12v LED Floodlight wiring help

**jippy** · 18-06-12, 08:39 AM

I'm setting up my shed/backyard for solar lighting. Have already got 12v CFL lights for the shed (2 wires pos/neg to the battery) - no problem.

My 12v Led Floodlight just arrived from HK and it has 3 wires (brown,blue,yellow/green). Google tells me brown =live, blue =neutral, yellow/ green =earth). So is it correct if I connect brown to positive from the batteries, blue to the negative and the yellow/green to part of the metal frame of the shed? I know that will work but just checking that it's the right way to do it.

**kaygill** · 18-06-12, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by jippy

I'm setting up my shed/backyard for solar lighting. Have already got 12v CFL lights for the shed (2 wires pos/neg to the battery) - no problem.

My 12v Led Floodlight just arrived from HK and it has 3 wires (brown,blue,yellow/green). Google tells me brown =live, blue =neutral, yellow/ green =earth). So is it correct if I connect brown to positive from the batteries, blue to the negative and the yellow/green to part of the metal frame of the shed? I know that will work but just checking that it's the right way to do it.

At only 12v I wouldn't worry about the yellow and green, just use the other two

**Tiny** · 18-06-12, 10:16 AM

Sounds to me like your 12v? flood light might actually be wired with a 240 power supply which then powers the 12V light?

This is 240v color coding.
brown = live/active
blue = neutral
yellow/ green = earth.

12V color coding is usually
Red = positive
Black = Negative/earth

I'd check the specs of the light you purchased with the supplier or manufacturer.

**mtv** · 18-06-12, 10:59 AM

I agree with tiny.

Sounds like a mains 240VAC unit.

Possibly with a transformer with 12VDC output.

Can you post a pic and specs of it?

**porkop** · 18-06-12, 11:46 AM

post a pic of the wiring side. but I agree with the above, its either a 240 volt one or has and integral transformer.

**gordon_s1942** · 19-06-12, 06:06 PM

If it is an AC mains transformer, dont connect a DC supply to any of those wires as the winding of a transformer would be a short curcuit to DC and it could damage them.

**toyboy11** · 20-06-12, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by gordon_s1942

If it is an AC mains transformer, dont connect a DC supply to any of those wires as the winding of a transformer would be a short curcuit to DC and it could damage them.

Or blow the battery up.

**Pauln** · 20-06-12, 07:28 PM

I bought 2 of these 12 volt 10w led floodlights from China.
They had mains cable on them i.e. blue, brown, green - I took one apart to check as I initially thought they were for 240vac. What I discovered was a simple led driver wrapped in that clear high temp tape. I tried them out on a dc current limited supply and they were def 12v units - despite the cable.
They were cheap & you get what you pay for.....

**mtv** · 20-06-12, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by Pauln

I bought 2 of these 12 volt 10w led floodlights from China.
They had mains cable on them i.e. blue, brown, green - I took one apart to check as I initially thought they were for 240vac. What I discovered was a simple led driver wrapped in that clear high temp tape. I tried them out on a dc current limited supply and they were def 12v units - despite the cable.
They were cheap & you get what you pay for.....

So what do the wire colours match for them... and why three?

They obviously don't meet Australian standards.

**Pauln** · 21-06-12, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by mtv

So what do the wire colours match for them... and why three?

They obviously don't meet Australian standards.

Why they use mains cable and why 3 conductors is a question for the suppliers not me. I connected brown +, Blue -. The green is not connected at all - it has just been cut off.

As for Australian standards - I have no idea.

As they are supplied, they are or could be incredibly dangerous.

**Tiny** · 21-06-12, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by Pauln

Why they use mains cable and why 3 conductors is a question for the suppliers not me. I connected brown +, Blue -. The green is not connected at all - it has just been cut off.

As for Australian standards - I have no idea.

As they are supplied, they are or could be incredibly dangerous.

I guess you get what you pay for.

Very bloody dangerous.

**officemanager** · 21-06-12, 10:09 PM

Any one who buys electrical equipment from overseas is taking a high risk as it most certainly will not meet Australian Standards....
Just like playing Russian roulette.

**gordon_s1942** · 22-06-12, 05:42 PM

Is there a standard as such for Low Votage Lighting under 32 or 36 Volt AC or DC (Home Lighting Plants) or is it just a the 'done thing' to use Red and Black?
Think about the wiring for car or trailer lights ,spot and Fog Lights etc, all the colours of the rainbow there.
And I am sure like me you have found where the wires have changed colour somewhere in the harness or at a plug or junction.
And I wonder do all solar panels have a 'standard' colour or is it a mish mash too?

**Tiny** · 22-06-12, 06:20 PM

Automotive wiring has color coding standards too, hence the many different colors so you can easily identify if the wire is going to a blinker or a tail or brake light.

**carjackma** · 22-06-12, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by officemanager

Any one who buys electrical equipment from overseas is taking a high risk as it most certainly will not meet Australian Standards....
Just like playing Russian roulette.

