Todays callout

[NozSpark]

I had a call out to a shop today regarding some lighting not working in the store room and toilets,, so a quick look to confirm (and yes, no lights), check board and a MCB has tripped so I put it back on and go into the stores -- big time fizzing noise coming from a 360deg PIR so I quickly go back and turn the MCB back off.

The PIR was well and truely burnt out so I replaced it and checked on the lights.. 9 x 70w twin flourescents... all running from a PIR that has a max rating of 500W (for flourescents).. So I did what I could.. took out one tube out of each fitting; I know it's still not within it's rating but it's better than it was...

Recommended to customer that the fittings should be switched via a contactor...

 

[green-hornet]

I had a similar instance where the client was trying to dim about 800 watts of downlights via a 250 watt dimmer.

 

[batty]

Funny thing fluorescents tried switching 400 watt with a smiths mechanical timer not realising they only can switch 100 watt teach me for not reading instructions who would think a 3kw timer can only switch 100 watt of fluorescent every days a learning day.

 

[Evans Electric]

Batts, I think they have , only recently , started to put that warning on the packaging. I was going to use one to switch some HQI fittings and found it was on a lot of the time switches on sale. Never thought about it before.

 

[Andy™]

Funny thing fluorescents tried switching 400 watt with a smiths mechanical timer not realising they only can switch 100 watt teach me for not reading instructions who would think a 3kw timer can only switch 100 watt of fluorescent every days a learning day.

not much good when you cant really use incandescent