has anyone any idea or experienced the same as me. l put up a false ceiling.l left the old ceiling up and screwed 2 inch battons into the joists,then put t&g up and cut out for 5 - 20 watt spotlights on a transformer. This was done 4 weeks ago and 1 by 1 the spotlights started to go,l now have 1 working.Surely they do not go this quick, could it be that l only have 2 inch between the t&g and the old ceiling and there,s no ventilation, so the bulbs are getting to hot. Has anyone got any ideas, and how long should these bulbs last.
bulbs gone already
- Thread starter ray316
- Start date
One transformer? Long cable runs of small CSA cable?
Well my story is not quite the same but similar..........."she who must be obeyed" purchased a fancy kitchen light from a certain large DIY store.
Contains 4 gu10 50w lamps (replacement for one 48w fluorescent tube)......so certainly not cost efficient in comparison.
The above mentioned fitting had been in place less than a fortnight and we lost two out of the four lamps. Wifey returns to the same store and purchases 2 more lamps at about £4.60 a throw........
When I found out...........and er...........retrieved myself from the above mentioned ceiling, it was decided they would be taken back for a refund.
The four new lamps I purchased from a local electrical wholesalers for a total of £5.20 (for the four !!!) have been in place for over 6 months, and are still going strong (touch wood).
We had a similar problem with some 100w halogen wall lights purchased from argoose...........2 out of 3 blew within a month, new lamps purchased elsewhere still going strong.
OK..I guess im waffling now but I guess my moral is different lamps can possess more quality than others.
For those who understood that I replaced a luminaire within my kitchen, I would like to point out that this was undertaken on the 31st of December 2004 at approximately 11.55 PM
.
Contains 4 gu10 50w lamps (replacement for one 48w fluorescent tube)......so certainly not cost efficient in comparison.
The above mentioned fitting had been in place less than a fortnight and we lost two out of the four lamps. Wifey returns to the same store and purchases 2 more lamps at about £4.60 a throw........
When I found out...........and er...........retrieved myself from the above mentioned ceiling, it was decided they would be taken back for a refund.
The four new lamps I purchased from a local electrical wholesalers for a total of £5.20 (for the four !!!) have been in place for over 6 months, and are still going strong (touch wood).
We had a similar problem with some 100w halogen wall lights purchased from argoose...........2 out of 3 blew within a month, new lamps purchased elsewhere still going strong.
OK..I guess im waffling now but I guess my moral is different lamps can possess more quality than others.
For those who understood that I replaced a luminaire within my kitchen, I would like to point out that this was undertaken on the 31st of December 2004 at approximately 11.55 PM
.
With a 2inch gap, I am assuming that these fittings have capsulae lamps?? No normal downlighters can be recessed into such a small space.
Capsule lamps need to be handled carefully, and never touched directly. They are not glass, but quartz, which is highly suseptable to hotspots caused by the smallest amount of grease. This causes them to fail.
If it is normal downlight you have - take a look at the manufacturers data, re dimensions of cutouts/appertures.
If the transformer is part of a set with pre-wired cables that you have not exentended, disregard my first post.
Capsule lamps need to be handled carefully, and never touched directly. They are not glass, but quartz, which is highly suseptable to hotspots caused by the smallest amount of grease. This causes them to fail.
If it is normal downlight you have - take a look at the manufacturers data, re dimensions of cutouts/appertures.
If the transformer is part of a set with pre-wired cables that you have not exentended, disregard my first post.
Room warmer than average?
Cheap lamps, as supplied in package?
Time warp?
Cheap lamps, as supplied in package?
Time warp?
In my experience the small porcelain push-in connectors that come with some types of lamp do not generally last very long. They have a relatively large current flowing through them due to the extra-low voltage, arcing can occur if the connections isn't 100%, causing carbonisation and a higher resistance. This just makes the situation worse and eventually the connection breaks down.
Are one, or both, of the pins at the top of the lamps discoloured? They can sometimes show evidence of pitting which is a sure sign of arcing.
If they are, take a visit to your local wholesaler and purchase four 12v lamp connections with screw terminals. They should last much longer, and pick up some replacement lamps while you're there.
Be careful that the ambient temperature in the 2 inch gap doesn't cause any thermal trip on the transformer to operate. then you'll lose all lights until it cools down and resets again.
Good luck.
Are one, or both, of the pins at the top of the lamps discoloured? They can sometimes show evidence of pitting which is a sure sign of arcing.
If they are, take a visit to your local wholesaler and purchase four 12v lamp connections with screw terminals. They should last much longer, and pick up some replacement lamps while you're there.
Be careful that the ambient temperature in the 2 inch gap doesn't cause any thermal trip on the transformer to operate. then you'll lose all lights until it cools down and resets again.
Good luck.
2 inches is no where near enough space to allow for M50 low volt fittings. I cannot see how you have even got them in, however i would suggest two things. Heat is the main factor and i would suggest this has lead to a short lamp life, also likely to be a cheap lamp and transformer package which in itself is a recipe for problems even when installed correctly. I suggest you look at surface fittings (decent)
thanks for the answers chaps, but tell me how do l change the 4 connections that the bulb pins push into for 12 volt screw type when the bulbs have pin connections.Also l have looked at the pins and connections and they show no signs of being pitted, and l said there was a 2 inch gap sorry my mistake checked again the gaps 3inch.
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