screwfix light dangerous!

[muffin]

last year i fitted a coach light from screwfix, with an integeral pir.

they are edison screw

i needed to have a manual override so made a connection inside the light to the centre pin.

i turned the power on and tried the override.

it didnt work.

why?..... because the centre pin is permently live and they are switching the neutral conductor.. very hard to spot but equally very bad.

i contacted them only to be told

"we have sold 1000's of these no one else has complained"

i then went to a similar model by the same brand and this too had the same problem.

i left it with them saying how dangerous this is but got no positive feedback.

i wont be buying anymore fittings from them again.

regards

andy crosse

 

[bengie]

i can't really see the issue, why would you remove the cover then stick your finger in the lampholder of a fitting when you don't know if its live or not?

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

last year i fitted a coach light from screwfix, with an integeral pir.they are edison screw

i needed to have a manual override so made a connection inside the light to the centre pin.

i turned the power on and tried the override.

it didnt work.

why?..... because the centre pin is permently live and they are switching the neutral conductor.. very hard to spot but equally very bad.

i contacted them only to be told

"we have sold 1000's of these no one else has complained"

i then went to a similar model by the same brand and this too had the same problem.

i left it with them saying how dangerous this is but got no positive feedback.

i wont be buying anymore fittings from them again.

regards

andy crosse

Don't see any issue with this TBH. :|

The connections integral to the fitting or accessory will be to do with the way the electronics of the PIR work...

If you look close at a lot of 240v fans with run-on timer, they actually switch the Neutral to the fan motor.

The Live is perm connected through the timer circuit PCB... Look at the tracks on the back of the PCB!

Much the same with this integral PIR me-thinks.

You only need to ensure Live is switched external to the accessory, because the manufactures guidance with still say....

"Isolate supply before replacing bulb!"

:|

 

[muffin]

it has been regs for many years that the phase conductor should be switched and not the neutral(unless double pole).

when the light is "off" the lamp holder is still live.

the wiring is not intentional . i have taken the circuit board off and they have soldered the blue to the labbled "live" in and out on the circuit board.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

it has been regs for many years that the phase conductor should be switched and not the neutral(unless double pole). when the light is "off" the lamp holder is still live.the wiring is not intentional . i have taken the circuit board off and they have soldered the blue to the labbled "live" in and out on the circuit board.

Agreed..... (last but one line of my previous post)....

But the regs relate to the fixed wiring and the selection of accessories for connection to that fixed wiring..

NOT the construction of assemblies of electrical equipment.

Reg 113.1. Equipment

Page 13 Big red!

 

[sparkytim]

Concur

Appliance regs different to BS7671

Many odd things to us, e.g. Fuse in nuetral and Live on some boilers.

Older Ec 7 Meters switched to low rate by switched nuetral from seperate time switch.

Only dangerous if working on them when NOT isolated from supply

 

[Lurch]

Lots of electronic switches switch the neutral, I've built several lighting controllers that switch the neutrals, makes the components last longer.

 

[M107]

The tempatron timer that I posted pics of here are neutral switched.

 

[Evans Electric]

What about the Reg. that said " On Edison Screw lampholders , the centre pin must always be connected to the live " ??

Should we amend that to "...... except in cheapo PIR fittings".

 

[Lurch]

What about the Reg. that said " On Edison Screw lampholders , the centre pin must always be connected to the live " ??

ES lampholders to BS-EN60238 do not need to be connected in any particular polarity, which most are nowadays.

 

[Evans Electric]

It was done to avoid the screw thread being live ! What is a BS 60238 lampholder then , does it shroud the whole of the screwcap ?

 

[Lurch]

It was done to avoid the screw thread being live !

I'm well aware of that.

What is a BS 60238 lampholder then , does it shroud the whole of the screwcap ?

Basically, yes. Neither of the contacts can be touched whilst the other is in contact and also the holder shrouds the thread of the lamp. The thread is generally not a contact, but rather there is just a contact at the bottom of the thread so the lamp needs screwing all the way in before anything makes contact.

 

[Doc Hudson]

What about the Reg. that said " On Edison Screw lampholders , the centre pin must always be connected to the live " ??Should we amend that to "...... except in cheapo PIR fittings".

Sparky79's original post does say the centre pin was connected to live, but it was the neutral that was being switched. Not that the centre pin was neutral.

Doc H.

 

[Andy™]

What about the Reg. that said " On Edison Screw lampholders , the centre pin must always be connected to the live " ??Should we amend that to "...... except in cheapo PIR fittings".

centre pin is connected to live.... problem being switched neutral, not live

 

[Evans Electric]

Thanks Doc, don't know where I got that from , must be losing it , no can't be that , I lost it years ago, half my brian..... no,no not Brian ...brain thats it.. was listening to Sherlock Holmes on R7 ....Oh this Rock n Roll life I live.

 

[Andy™]

youve lost Brian?!

 

[muffin]

even if the light in your eyes is ok, it had been wired up wrong on their circuit board.

if i came across it again, id change it.

as for installing other equipment you have designed/made with switching the neutral. i can see little to no point in it.

 

[Lurch]

as for installing other equipment you have designed/made with switching the neutral. i can see little to no point in it.

Well, there's lots of stuff I can see little or no point in, but if I took the time to look up some info I'd maybe see other points of view as well.

 

[Evans Electric]

[quote name='Andy

 

[Andy™]

found him

wondering the streets on his own, no-where to go