Trouble with outside light

[John321]

I'm currently wiring an outside light with a built in photocell and I can't figure out what's going wrong. It's wired from a switch with a 3 core.

At the switch, I've connected the grey(blue) neutral to the other neutrals and I've connected the black(brown) live to the common lives.

At the light there is a connector block. And this is how I connect it
Red/Brown - Nothing I guess this is for slave units
Live - Black(brown)
Earth - Earth
Neutral - Grey(blue)

And put the spare brown on it's own connector block.

For some reason, the RCD keeps tripping and I can't figure out why. Any ideas? Cheers

 

[The Ghost]

Post a photo please.

 

[Richard Burns]

Welcome to the forum, if it is wired as you say and there are no loose strands of cable bridging terminals then I would say you have a light fitting with an earth fault.
Are you sure the neutrals at the switch are neutrals and the permanent lines are lines?

 

[telectrix]

as above ^^^ probability is that there is not a Neutral at the switch.

 

[John321]

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it. The lights are wired to the switch, there is a bunch of neutrals at the switch and I got 240 between the L+N.

You think the photocell could be faulty?

Cheers

 

[DJ Ovengloves]

You mean 230 don't you?

 

[John321]

You mean 230 don't you?

Roughly yea haha

 

[Midwest]

You mean 230 don't you?

Could be 243V or 247V or .....

 

[Pete999]

Could be 243V or 247V or .....

or244V 0r 248V

 

[davesparks]

You mean 230 don't you?

No, the voltage in the U.K. Is not 230V

 

[Pete999]

No, the voltage in the U.K. Is not 230V

I know Dave, it's 1239 in my place

 

[DJ Ovengloves]

I know, but when quoting "mains" it should be stated as such imho.

Edit- in case sums get done incorrectly. For what it's worth the voltage at my house sits at 243 most of the time when I'm doing monthly checks on my equipment.

...don't get me started on "low voltage"

No, the voltage in the U.K. Is not 230V

 

[Pete999]

I know, but when quoting "mains" it should be stated as such imho.

Edit- in case sums get done incorrectly. For what it's worth the voltage at my house sits at 243 most of the time when I'm doing monthly checks on my equipment.

...don't get me started on "low voltage"

What do you mean DJ "Don't get me started on low voltage" I'm interested that's all

 

[DJ Ovengloves]

Now worries Pete, its tHe use of the phrase "low voltage" for 12 volt lighting, when of course it's elv.

I know it's really ----, pretty much everyone knows whet is meant, but the odc in me shivers every time I see I being misused.

 

[Pete999]

Now worries Pete, its tHe use of the phrase "low voltage" for 12 volt lighting, when of course it's elv.

I know it's really ----, pretty much everyone knows whet is meant, but the odc in me shivers every time I see I being misused.

T

 

[Pete999]

Thought that would be something like that DJ, not ---- at all, I'm a pedant when it comes to calling a RFC a ring main, I have go into a dark room sometimes and take a chill pill.

 

[Midwest]

I'm afraid I quite often say low voltage when I should extra low voltage, and voltage when I should say low voltage, ring main when I should say ring final and light bulb when I should say lamp. The list goes on. I am trying to improve on my grammar & spelling, unlike some I have to say DJ

 

[DJ Ovengloves]

Oh dear, a roll eyes....another one of "my things"

Ignore the spelling and grammar (there were a lot of commas and I have massive sausage fingers) as I was in a meeting pretending not to be messing with my phone when posting.

 

[davesparks]

I know, but when quoting "mains" it should be stated as such imho.

Edit- in case sums get done incorrectly.

Why should it be stated as such when that is only a nominal value and not a real world value? Blindly following what is written in a book and ignoring the real world is ridiculous.

The calculations will almost certainly be done incorrectly if 230V is used.

 

[DJ Ovengloves]

No, the calculations will be "correct" according to the powers that be. Whether that stands up in reality is a different matter.

Jesus, as I said (with a bloody ) it's "simply one of my things". Sadly I really do get the impression that if your not "part of the gang" on here you get swatted for daring to post.

Why should it be stated as such when that is only a nominal value and not a real world value? Blindly following what is written in a book and ignoring the real world is ridiculous.

The calculations will almost certainly be done incorrectly if 230V is used.