Is this delay timer switch suitable?

Thread Starter

GnrlLee

Joined Jan 4, 2012
5
I'm trying to select a delay timer for a twin fluroscent light in the garage and I really like this one because it has a manual override to allow light to stay on indefinitely when required...

http://www.pdlglobal.com/data/product_documents/648TM InstallSheet.pdf

When looking at the wiring it looks like it has three wires but on the garage light switch it has only 2 wires - red and white ... which looks like one goes to load and the other to neutral (can someone confirm if that is correct?)

With the Active wiring not wired... would it still work? especially the indicator light on the front of the timer switch? Just trying to understand what I am buying and if it will work with what I have (Australian Wiring)?

Oh the red and white wire on the HPM 1 gang switch is wired to the common with white wire and terminal 1 with the red wire.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
Disclaimer: I'm not a licensed electrician, and it sounds like you aren't either. I recommend having a licensed electrician perform the work.

The timer has 3 wires and that's fine. I don't know anything about aussie wiring, so please confirm the assumptions I am about to make before proceeding: I assume the white is neutral and the red is hot. In that case, you would remove the wall switch and install the timer as follows: white wire in wall to blue wire on timer; red wire in wall to brown wire on timer; red wire on timer to lamps; and wire coming back from lamps gets tied in with the blue & white.
and, no, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't work if you didn't connect the "active", but I really see no reason why you wouldn't connect it.
 

Thread Starter

GnrlLee

Joined Jan 4, 2012
5
It's not straight forward so I am not going to try but I do want to know if it the timer will work in my garage switch which has only 2 Wires... not 2 pairs... I read somewhere that it could be looped and that is why it has only 2 wires. So... that may mean the other wires could be on the other side of the wall where I have 5 gang switch. So I think I definitely have to have active wire to power the thing. Did I answer my own question?
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
ah yeah see thats why I recommend an electrician. you have things going on there that I can't see. my advice could have caused a problem if neither of us knew what's going on.
 

Thread Starter

GnrlLee

Joined Jan 4, 2012
5
I had a look and it's not. The wire goes through the box and it's only a 2 wire (red and white) interestingly the 5 gang switch is configured the same... with red as the common terminal and white being like the load switch or something. So it looks like I have to go look for a 2 wire timer as it will be more work (costs) to run neutral wire and it will be in a conduit mounted on a wall to the light switch which just looks disgusting when nothing else has conduits.

It's a catch 22 and cost me more to get a sparky just to come and adivse and he won't have a timer on hand and cost another lot to come back again just to install..
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
where is this extra wire you're talking about? I still don't see the problem. the 3 wire switch should work no problem. check it out:

you shouldn't need to jack with the conduit and I don't think they make a 2 wire timer, unless it's mechanical. reason being, the timer needs power to operate. if it doesn't have its own ground, then it can't work. That is, until someone posts a link to a 2 wire timer and blows my mind.
 

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Thread Starter

GnrlLee

Joined Jan 4, 2012
5
I had a rethought after last night fumbling around in the dark coming into the garage from another entrance that does not have a switch next to it. I'm going to have ceiling sensor light put in to activate the lights when I walk into the garage. Any recommendations?

hmm that drawings seems logical with the drawing you made... Hang on... I get confused cause there's only 2 wires and when they (red and white wire) join together, the light comes on. Oh and to blow your mind...

http://www.schnap.com.au/index.php?dispatch=attachments.getfile&attachment_id=27


http://www.clipsal.com.au/trade/__data/page/81/W0000999.pdf

just to name a few with 2 wire timers...
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
ah, see there, that's why I never state conclusively that something doesn't exist or won't work - someone will always come along and prove it wrong. If that works, then cool. It says you might need a capacitor in parallel with a flourescent because the device powers itself through the bulb even when it's off (be careful).

what you're looking for now is called a passive infared (PIR) sensor.

I'm afraid without seeing a diagram of your current wiring, I can't offer any more advise. Wiring diagrams get too confusing (for me) when drawn out in english language as opposed to little lines and symbols. A picture is worth a thousand words.
 

sheldons

Joined Oct 26, 2011
613
what you have there is a feed wire and a switch wire,,,,when you close the switch the light comes on as the neutral wire is fed directly to the light and the switch wire and feed wire will be either at a seperate junction box or in the fitting itself.its a simple job to fit yr pir sensor and you can use the existing feed for the pir,take the neutral to yr pir and most of them have a connection which allows a switch to overide the pir so you can use your existing switch for that.i take it you have one switch to control one fitting so it isnt wired as a two way circuit? I have uploaded the diagram for you-also in the UK the light fitting is earthed and also the switch itself is earthed-am not aware of the regs for your country so ive not included the saftey earth on the diagram
 

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Thread Starter

GnrlLee

Joined Jan 4, 2012
5
Yeap... I'm trying to avoid having people go up into the roof space cause there's hanging air cond ducts and makes it difficult for people to move around. So if I can find one that don't I will... so far I have found the following... one doesn't give me the right shape and means I will need to look for a square mounting block as oppose to standing up rectangular shaped ones which is already there.... Also no manual override.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/IR-Infra...AU_Home_Personal_Security&hash=item336d57ae19

The other has manual over ridge switch but what is Electronic PL Lamp? and how good with Fluro tubes as the one above has compensation for Fluro.
http://www.irtec.com/manual/LC-772_77200-001.pdf
 
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