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Only work on older systems as a maintenance electrician nowadays, Sidewinder. Thanks for advice.   Southsparks.

Non-latching emergency stop buttons will work safely as long as it operates a contactor, either at the mains point  (or on a machine,  say a lathe). The contactor should then only be possible to reset with a key held by someone in charge. This is  how the workshops I've worked in over the...

Thanks for the advice, will look those cells up and see if they are suitable for the fitting. Southsparks.

Has anybody have any suggestions how to retro-fit a photo-cell to a 50 watt exterior LED floodlight. It seems they are not available to buy from new, as I presume that a photo-cell would not work with this type of fitting, as it would be difficult to keep the lights output affecting any cell...

Thanks for reply Evans. Although the breaker is a 20 Amp,  I would have thought a 32 A would be OK. as circuit  for some reason, is wired in 16mm SWA. There's lots of breakers on various sites, but they are all pre-used and would be same age as the one we have. As there is no way of knowing to...

Does anybody know of any replacement for a MEM 203 MB3 Type 3 triple-pole breaker to replace a suspect one, bearing in mind that they are obsolete, and other than getting a pre-owned one off E-Bay,  I'm hoping somebody will know of one still available, of a different make perhaps, out there...

Thanks for replies. Have found that these plug-in stats can indeed be used to either heat or cool, you just have to set correct symbol on its screen, either a "flame" or a "snowflake". Trouble is, I keep getting flame symbol, but unable to get cooling one. Guess its default setting is to heat...

Have been supplied with a 13A plug-in thermostat to operate an extractor fan in an otherwise unventilated computer server-room. As far as I have been able to work out, the plug-in stat will only operate a heater, but cannot see how it can switch a cooling fan  on when room gets too hot. The...

Just quick up-date, seems other installers have had exactly the same problem, failure and strobing after two months. (Screwfix's Site) Looks like its the drivers giving up, not the PIR or how I wired them.  Thanks. Southsparks.

Thanks Lurch. Sounds like you are spot-on. Time to close this subject. I do get carried away a bit. "Brevity is to be encouraged" Southsparks. 

Thanks for further replies. Just looking at fittings leaflet, and it warns against "storing fitting in a very cold or hot/damp place" as this can damage the electronics. Just wondering how this applies to when fitting installed outdoors, as those conditions will happen throughout the year...

Just one thing I forgot to mention, perhaps PIR detectors need a constant power supply, like LNB satellite dish signal collectors, as they too generate a  small amount of heat to prevent build-up of moisture, that can cause failure of the electronics, which is why you should always leave your...

Thanks for all the replies. Yes all the five fittings, three PIR type & two "straight", total wattage 250, wired on quite a long run in 1.5mm cable in a daisy-chain way, and fittings have been installed about two months. Circuit originally had five X 70 Watt sodiums on it, wired by me 20...

Thanks for reply Dave. Not actually worried about being  of pocket, just if I had done something wrong. It does sound like a common fault  I agree. Have had several cases of newish LED fittings fail, due I believe to some sort of mains surge, in the past. Not too sure I can trust these LED...

Two months ago I was asked to fit some (supplied) LED light fittings to a building frontage, three are PIR type, and two without. Just recently the three PIR type have started flashing on & off every time they are triggered. The other two are working OK. It just happens this circuit is...

Here's an interesting site I found recently about RCDs, and how they operate and give varying degrees of protection, including the "grab-factor" of being unable to let go of a live part in your grasp, due to muscular spasms due to electric shock, and the value in Ma. So the less "earthed"...

Imperial core sizes quoted as number of strands, times cross-sectional area of each separate strand,( in inches squared.) Hence, say,7/064 would have seven strands, and each strand would have a cross-section of 0.064 inches, squared. Metric cable now just quoted as cross-sectional area of...

If I recall correctly, the largest imperial 7-strand cable core was 7/064, now 16mm. Pic. could be lower size, 7/036, 7/044 or 7/052. All those imperial sizes. Now would be 4mm; 6mm; 10mm; In sizes over 16mm, all  cores had 19 strands or more.  25mm. eqv. would then have had 19 stranded core...

Thanks for all the replies. The leaflets supplied with these sockets warn not to Megger-test, as it would damage them. I now know that,but what if a future electrician comes along to do some routine insulation testing. Would he/she have to go round and remove them all before carrying out a...

Thanks for replies. Will bear in your suggestions when doing work. Wonder how much those USB sockets use? can't be that much, no more than RCD socket, as they get a bit warm on front. Did mention to customer to make sure the students don't try and charge their E-cigs, as I have seen on TV the...