hologen startup time

[philrosenberg]

Hi all
I have just fitted a set of 5 20W selv halogens from B+Q in my bathroom.

Before I get jumped on I know you guys hate halogens, but I wanted selv to save having to cross bond to the shaver outlet which would involve ripping off tiles. I'm also well aware of building regs and will be getting the council to come and inspect them.

However my query is that the lamps take about 1-2 seconds to come on after I fick the switch. Is this normal? The undercupboard selv lights I have in the kitchen come straight on with no 'warm up time'

Cheers for any comments
Phil

 

[Big_Spark]

Perfectly normal with "soft start" transformers, and they help to make the lamps and the transformers last longer.

Nothing to be concerned about at all.

 

[plugwash]

Before I get jumped on I know you guys hate halogens, but I wanted selv to save having to cross bond to the shaver outlet which would involve ripping off tiles.

for future reference note that you don't have to bond to every point just to every circuit feeding into the room, so if your shaver socket is on the lighting circuit then provided the lighting circuit is connected to the bathroom bonding you are fine.

 

[philrosenberg]

Cheers for the replies, I can tell the missus that it's meant to be like that then

Plugwash:- as it happens the shaver socket is spurred of the ring so a regular light whould need supplimentary bonding. I thought shaver sockets needed RCD protection though so is it usual to have them on a lighting circuit? (as it happens we have TT supply so everything is on an RCD and it would have made no difference)

 

[dingbat]

I'm also well aware of building regs and will be getting the council to come and inspect them.

You mean you didn't already notify them?

 

[Spark123]

A shaver socket in a bathroom needs to be one with a safety isolation transformer in it. This utilises electrical separation for protection against indirect contact.
An RCD protecting the primary of the transformer won't make the supply from the secondary any safer. As you are TT you will need RCD for disconnection times though.