unit.
Easy job.

 

[Welderpaul]

Ok, terminals are thus - where do the wires need to go.....

 

[brightspark]

if that's your wiring and u want over ride by switch u need to take a permanent live brown from common in switch up to live on pir. neutral from switch block up to neutral on pir and a switched live from 1 on switch up to live one . use colours brown =live black = L 1 and neutral grey with a bit of blue sleeving on it .the black should be sleeved brown hopefully your existing switch has the live feed at common and not the switched live end of circuit