Hi all,

On my hols I saw some interesting new products which for various reasons
we don't commonly have here.

One which I thought might be useful is an interior wall mounted PIR unit.
It fits onto a standard electric accessory backplate. It has a small
discrete override (0-Auto-1) switch. The idea is that passage way lighting
comes on where there is activity and goes off when there is none.

Usually when this is done (I've implemented an external version of this in
the passage under my house.) there is an annoying blink when the PIR comes
to the end of its time period and then re-sets as you move by.

The timer units abroad seems not to do this i.e the time period runs from
the last detected movement not the first movement.

Anyone seen this type of product in the UK?
I didn't unscrew the unit to find out if it needed a neutral - and series
PIR units damage the low energy bulb as most of us have found out at some
time. Since the bulbs were low energy types (but they had enough of them
in each fitting to work well). I expect the unit did have a neutral. This
would make retro-fitting them for staircase lighting difficult, unless
they used the earth and leaked only a few micro amps to it?

*******

Anyone know what the pay back period (by water saving) for a PIR operated
basin mixer would be? My rough guess is something like 100 years. I.e.
Would it be better to invest the money in saving water by other means?
Comments?


--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
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The message
from Owain contains these words:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/DNWAOC.html

Eeek - how much!

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

The message
from Andy Hall contains these words:

Eeek - how much!

£45.30.. Great deal considering how much energy you can save.

I hope that's irony I can hear there. And there's VAT on top of that.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

On 2006-08-05 21:12:50 +0100, Guy King said:

The message
from Owain contains these words:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/DNWAOC.html

Eeek - how much!

£45.30.. Great deal considering how much energy you can save.

On 2006-08-05 22:13:45 +0100, Guy King said:

The message
from Andy Hall contains these words:

Eeek - how much!

£45.30.. Great deal considering how much energy you can save.

I hope that's irony I can hear there.

Always ;-)


And there's VAT on top of that.

Just think.. You can use lots of halogen lamps and hence save lots of money.

The message
from Andy Hall contains these words:

Just think.. You can use lots of halogen lamps and hence save lots of money.

I must confess to having a PIR light fitting in our downstairs loo[1]
because it's got no window and we had trouble with visiting kids
shutting the door before realising there was no light then having a
panic 'cos they couldn't get out etc. That and the light kept getting
left on. Works a treat and is also a handy tiredness meter - if I try to
switch off the light I know I'm tired.

[1] Known as the sidraT 'cos it's a lot smaller inside than you expect.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

In article , Guy King
writes
The message
from Owain contains these words:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/DNWAOC.html

Eeek - how much!

It's all supply & demand, I knew some guys in the early nineties who
thought such a product would be a winner and designed & built a thousand
or so. They then marketed the product through local press & fliering in a
good sized town at reasonable prices and the response was zero, nada,
nothing. It was a good unit but they couldn't give it away, I bet they still
have some in their wardrobes.

If we all wanted one they'd cost a fiver.
--
fred
Plusnet - I hope you like vanilla

Andy Hall wrote:
On 2006-08-05 21:12:50 +0100, Guy King said:

The message
from Owain contains these words:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/DNWAOC.html


Eeek - how much!


£45.30.. Great deal considering how much energy you can save.


Gosh. $19.97 US.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...P-L&lpage=none

The price difference is too large to explain.

In some cases they are required in the US. The determining factor is
that there is a five-year payback.

Regards,

The message jobBg.1848$Lh4.1256@trnddc02
from GeorgeD contains these words:

The price difference is too large to explain.

It's easily explained. We in Britain get gouged regularly.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

On Sun, 06 Aug 2006 00:23:38 +0100, Owain wrote:

Ed Sirett wrote:
Like this?
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/DNWAOC.html
Very much like that. I think that with the trouble many people have
with vacuum delay type switches for stairs and passages in blocks of
flats, these could be attractive. However even a modest block of flats
would require several hundred quids worth of units + fitting.

If a block of flats is big enough to need more than a few sensors then
it probably requires 24-hour maintained emergency lighting anyway under
HMO regulations, and is big enough to foot the electric bill for
continuous lighting (on a photocell for nocturnal operation if
required). Time-delay lighting gives such a cheap impression to tenants,
and as accommodation providers are responsible under the DDA, may have
to replace vacuum-delay switches if a disabled person cannot get from
switch to switch quickly enough to keep the light on.

The sensor's expensive because it incorporates mains switching; using
low-voltage PIRs back to a relay would probably be cheaper on apparatus
costs although cabling would increase. Vacuum-delay switches can be
replaced with low-voltage press-buttons back to a timer/relay.

Some door entry systems eg BPT have a second button on the handsets, to
connect to the timer/relay allowing the stair lights to be put on from
inside the flat. This means that nefarious types can't wait on the stair
till the lights click off and then knock someone's door, knowing that
the resident inside won't be able to see anythign through the spyhole.

Owain

Your points are valid.

In the block I was thinking of there is a entry phone for the main front
door. It's a purpose built block (1978).It is not subject to the HMO regs.
There are two switches on each floor, one near two of the doors and the
other by the remaining door, Also another one by the main entrance.
That's at least 7 switches!

It would require considerable disruption to rewire the lighting. There is
no end of trouble with sticking vacuum delay switches and switches which
go for 3 seconds and won't adjust.




--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html
Gas Fitting Standards Docs he http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFittingStandards