Dead halogen ceiling light

pinkpiglit

Hi,

The other morning I went to switch on the kitchen lights as I was getting read for work. When I flicked the switch there was a small "pop" and the flat was plunged into darkness - the lights in the bathroom and hallway went out along with the kitchen ones.

I turned the kitchen switch back off and went to the fuse board, sure enough it had tripped. I flicked the fuse switch back up, then went into the kitchen and put the lights back on. Three of them worked, but the fourth was dead.

We have recessed halogen lights in the kitchen (I know they chew through electricity, but I really like bright lights in the kitchen as I cook quite a bit), and I changed the one that wasn't working, as I assumed it had just blown, but unfortunately it still didn't work.

I wondered if anyone had experienced this and whether there is a something that I can do/part to buy, without having to call an electrician? Electricians seem to cost an absolute arm and a leg, but I'm also aware that I could potentially electrocute myself!

Any advice greatly appreciated

phill99

Is it a 12volt light? if so it sounds like the transformer has gone. U need to pull the light out of the ceiling and attached to it on the cable should be a small transformer about the size of a Mars Bar. This has probably gone and needs replacing. They are only about £10.00

pinkpiglit

Thanks phill99 - yes it is a 12v.

I just climbed up and had a look, and I can see something that might be the size of a mars bar - however it's up inside the ceiling and is fixed to what looks like an L-shaped metal object. This metal object has a little silver spiral wire near the edge.

Not sure if/how I can pull this out ?

Paul_the_Painter

3 work, but one doesn't - it can't be the transformer, otherwise the other 3 would be dark as well!

Try taking a "known good" bulb out of a working fitting and fitting it in to the dead fitting, if the previously dark fitting works, you managed to either fit a duff bulb before, or (if it is still dark) you are not fitting the bulb correctly, or there is a problem with the fitting.

If the "known good" bulb works, should be easy from there

If the "known good" bulb doesn't work, you need to then fit it back into the fitting it came out of, if it fails to work there you have a problem with your bulb fitting technique. - you now know the problem, get someone else to do it!

If the "known good" bulb works in the fitting it came out of, the problem is with the fitting of the original blown bulb. Chances are that a wire has come loose, very easy to fix, if you are confident with a screwdriver and sparks, otherwise dead tricky.

As I said above, it can't be the transformer as the other 3 lights work, one transformer will run all 4

zax47

Paul_the_Painter wrote: »

As I said above, it can't be the transformer as the other 3 lights work, one transformer will run all 4

No, not necessarily, 1 transformer may run all four but equally each one may have it's own - you can't know for certain without seeing the installation. Have installed/repaired/changed both types. A single £5, 20-60VA "transformer" can drive 1-3 12V 20W halogens, for example.

27col

I have at least 14 in my lounge on various switches, and they are all on individual transformers specifically to prevent this multiple failure problem, if the transformer goes defective. They are wired with small plugs and sockets to make them easy to detach.

Fire_Fox

My kitchen halogens have individual transformers. At least one got 'killed' by the transformer touching the top of the hot bulb, and another by the wire touching the top of the hot bulb. You can purchase lower energy alternatives on eBay: the Phillips Masterline e/s 30W are equivalent to 50W MR16 but don't kick out so much heat so should be safer.

Bikertov

I think when they firat came out, the trend for Low Voltage (LV) halogens was to use one big tranformer for a number of bulbs.

More recently, with the cost of transformers coming down, it is more common to use individuals. Also, an individual will fit through the hole for the fitting, whereas a bigger one won't - so can only be used if there was access to the ceiling void.