Kitchen Cabinet Light Fault

[Shutpa]

A 900mm fluorescent tube under one of the kitchen wall units has stopped working and thinking that it was the tube, I went out and bought a £15 replacement. However, the new tube doesn't light either but does light up in one of the other cabinets. The tube from that other cabinet does not work in the fitting either. I think the lights are link lights and there is power getting to the fitting. This fitting, a 24v Smilight1950 appears to be a sealed unit. Any suggestions on how I might go about repairing or replacing the original light fitting which is clearly at fault?

PS Have now had a close look at the cable supplying the power and at the unit itself. It strikes me as odd that the cable carrying the power to the unit has a male plug. It is also strange, to me at least, that this cable is plugged into the output side of the unit and not the input. The installer took the instructions away after fitting the unit 3 years ago so I cant check for myself.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

A 900mm fluorescent tube under one of the kitchen wall units has stopped working and thinking that it was the tube, I went out and bought a £15 replacement.

£15

I think the lights are link lights and there is power getting to the fitting.

Are you sure about the power?

This fitting, a 24v Smilight1950 appears to be a sealed unit.

24V???

Any suggestions on how I might go about repairing or replacing the original light fitting which is clearly at fault?

Assuming it's not 24V, any "link" fitting will do - try to find one that's about the same size and power so that the lighting will be even.

PS Have now had a close look at the cable supplying the power and at the unit itself. It strikes me as odd that the cable carrying the power to the unit has a male plug.

That's not odd.

Not if it was installed by a tw@.

You should reverse them all - what you have is dangerous.

It is also strange, to me at least, that this cable is plugged into the output side of the unit and not the input.

It would be, given that it's been wired with the wrong plug.

The tw@ that installed it must have had to cut the female end off a link cable, as those types of light are supplied with a flex with a female plug at one end and bare at the other....

 

[Steve]

Bog standard fluorescent fittings are so much cheaper than these link lights, both to install and service / replace.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

A bit fat though...

 

[Shutpa]

£15 (Got it at MFI after a big search but it was the same price + p/p via the web )


Are you sure about the power?( Yes, have tested it with one of these electical screwdrivers with the little light)


24V??? (Sorry, my mistake. It should have read 240v 24w)

Any suggestions on how I might go about repairing or replacing the original light fitting which is clearly at fault?

Assuming it's not 24V, any "link" fitting will do - try to find one that's about the same size and power so that the lighting will be even. (Thanks for that!)



Not if it was installed by a tw@. (The guy has his own business so not a cowboy but still a tw@)

You should reverse them all - what you have is dangerous. ( The cables run behind tiled walls but I will give your suggestion serious thought and stop using the lights until they are removed or rectified)

It is also strange, to me at least, that this cable is plugged into the output side of the unit and not the input.

It would be, given that it's been wired with the wrong plug.

The tw@ that installed it must have had to cut the female end off a link cable, as those types of light are supplied with a flex with a female plug at one end and bare at the other....

Thanks for all that, you've been a great help!

 

[Shutpa]

B-A-S.

I should have said that since my original posting when I found that power was getting to the unit, I have now checked and found the unit switch to be working properly. However, there is no power at the lamp terminals, which means (I think) that there is a fault in one of the 'things' on the little printed circuit board inside. All this is of little consequence now that you have identified the faulty installation.

Edit: I have just checked the other 2 fittings and found that each has power supplied via the female-type plug into the input socket and that neither has an output socket. In other words, it would appear that these 2 units are 'end of the line' fittings, and the faulty although wrongly wired is used as an 'end of line' unit.

On further inspection, it seems that the cable from the wall switch has a terminal strip on the end and 3 cables come from that strip, one to to each light fitting. I'm not sure where the 'link' fitting comes in here since they all appear to be 'stand alone' units operated from the same switch..

PS I was wrong about the cables being behind the tiles, the're quite accessible.