Transformer Replacement

[nickfinnis]

Good Evening All,

I have a transformer that seems to have blown in the loft. It is an Aurora AU-130, converting 240v to 11.5v. It is marked 35 - 150W/VA.

I can't find a replacement of the same model or type.

Should I get a 0 - 150W/VA or will a 50 - 150 do?

There are 5 low voltage halogen bulbs running off it, not dimmable.

Thanks,

Nick

 

[riveralt]

What is the wattage for each lamp?

 

[RF Lighting]

What wattage are the five lamps?

 

[nickfinnis]

What wattage are the five lamps?

20W I believe.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Either one of those will be fine.

 

[riveralt]

What wattage are the five lamps?

20W I believe.

One assumes you mean 20w per lamp giving you 100w in total.
Personally I would get a new transformer that has a fair bit of headroom.
Something in the range of 50/150w or higher
http://www.screwfix.com/p/halolite-50-150w-electronic-transformer/51565
Alternatively get more than one transformer and split your lights say 3 and 2 - that way if one goes some of your lights will still work.

 

[nickfinnis]

What wattage are the five lamps?

20W I believe.

One assumes you mean 20w per lamp giving you 100w in total.
Personally I would get a new transformer that has a fair bit of headroom.
Something in the range of 50/150w or higher
http://www.screwfix.com/p/halolite-50-150w-electronic-transformer/51565
Alternatively get more than one transformer and split your lights say 3 and 2 - that way if one goes some of your lights will still work.

Thanks for this - the person who wired up the lights originally put one transformer on every lamp - which I therefore assumed was the only way to do it. Clearly not! I may just link the dead lamp to a working transformer.

 

[Taylortwocities]

One transformer per lamp is the better way to do it as it eliminates the volt drop problems that you have with long 12v cable runs from a single, common transformer.

 

[ericmark]

As Taylortwocities rightly says whole idea is to get a regulated supply so inverter each is best option.
It's an inverter which contains a transformer but it's far more complex than a simple transformer.
So lowest rating must be same or less than single bulb i.e. 20W as bulbs can blow and it should be able to continue until last bulb blows. High ratting total of all 5 bulbs or more i.e. 100W.
So minimum spec is 20 - 100W if they are 50W lamps then 50 - 250W and with 35W then 35 - 160W unlikely you can get 0 - 150W as the way it works is to change the mark/space ratio and this can't be zero. They will shut down when there is no load or if load is below min.
It is a problem testing as with no load often no output so blown bulbs can mean zero volts when tested.