No light for the darts!

Steviedarts · 15 Nov 2012

Hi. I run a darts team in the local pub - we use the back bar and our board is only used on our match nights. We installed a three spot light bar with 50w halogen bulbs - replacing an existing ceiling light which means these are on the whole day, when the lights in the pub are on the spots are on and they do not seem to be able to take it. I am having to replace 1, 2 or sometimes all three bulbs every match. I also take my electronic score board - there is a small - I think 2 amp socket (which I understand is lighting circuit) which we use for that. Would it be safe to splice the wires and use the one socket and plug for the lights and the scorer? Cannot find a double adaptor or socket.
Advice would be greatly appreciated - thanks.
ps the plug is the smaller of two round pin plugs available

Iggifer · 15 Nov 2012

first question is are you using cheap lamps?

Maxatoria · 15 Nov 2012

Is someone swapping their dead bulbs for your good ones in between matches?

Steviedarts · 15 Nov 2012

Yes I am using cheap bulbs and no nobody could swap bulbs. Somebody suggested using very expensive (£5 a go) bulbs but I thought that there may be something wrong with the light bar so I did not want to risk another £15 - you think this may be the answer?

dhutch · 15 Nov 2012

Some of the cheap supermarket/wilkos bulbs have truely shocking life in them. I presume these a GU10 fittings? Sylvania are a reputable make afaik, cold cathodes are another option.

Alternativly, can you not just fit a switch inline with the fitting?

Daniel

PrenticeBoyofDerry · 15 Nov 2012

Steviedarts said:
We installed a three spot light bar with 50w halogen bulbs - replacing an existing ceiling light which means these are on the whole day, when the lights in the pub are on the spots are on and they do not seem to be able to take it.

And did the fitting prior to that, also stay on all the time?
If not it has been incorrectly wired during replacement, it's been hooked up to permanent live, rather than looped in and switched.

timtheenchanter · 15 Nov 2012

presumably he means he swapped a general lighting fitting for one for the dartboard, so it is switched with the rest of the pub lights.
decent GU10s are only a couple of quid, not £5 we use some in a similar situation, on all day and they last approx 3 months, (cheepies a couple of weeks if we are lucky)

Steviedarts · 15 Nov 2012

Blimey started looking at cold cathodes and other bulbs - now even more confused - cc's only seem to go to the equivalent of 25w. Yes G10 fittings. Looked at Sylvania but did not seem to give life expectancy figures. I found a mini pull switch which I thought might be attached to the fitting somehow but I asked the manufacturers techs who "feel a ceiling pull cord wired inline would be best suited" but as this is the pub and not my home I did not feel a dangling pull switch would be appropriate or easy to install.

The light it replaced was an ordinary ceiling dish light which was switched on in the morning and off at closing time.

PrenticeBoyofDerry · 15 Nov 2012

Steviedarts said:
The light it replaced was an ordinary ceiling dish light which was switched on in the morning and off at closing time.

But it had a independent switch for this function, it was not reliant on a master switch to do this? Yes or No

JohnW2 · 15 Nov 2012

PrenticeBoyofDerry said:
And did the fitting prior to that, also stay on all the time? If not it has been incorrectly wired during replacement, it's been hooked up to permanent live, rather than looped in and switched.

He didn't say that they were on all the time but, rather, that they are on all the time that the rest of the pub lights are on - i.e. they (and presumably also their predecessor) are simply wired in parallel with all the otehr pub lights, without separate switching.

Kind Regards, John[youtube][/youtube]

dhutch · 15 Nov 2012

Steviedarts said:
I found a mini pull switch which I thought might be attached to the fitting somehow but I asked the manufacturers techs who "feel a ceiling pull cord wired inline would be best suited" but as this is the pub and not my home I did not feel a dangling pull switch would be appropriate or easy to install.

Just use a normal light switch, as you would put on a wall, mounted on a surface mount box on the ceiling by the light, sorted. Use an architrave switch if you want.

Daniel

Steviedarts · 15 Nov 2012

Hi everybody - thanks for all your inputs - I would like to say it is a ladies darts team thus anything technical I have to look up to see what you are all talking about - I now know what an architrave switch is!.

Yes Tim and John are correct - one of several ceiling lights that turn on from one switch so we cannot turn it off individually.

Nobody has gone for splicing the two wires into the little round pin plug? Guess that is not such a good idea - I thought to reinstate the original light and mount the bar in front of it and wire it into the scorer plug 2 or 3 amp plug.

What was the brand of the "decent G10s" that are only a couple of quid please might try that route first.

333rocky333 · 15 Nov 2012

Pull switch is best option with a short cord that you can reach up to safely operate

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No light for the darts!

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