Down-lighter transformer melted! Fire Hazard?!

[coolhands]

One of the downlighters in the kitchen has been coming on and off for a while. After a few weeks I changed the bulb, but it continued to do it. Today I finally got up there to pull the transformer out (each one has an individual transformer) and look what I found! Is this cheap chinese crap or what? Are they all 'at risk' of doing this? Presumably this could have caused a fire.

Haven't checked all the others yet (there are 12). Installed and signed off by a proper electrician when we had the kitchen extension done 3 & 1/2 years ago...

Any recommendations as to what make to buy to replace? One from this page or elsewhere? So much for all that CE nonsense printed on the damn box

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_Menu_Index/Lighting_Transformers/index.html

 

[THRIPSTER]

Looks to me as if the transformer has been resting on the luminaire carcass - doesn't look like an internal fault.

Regards

 

[coolhands]

hmmm maybe. It was pushed quite far inside the void though.I will check more closely.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I agree, its just been too close to the lamp.

Mind you, that taped up joint isn't kosher. It should be in a chocbox at the very least http://www.screwfix.com/p/chocbox/46538?_requestid=1713679

Would be a good idea to buy a bunch of choc boxes, take out each downlight, fit a chocbox and check that the transformer is away from the lamp.

EDIT

Looking again at your pic, it looks like you have a double-layered plasterboard ceiling. Is that a fire-rated ceiling? If it is then you need fire-rated downlights, those don't look fire-rated to me.

 

[coolhands]

ok thanks very much. Will do before Christmas.

 

[333rocky333]

Looking at the picture the lamp leads look too short for the transformer burnt bit to have been laying on the lamp too me, i may have thought the wired end could.
How longs the lamp lead.