A lot of the australian standards stuff is not a lot better if not worse in some cases than non aust standard stuff.
that includes name brand products as well.

**gordon_s1942** · 23-06-12, 05:08 PM

Tiny, I beg to differ in one case of a 1970's Ford Cortina I had and fitted a towbar to.
I had the Ford workshop manual (not generic) and wired the lights according to the diagram supplied.
BIG BIG BIG mistake as they had changed the colour code from the Junction plug before the tailights and the cable to the opposite side was totaly different and NOT shown in the book.
So after wasting 2 hours I now open the harness and check and note each wire as I go.
A lot of low voltage cable is just black with those for DC devises having a white 'TellTale' line or dashes mark to show Positive from Negeative.
But I meant except for the Battery Positive being Red and the Negative being Black, from there on there is no standard between makers as to what colour they use.

**officemanager** · 24-06-12, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by carjackma

A lot of the australian standards stuff is not a lot better if not worse in some cases than non aust standard stuff.
that includes name brand products as well.

Oh well if your house burns down or any other electrical accident because of some product not up to Australian Standards and your insurance company knows of it.....we know where this is going don't we.... courts, fines, criminal convictions & the list goes on.
Australian standards is one of the best in the world.

gordon_s1942, there is a Standard for low voltage wiring and also cars wiring is covered by ADR.....a little bit confusing to the novice but never less rules do apply

**ol' boy** · 24-06-12, 10:06 AM

Some funny reading in this thread....

Who said LED needs a Transformer? Or LED driver to be more precise.
There are plenty of LED patchs that are 240V...

And the very scary part is they are entering our country, not just by people buying direct from overseas, high end lighting stores are also selling them....

I went to install 8 wall lights over a stair case last week, the fitting was familiar to me, it used to run a simple 12V 20Watt Bi Pin lamp..... But when i unpacked the batch for this job it had an LED patch in place of the low voltage lamp holder... The contact either side were soldered on with no protection and could be touched by your finger very easily.

Naturally i thought it was a Low Voltage LED fitting that needed a Tx or LED Driver.... It had 2 wires leaving the full metal fitting and no earth conductor at all.... wire were Red and Black i think.... Then to my amazement, i see it had a 240V sticker on the back of the fitting...
Thinking the sticker was a mistake, i connected a LV Tx = No go... Then tried an LED Driver = No Go.... Then wired it straight to 240V and it worked perfectly.

I packed the whole lot back in the box with a BIG WARNING.

These lights came from a reputable high end lighting store in Melb... and cost a packet.
And i must admit, lighting stores can be the worst, they just buy from a catalogue, it comes and they ship it out.... no one is accounting for anything that happens.

The world of LED lighting is very mixed up place, some dimmerable, some not, some 240V, some 12V, some need drivers, some need iron core Tx, some work with Elec Tx.
And the retro fit LED lamps are just as bad.

I've even had an LED outdoor stainless steel light that had 4 wires, Red/Black and Brown/Blue.... Red/Black made it work with an LED Driver, no idea what the Brown/Blue was for, never even tried it.

^^^^ Lights i was installing were similar to this. Expect no diffuser, fingers could directly touch the 240V contacts either side of LED patch.
Check out the rest of their lights, then go for a walk in your local lighting shop

**officemanager** · 24-06-12, 06:15 PM

I had a incident a few years back when a friend purchased a light fitting and asked me to fit for them, naturally I did at the time and all was ok for while.
3 months later I had to go back as the light circuit breaker was tripping and upon inspection I was horrified that the light I fitted was a bad design where it built up too much heat with the recommended globe where it caused the wiring insulation to break down.
Upon closer inspection the light was made in China, no labels for Australian standards or C tick approval..... I should have checked this in the 1st place.
The plaster ceiling was damaged where the light fitting was mounted, could have caused a house fire.
What surprised me is how much electrical fittings are sold here in this country that is not approved by our electrical authorities and yes they are sold by so called reputable companies.

My recommendation to you is make sure the electrical product you buy has the correct compliance labels attached, if not avoid the product.

**ol' boy** · 24-06-12, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by officemanager

My recommendation to you is make sure the electrical product you buy has the correct compliance labels attached, if not avoid the product.

Probably means very little these days, they copy fittings, they can also make stickers

and do

I think the sad part is, if you wanted to produce and sell a power point in this country, you'd have to jump through more hoops than you could possibly imagine, yet you can import a light fitting and sell it... simple as that.

The building industry is rife with this in all areas, from plumbing, to electrical, to windows and even kitchens.

It is an interesting point as to where the buck stops though, as the LEM and LEC, you sign off on your work, to some point you are responsible for installing appliances that comply to Aust. Standards.... how you prove that or if you even have time to is another thing.

Its just the start of building materials from China... they are everywhere, price drives everything.