I'm about to replace my halogen outside security light with PIR for an LED version.
I've seen a lot of negative stuff re cheap dodgy imports.
Can anyone recommend a good make or supplier ?
Thanks in anticipation.
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Bought both of mine from City Electrical Factors when they had an offer on. Can't remember what I paid but they've proved reliable.
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I had a couple of 10W units direct from China 2 years ago - the build quality of the diecast casings was very good. However the internal guts for a mains operation at 240v was appallingly bad with earth connections in danger of becoming detached (one was a single strand anchored (of multi strand wire), and insulation bewteen the pcb and casing consisting of a sheet of very thin plastic held in place by what looked like a small blob of silicon! They were very cheap tho!
I converted them to work on 12v with a dedicated supply.
Brightness was ok but not as good as promised W equivalence.
Stick to an established supplier.
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>> I had a couple of 10W units direct from China 2 years ago - the
>> build quality of the diecast casings was very good. However the internal guts for a
>> mains operation at 240v was appallingly bad with earth connections
This makes for interesting viewing.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbt2ojkXPuo
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You going with the motion detector models?
See hoe adjustable they are, as a first concern.
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If I already had working PIR security lights (which I do) I'm not sure I'd change them to LED, as decent ones would cost a bit and you wouldn't recoup the cost in savings for years and years (but maybe that's not a concern to you) if the light is only on for a brief period.
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Lidl currently has a solar powered security light with PIR for £29.99. They also have a smaller version for £9.99. Most Lidl stuff has a three-year warranty
www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?action=showDetail&id=36549
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>> If I already had working PIR security lights (which I do) I'm not sure I'd
>> change them to LED, as decent ones would cost a bit and you wouldn't recoup
>> the cost in savings for years and years (but maybe that's not a concern to
>> you) if the light is only on for a brief period.
>>
There are other things to consider. One of the reasons I changed mine was that I got fed up with replacing bulbs, and the LED variety promises to last much longer. Furthermore, if like us you have cats, or have them in the neighbourhood, security lights are often triggered more frequently than you may think, since you're usually in bed when they're working.
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>>You going with the motion detector models?
See hoe adjustable they are, as a first concern.
I presume you mean adjustable vertically and horizontally but can any be adjusted for "target"? Mine are constantly starting up at night, due I suppose to frequent four-legged visitors to the garden.
And adjusted for light density? Mine can be triggered on murky days if I forget to turn them off early enough.
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I have two electric mains security lights.And three small security lights solar powered.The solar powerd are ordered from Amazon about seven pounds each.
The solar powered ones work fine in in spring and summer very inpressed how good they work.
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We have bright lights at the end of the house, on the steep short slope where we park the car or cars. They are very useful and stay on for about two minutes. They come on when anything moves in their sight, including cats, foxes and badgers. You can even make them go on by waving an arm out of the appropriate window.
There are solar jobbies on the back lawn. They aren't very good.
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I have four security lights and one pencil-type "bulb" needs replacing. My stock includes 3 Crompton 200 watt "Linear Halogen" lamps and one Crompton 300 watt "Tungsten Halogen" lamps.
Apart from the wattage, what is the difference between these two types please? They look the same.
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I use 6 security lights, 5 of which are halogen. All 5 detectors are separate from the lamps for flexibility.
I bought two LED outside lights off the web. The advert hid the fact they had a fixed length of lead instead of a connector box. The mains converter module was held in by a large blob of gue and the mains lead was soldered to that. They were returned.
So what a delight to see how well constructed the Lidl £9.99 ones were. Nicely finned diecast case, nice looking mains converter, very good cable gland. Much smaller in size.
One fitted so far. It lights up my drive rather well. The LED is 9.6 watts, 800 lumens, it says.
ambo. Most likely they are the same. Linear sounds like being just a bulb description.
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>what is the difference between these two types please?
None. You can reasonably rely on the "if they fit, they'll be fine" approach.
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>> >what is the difference between these two types please?
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>> None. You can reasonably rely on the "if they fit, they'll be fine" approach.
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BUT just make sure that they are rated at the Correct VOLTAGE !
you made no mention in the original post, and 110v models are not that uncommon.
Last edited by: sherlock47 on Tue 30 Aug 16 at 15:45
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They fit and are rated 240v. I am surprised that 110v is available in the UK.
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110V - very common for building site work etc. 110V centre tapped to earth is considered safe. 110V portable power tools widely available and obligatory on most sites other than residential refurb . Have you never seen 110V on site transformers?
www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/systems.htm
www.screwfix.com/p/portable-transformer-with-2-output-sockets-3kva/84144
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Interesting but no, I haven't.
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it is interesting . Something I never knew. Strange in a way that we are allowd to play with 230v at home and in the garden but it is not considered safe on building sites.
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Wed 31 Aug 16 at 11:02
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230v doesn't need such thick cables and is better for longer runs, because the current is half as big, watt for watt. And of course we aren't supposed to "play with" the 230V at home!
The lower voltage is much safer from a shock perspective. There are also some nuances around the earthing (you can tell I'm not a real electrician) that mean any shock on the 110V supply should be at a maximum of 55V, v. 230V on the domestic supply.
I don't know whether the actual supply voltage is roughly at the nominal 230V or at the old 240V.
Back in time, Europe had 220V and UK had 240V. They were "harmonised" to a nominal 230V but the means of doing so was to change the nominal voltage for both UK and Europe to 230V, and set the tolerances so that both 220V and 240V would comply! No physical changes were necessary.
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YesI know the advantages of 230v. Was just slightly surprised that what is considered safe for DIY is considered too dangerous for a tradesman on a building site.
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>> is considered too dangerous for a tradesman on a building site.
More people around on a building site to consider, as well as who is to blame should something go wrong. At home it's generally yourself, but at work it's your employer.
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A building site is only a temporary setup so I should think they can run any voltages they want. As every home in the country runs 230v changing to 110v and all that entails would be a next to impossible option.
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>> A building site is only a temporary setup so I should think they can run
>> any voltages they want. As every home in the country runs 230v changing to 110v
>> and all that entails would be a next to impossible option.
Good point. If it was being standardised now we might not be choosing 230V.
Same with a lot of things. Can you imagine unlicensed pleasure boaters being allowed to use canals, with no handrails around the locks, climbing slimy ladders in the lock chambers or crossing them via the tops of the gates?
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The 50V safety irony or, the not many people know that
If you short one of the two 240V supply wires to earth, and you have an earth leakage breaker, as most modern installations do, it will disconnect the supply. If you fit a 240 to 50-0-50 transformer, to use 50-0-50 supply, and then you short one of the two 50V wires to earth, it will not.
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Security Lights - Harleyman
