Garden Lights

[Paully]

I have had for several years a low voltage outdoor garden light circuit supporting 4 lights then added another 2 about 3 years ago. About 9 months ago the system began working only intermittently and then stopped altogether. The old transformer was 80 watts capability.
I tried changing some bulbs and then tried reconnecting the transformer provding the power, as the unit itself was inside a summer house and was wired to the first light underneath the summer house, so I reconnected it near to the first light but this didnt work. I thus assumed the transformer was dead but not being an electrician I couldnt really tell !
Just recently I bought a new transformer 150watts, and when I put in place the system worked ! But the following day it did not and has not worked since ? The transformer seems warm to touch so obviously power is getting to it but the lights just dont come on, does anyone have an idea what could be the problem ?
Regds Paul
PS The original transformer had a built in timer unit, whereas the new transformer does not.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Could be flaky wiring.

Could be flaky light fittings.

Could be water leakage.

Could be a lot more expensive to try and track down and fix than to replace the lighting.

A couple of points:

1) //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:voltage-bands

2) //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:part-p

 

[Paully]

Thanks for a quick response, Yes I thought it could be wiring, but the fact that all the lights came on after 9 months seems to suggest that the light fittings themselves are ok ? I might try and dig up the old wiring see what its like and go from there, what do you think ?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I think I'd be tempted to carry out continuity and insulation resistance tests at each light and at the start of the cable before starting digging, but that requires specialised equipment..

What sort of cable is it that you've buried? How deep, and with what mechanical protection?

 

[Paully]

the cable i used was dedicated 12v low voltage garden light cable ( from Alan Titchmarsh range ) that evidently does not really need any protection and can be sunk in the ground or put overground. I have sunk the cable only about 2 to 3 ins deep and runs for about 27 metres. The lighting system had been working ( with 6 lights ) for nearly 3 years without any problem and they had been turned on and off ( via the inbuilt timer ) every day of the year during that time.

 

[spark1]

Hi Paully...the Terminology 12v. Low Voltage is incorrect.............12v is in fact extra low voltage, however many equipment manufacturers choose not to subscribe to this which leads to the confusion. This was one of the points included in the earlier post from bas.
Lacking the test equipment to perform adequate faultfinding means your best option would be to renew the whole system, or instruct an Electrician to install a more reliable and robust alternative.

 

[Paully]

Thanks for your help Sparky, but I am slightly confused about the cable issue, as I have used the same cable for the whole 6 year period since i first got the lights and the cabling came with the lights as part of a set evidently all this stuff is produced by Malibu, and sold under the Alan Titchmarsh name. I think maybe a new system seems like the best solution ?
Thanks Paul

 

[Paully]

...sorry Spark1 not Sparky !!!

 

[Steve]

Celebrity gardeners/decorators/builders/chefs will put their name to any old random junk. In the case of DIY equipment and in your case light fittings, its normally trash.

Just simply as an "example", before it had Titchmarsh on it, it was generic imported stuff sold in Wilko for £5 each. Now it is endorsed, its value is about £10 and can be sold in B&Q and other more respected outfits. Still the same stuff though.

And all these 12v kits are trash, not designed to last more than 5 years, IMO.

 

[Paully]

Well after all your input guys, I decided to fiddle with the system a bit and I tried digging up the first section of buried low voltage cabling which in fact i had covered in a plastic covering I attached some new cable for this section, reconnected everything and bingo it worked ! So far everything has worked up to this time but the next few days will give an indication of how permanent this might be
Thanks again to everyone
Paul

 

[1john]

is the cable of a rectangular cross section and does it loop over the lights with spikes puncturing the sheathing to make connection> If so, check these connections are clean, perhaps 're-spike' the cable in a slightly different position.

 

[spark1]

Well after all your input guys, I decided to fiddle with the system a bit and I tried digging up the first section of buried low voltage cabling which in fact i had covered in a plastic covering I attached some new cable for this section, reconnected everything and bingo it worked ! So far everything has worked up to this time but the next few days will give an indication of how permanent this might be
Thanks again to everyone
Paul

.Would that be Extra Low Voltage cabling Paul ?

 

[Paully]

Dear Spark1, well based on what you said before about cabling the cable I pulled up was low-voltage style cable and was certainly different to the new "Alan Titchmarsh " cable that I was replacing it with. Whether the old cable was Extra Low or not I don't really know, but the only difference I could see was that the old cable covering was brown in colour and the wiring itself was circular in character whereas the new cable was as 1John described that is with a rectangular cross section, black covering and the wirring itself closer together withing the covering. But certainly the new stuff is described on the packaging as 12v Low Voltage Cable, which you are saying is in fact Exta Low ?
Anyway my lights are still working so far so it seems that perhaps changing this older section of cable has done the trick, perhaps as Banashed said perhaps flaky wiring or a where the connecting spikes from the first light were not making a proper contact ?
Thanks to everyone for your help, very encouraging that there are so many people prepared to offer help like this, thank you all.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Dear Spark1, well based on what you said before about cabling the cable I pulled up was low-voltage style cable and was certainly different to the new "Alan Titchmarsh " cable that I was replacing it with. Whether the old cable was Extra Low or not I don't really know, but the only difference I could see was that the old cable covering was brown in colour and the wiring itself was circular in character whereas the new cable was as 1John described that is with a rectangular cross section, black covering and the wirring itself closer together withing the covering. But certainly the new stuff is described on the packaging as 12v Low Voltage Cable, which you are saying is in fact Exta Low ?

FGS.

1) //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:voltage-bands[/size]