mains power

[andy m]

help help im new to this site !!

ive got a question i need help with im looking at buying a secure sight vl1 camera with a built in 500w flood light now its says its easy to fit it only needs mains power !! the problem ive got is ring main wiring i can do i can add sockets, fusespurs but i carn't get my head into lighting wiring or can this be run via a 3 pin plug?? into a wall socket or will i end up frying the wife heheheheadbangheadbang

 

[Doc Hudson]

Hello Andy m, welcome to the forum. A 3pin plug and socket should be fine, if you have a spare socket available. May be better than a light circuit, but the other guys will confirm or correct this assumption later.

Doc H.

 

[green-hornet]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

There are a few ways you could wire the camera and floodlight.

One way would be to connect via the lighting circuit, which would mean boards up, junction boxes etc

Another way is to take a feed from one of the sockets to a switched fused spur, replacing the 13amp fuse for a 3amp or if required a 5amp fuse.This can then be used to isolate the light.

Or as Doc says you could just wire it to a 3 pin plug, again check the fuse rating and make sure you remove the 13amp fitted fuse for a 3 or 5 amp.

 

[a1]

Hello And Welcome to the Forum.

 

[Apache]

Hello and welcome. Wire using flex and 3 pin plug by far the easiest. Does your house have a RCD in the consumer unit (fuse board?). If not one on the plug may be a good plan. 3A fuse should be fine.

 

[andy m]

thanks very much the wife is safe! ive just taken a feed from another socket in my kitchen and put it through a switched fused spur for my fridge to be moved so im ok with that why dont they make lighting circuits as simple as ring main???

 

[Apache]

Lighting circuits are simpler! You can spur wherever you like, as often as you like.

So long as you get the live feed and not a switched live.

Do make sure you don't overload things by adding 500W flood lights. On a 6A MCB or an old 5A fuse you only have a total of 1380 - 1150W - that's only 4 X 100W bulbs and 2 500W floods outside!

Can I suggest changing the 500W bulb for a 300W? You won't notice the difference but will save 30% on the electric bill AND still see just as much.

 

[andy m]

message for apache if you dont mind?,so what you are saying with lighting circuits i can take a live,earth feed from the switch on the wall across to another switch an then onto the ceiling rose? as long as its not the switching live i carnt be right with that can i??? oh and as long as i keep within the 1150 to 1380 watts which i can keep this down by replacing normal bulbs with energy saving which are lower wattage???? now you are laughing and waiting for the news to come on to see a house burnt down in the worcs areaROTFWLROTFWL

 

[Apache]

There are two basic ways that lighting circuits are wired. The loop can either be at the light or at the switch. Most houses the live loop is at the light (or a junction box close by) - taking the live supply around the house. At the light switch you have 3 wires, an earth a live and a switched live assuming the loop is at the light.

If the loop is in the switched you would have a neutral joined in the back box of the switch taking a neutral feed to the light. The switch just breaks the live.

So in most houses if you tried tapping in to the switch cable you would find yourself disappointed.

Basically you need to tap into the loop, likely at the ceiling rose. Does this make sense?

There's nothing wrong with using a FCU from the ring main so long as you fused down appropriately. If not and there was a fault the thinner diameter cable to the light could melt before the fuse protecting the ring tripped.

 

[andy m]

yea im getting the bit about the loop at the rose ive just changed a light fitting in the living room and came across a loop there so in a nutshell pick a feed from the loop along with the earths is that right i told you in a earlier post ring main is easy compared to lighting hehehehe

 

[Bez]

Hi Andy, welcome to the forum,

As Apache says, be careful not overload the lighting circuit. Replacing other bulbs with low wattage to gain elswhere is only a short tem fix, what if you sell the house and someone else decides to re-instate larger bulbs. You have to assume 100 watts at each fitting to calculate your demand.

Hope this helps.

Bez

 

[Apache]

yea im getting the bit about the loop at the rose ive just changed a light fitting in the living room and came across a loop there so in a nutshell pick a feed from the loop along with the earths is that right i told you in a earlier post ring main is easy compared to lighting hehehehe

You need a live a neutral and an earth. The L&N so it works (power across the bulb) and the earth for safety. 3 wires.

Just remember that if you cut into a switched live by mistake you will still have a blue and a brown (or red and a black) and an unsheathed earth and not know, unless you test it, if it's a switched live or the loop! Easiest if you can get in the loft and see where everything goes.

Any of the electricians feel free to join in...........

 

[Andy™]

Can I suggest changing the 500W bulb for a 300W? You won't notice the difference but will save 30% on the electric bill AND still see just as much.

good suggestion - another advantage is a 500W can be too bright, so although you may be able to see the outline of people, it may be too bright to recognise them

 

[kme]

You need a live a neutral and an earth. The L&N so it works (power across the bulb) and the earth for safety. 3 wires. Just remember that if you cut into a switched live by mistake you will still have a blue and a brown (or red and a black) and an unsheathed earth and not know, unless you test it, if it's a switched live or the loop! Easiest if you can get in the loft and see where everything goes.

Any of the electricians feel free to join in...........

Nah - you`re doing just fine so far `pache.

(we`ll just sit back & watch, if thats ok with you?)

O)GuinnessGuinnessGuinnessGuinnessGuinness

KME