Light switch for my spotlights.

[vivyorks]

Hi there,
I have just put 4 sunken spotlights into a wooden shelf above my bed. OK so far. My problem is that I have now tried putting in a 4 gang 2 way switch that operates each light separately. When I put the electric back on the lights are on. You can switch them off with the switch but when I want the lights on again I have to turn the electric off to the lights!! Then when the electric is put on again, they are on. I have put the wire from the lights to the switch then from the switch to the transformer. There were 5 lights provided in the set but I am only using 4. I am not exceeding the load of the transformer as I have 1 light less. I don't know what to do next. Please help. Viv.

 

[passerv]

You've cut holes in a timber shelf for spotlights?
Whats the lamp rating in Watts?
Whats the transformer rating in VA?
What 4 gang 2 way switch did you use?
What cable did you use?
From what you say you have switched the 12v supply, so there is no switch or means of isolation on the 230v Supply.

Post a picture or at least a drawing of your wiring diagram.

Dont use it till it's sorted, disconnect it from the mains.

Can't get my head round this at the moment until you post that diagram

 

[sm1thson]

Whats the transformer rating in VA?

or watts if thats whats quoted, it there a minimum rating quoted as well as a maximum?

 

[ColJack]

Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 10:06 am

how did you manage to post a reply to a topic before the OP had posted it Sm1thson????

and from what i have read it seems that the switches are some sort of electronic ones since solid state switches would not behave in this way at all...

are they touch dimmers by any chance?

 

[TicklyT]

I wonder if the OP has connected both live and neutral to the switches?

In that case, the sequence could be something like :-
Turn leccy on, and the lights light up.
Flick a switch = Live and Neutral short, so lights go out when the overload protection pops in the transformer.
Turn switch back on, and nothing happens.
Turn supply off, and the output overload protection resets.
Turn leccy on, and lights light up.
etc
etc.

Alternatively, does the transformer shut down if the minimum load criterea isn't met when the lights are off, then requires re-setting by disconnecting/reconnecting the supply?