Circuit problems

[denisoakley]

When I switched on the Kitchen light the lighting circuit blew.
I've removed the faulty bulb (a halogen one) and I've rewired the fuse. The lighting circuit hasn't come back on.

The kitchen light is a transformer with a set of 4 haolgen bulbs - one of which blew before taking the fuse wire with it - - but then the lighting came back straight away.

Any suggestions as to what I ought to do next?

 

[breezer]

Any suggestions as to what I ought to do next?

yes turn a light on some where else that is on the same circuit, this way you can still see, and find out does the fuse you have changed work.

if it does it is most likely the transformer has gone

 

[denisoakley]

Thanks for replying Breezer.

Nothing on the lighting circuit works at all!

 

[breezer]

in that case its either the fuse you changed (swap it for another of same size, upstairs lighting fuse?) or it has caused a wire to melt, if this is the case good luck, but i would turn main switch off and look in consumers unit first

 

[denisoakley]

Aha - thanks for that. The fuse wire was too tight and had snapped when I tightened the screws.

So I feel really stupid!

Thank you

 

[breezer]

glad to have "enlightened" you

 

[Damocles]

What power were these halogen bulbs in the kitchen which blew? They should not be taking out a 5A wired fuse when they go. Something is amiss.

 

[ChrisRogers]

is there a fuse in the transformer? one of mine just blew and now I'm left in bloody darkness until i get a new one in the post!

 

[HDRW]

is there a fuse in the transformer? one of mine just blew and now I'm left in b****y darkness until i get a new one in the post!

It's probably got a "Non-resettable Thermal Cutout", which is a fuse that blows at a certain temperature, rather than current. It will be in good thermal contact with the transformer, probably inside the outer layers of insulation. It blows if the transformer overheats for any reason (overload, being in too hot a place, or being too well insulated). But whatever the cause, the effect is the same - you need a new transformer, because it's not replaceable!

Its job is to stop the thing catching fire, not to protect the unit itself from damage (because blowing it is unrepairable damage anyway).

So when the new one arrives, try to make sure you aren't keeping it too warm (by being in too small a space, inside/underneath insulation, or close to one of the lights, for example).

Cheers,

Howard