Are my bedroom spotlights safe?

[Stuey444]

We have moved into a new house and I have just gone to change a spotlight that had blown when I found this! The bulb prongs are connected to the live wires via a block. On further inspection upstairs, I found some transformers with equally suspicious wiring so think each of the 9 spots are daisy chained from the transformers around.
My question is, obviously the light fittings need to change and have fire hoods as well, but can I connect the current wiring ring to the correct connectors via a block instead of having to change the entire wiring ring and possibly transformers (if I can get to them?!)

Thanks all!

Bedroom spots

• Stuey444
• 9 Aug 2013
• 1

Daisy chained from transformers (I think) wired into block with bulb prongs into other side of...

Bedroom spots

• Stuey444
• 9 Aug 2013
• 1

No fire hoods

 

[Aragorn84]

thats pretty special!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Inventive to say the least!
You need some 12V MR16 lampholders for the lamps.
Then you can use the type of connection blocks shown in you picture to terminate the lampholders to the power supply, but these must then be enclosed in something like a choc box.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Normally there is one of these on the fitting.
(not that they are brilliant)

 

[Stuey444]

Would this work?

Bedroom spots

• Stuey444
• 9 Aug 2013
• 1

Proposed fix?

 

[bernardgreen]

The way it is wired with PVC cable connected directly to the lamp holder is not dangerous in itself BUT lamps get hot and will heat the wires connected to them. PVC cable may be damaged by the heat from the lamp.

The connector that EFLImpudence posted has cable that will not be damaged by the heat from the lamp and thus prevents the PVC cable from becoming too hot. ( provided the cable is not laid on top of the lamp )

 

[mfarrow]

These do a fair job.

 

[Stuey444]

Ok, it's not working with the proper connectors used as shown by EFLImpudence below. Presumably they would work daisy chaining round several lamps, ie 2 live and 2 neutral going in?

 

[securespark]

How do you mean, it's not working?

It worked before the lamp failed, yes?

The wiring you have replaced as it is in the picture, just with the lampholder attached to the outgoing terminals of the block?

Are there any other lamps that have gone out?

What size lamp was the one that failed?

It could be that it was 20W and maybe you replaced it with 50W and it overloaded something or blew a fuse.

What size is the transformer that supplies the lighting?

What type is the transformer that supplies the lighting?

It could be a large wire-wound type that has fuses on the secondary outputs and one could have blown.

If this is the case, the long term solution may be to connect LV (ie 240V) to the wiring you see in the pictures, then connect local 50VA transformers for each fitting on the end of the wiring that is currently used as SELV.

 

[ericmark]

I agree with "securespark" the info given does not really show any danger as such. With a 50W bulb then likely the connector and cable would overheat. Any hood would make that worse. But using 10W then likely you could get away with it.

One of the major problems with extra low voltage spot lights is being far too easy to replace with wrong bulb. Both too low and too high a wattage can cause it to fail.

With the 230v GU10/GZ10 lamp the dichroic version (GZ10) will not fit in a GU10 holder so too much heat can't by selecting wrong bulb type be allowed into the space behind the bulb. There is no similar thing with the 12v lamps and all to easy to select the wrong one.

Also there is a huge variation in the angle of the beam and buying in a pound shop one can very easy get the wrong one for the job.

The are two basic types of power supply. The plain transformer is now quite rare but had only a maximum rating were more expensive and you could fit smaller lamps even down to LED lamps but in the main now they use an inverter which regulates the voltage far better giving longer lamp life and small unit also cheaper and lighter but often these have a minimum rating as well so you can't fit LED (Except for some specials like Philips) where daisy chained a bulb blowing could then cause the other good ones to fail because total wattage is too low.

Because of the problems of not being able to use cold cathode, and LED versions without changing the inverter, the GU10 has taken over from the 12v versions. I did fit some 12v myself but simple transformer which in theory allows use of LED but of the four lamps in 6 months 2 failed but with GU10 all still working.

Although you can as seen with other posts get what is required to repair you should think hard if really worth while. In fact are spot lights really worth while in the first place. No point putting good money after bad.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

obviously the light fittings need to change and have fire hoods as well

Why do they "obviously" need fire hoods?

 

[pjcomp]

obviously the light fittings need to change and have fire hoods as well

Why do they "obviously" need fire hoods?

Because some people still cling to the urban myth about fire hoods being a legal requirement (or some such). Judging from the OP's question he's not an electrician, he's a civilian with a bit of acquired knowledge, imperfectly understood (like most people), but at least one who prefers to err on the side of caution.

pj

 

[flameport]

We have moved into a new house

Given the obvious bodgery going on with those lights, it would be a good idea to have the entire electrical system inspected.
Houses with DIY shenanigans like that usually have plenty more hidden away just waiting to cause fire, injury and so on.

 

[securespark]

Stuey has obviously frazzled himself to a crisp...