Downlight Questions / Transformer Wiring

[morg]

Hi

Do you know if the "Electronic Transformer 20W - 60W max" is suitable enough to power " 3 x 12v 50w Downlight with 50mm Halogen Lamps (3 x 20W)". Ok to connect the 3 lamps up with parallel wiring too?

Also, below is the wiring setup where I intend to fit the downlight.. The light that is there now works fine by the way, just wondering what those 3 red wires are there for.

Thank You

Untitled

• morg
• 13 Nov 2008
• 1

 

[rebuke]

At a guess I'd have thought that transformer would be OK, as long as you only use 20W lamps - if you put 50W lamps in the fittings then obviously it wouldn't be. I don't know if there's anything in the regs however which would mean you'd be obliged to put a bigger one in, so I'll leave that to someone else.

As for the light fitting, the three wires are almost certainly as follows (Middle and right could be swapped):
Leftmost wire - This goes to the light switch
Middle wire - This comes from either the consumer unit or the previous light on the circuit
Right wire - This goes to the next light on the circuit

So the 3 lives wired together are the supply (permanent) live. This is then sent through to your switch, and comes back in the red sleeved wire, which then supplys the light. The neutrals from the supply in and the supply out to the next light are then just wired together, as they don't need to be switched...

 

[morg]

Thanks for posting rebuke!

Very helpful info, thank you

Learn something new everyday