flickering cieling lights when first turned on.

[daveyc8082]

I have recently moved into a new build house and down stairs in the kitchen and dining rooms I have low energy halogen lighting that when I turn on, flickers on then off then back on again and 3 bulbs have blown in the space of 2 weeks.

Can someone tell me what the cause is and a way to resolve it?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

First place to look, would be at your accessories (switch and light fittings)
Isolate the circuit and prove the circuit is dead.
Then look for any loose connections within the accessories.
If you find some, place the cables in terminals correctly and tighten up the grub screws.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

After removing any blackened bits of copper wire and stripping back to shiney copper.

Good call

 

[daveyc8082]

None of the 4 switches that control the lights that have this problem have loose wires. The lights are on 2 separate trip switches from the fuse box but I dont want to start opening that.
I have other lights the same in the hall, but this problem doesnt happen to them.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[daveyc8082]

The light fittings are 2 pin bulbs that push into a little white round thing with 2 holes in it and I can't get beyond them into the cieling.
I wired up some small strip lights above and below the kitchen units today and these have the same issue.

 

[wingcoax]

You sound to have downlighters. You need to pull the fittings down from the ceiling(you will need to use a bit of force)and check the connections in the junction box(or chocbloc) behind.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Are the strips also taken of the same lighting circuit as the downlights, if so sounds like it could be a loose connection on the supply to the down lights or the previous fitting to that in another room, If the circuit is a loop in circuit, it maybe worth having a look inside the light fittings in adjoining rooms, for loose connection.
where did you take the feed from for the strip lights?

 

[daveyc8082]

Yes they are downlights.
The strip lights are wired to a double switch in the kitchen, 1 does the kitchen lights 1 does the strip lights.
As there are 3 separate sets of lights with this problem I am thinking that it isn't a loose wire in the ceiling to the down lights and it is a bit further afield(???).
The fuse box is at ceiling height in the utility room next to the dining room, the kitchen/dining/living room are open plan in a T shape.
Does each single down light have a junction box? or would there be 1 for each set? (There are 18 down lights in total, 2 lots of 5 and a set of 8 ).
The weird thing is that they don't flicker on and off and back on again every time I use the switch. If they are on and I switch them off and back on again a short time later they are fine.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Downlights can be a pain in the arse!
You really need to know how and where they are connected up.
Ideally the supply and switch cables should be in an accessible possition.
This could be done in a number of methods they could be installed in a standard junction box they could be in connector strips hopefully enclosed inside a choc box.

But depending who and how long ago they where wired the connection could be anywhere, but the first place I would look would be in the hole of the nearest down light to the switch.

 

[Steve]

Halogen lights are NOT LOW ENERGY!

They are the worst type of luminaire for efficiency!

Rip em out and plaster over the holes!

Though in a new build house at least some of them should be LED or CFLs.