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'plug' Override For External Lighting

Matt Ward
in Security Horror Stories

Featured Replies

Our office is moving soon, so recently I updated the external lighting at our office. Time to get the PIR lighting working properly (we replaced the 300watt bulbs with 500watt ones and melted the relay contacts inside the PIR - oops!).

I put up the new superdooper PIR (270 degree one that looks the business!) that could support the 1500watt load.

After drilling the cable into the void above the ceiling, I removed the original PIR's cable to find a plug and socket and a round mains JB (junction box).

I was wondering what the plug did - it had a single red wire going into it that looked like it had been stripped out of a T&E cable!

After opening the JB all became clear:

The incoming cable first went to the 13amp socket, then into the JB to connect to the original PIR, then on to the flood lights. If you put in the plug, the live wire 'jumped over' the switched live going to the PIR and switched on the lights (you can see this quite clearly in the photo) - so this was the external lighting 'override plug!'. Why there wasn't a simple switch beats me, but the worst thing is....

IF THE PIR SWITCHES ON THE LIGHTS, ONE OF THOSE PINS ON THE 13AMP PLUG BECOMES LIVE!!!

This 13 amp plug is normally left unplugged and rests on top of the socket - bloody lucky no one touched it whilst the lights were on!!

This 'configuration' had been done by the previous occupier! Unbelievable! :hmm:

See the image below!

Matt

post-6379-1194907118_thumb.jpg

What an abortion, looks like an angus special to me ;)

:D
What an abortion, looks like an angus special to me ;)

:D

nah - I never have any red cable handy, bit of twisted 8core does the job better
nah - I never have any red cable handy, bit of twisted 8core does the job better

oh yeah, fogot that was your trademark ;)
must be one of yours then?

no i use bell wire ;)

Christ Almighty!!

I regularly come across the "6inch nail fuse" and other dodgy wiring too
Bet he got the idea from some guy on the internet :fear:

Stevie Wonder?
  • 5 weeks later...
Stevie Wonder?

nah probably chris :lol:

"If you carry your childhood with you, you never become old. Why rush to end life when happiness is in the blissfulness of childhood innocence."

"We all die, the goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will."

07475071344

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