Dimmer switches blowing when 240v halogen bulbs fuse?

[OwenTurner]

I have several light fittings which take 5 of 50W GU10 halogen bulbs.

I have run the fittings with dimmer switches with more than adequate ratings (eg 750W).

Operation and dimming work absolutely fine until a halogen bulb fuses, when it burns out the dimmer switch.

The first time this happened I put it down to bad luck, but I've now burnt out three! On only one of these occasions it tripped the fuse at the consumer unit.

I can only assume that the fusing of the bulb has caused a momentary short circuit, but don't know how to avoid this.

Any ideas?

 

[breezer]

you have cheap lamps, decent ones are internaly fused for this reason

 

[ltheb]

Good post, Breezer. As a matter of interest, where do you usually connect the live strapper wire on a dimmer switch? I have always used 'com' as with a rocker switch, but have just fitted a switch where the manufacturer specified L2. I haven't had a chance to check out why.

 

[OwenTurner]

Breezer, when you say "lamps" do you mean the fitting or the bulbs?

thanks

 

[Adam_151]

Lamp:

_______________________________________________________
Fitting/Fixture:

_______________________________________________________
Bulb:

Hope that clears things up for you

 

[RF Lighting]