On 5/31/2010 12:41 PM, terry wrote:
On May 31, 12:20 pm, "John wrote:
wrote in message

...





About 6 years ago, we had our kitchen remodelled. We wanted some
undercounter lights included. The contractor proposed a low voltage
set of lights. I said that I preferred 120 v since I hate humming
transformers. He said OK and proceeded to do the job.

Fast forward to last summer. We had a nearby lightning strike that
took out a lot of stuff - DVRs, various plug-in power supplies, a
Davis weather station, a garage door opener, etc. All of that was
repaired but a few months later, I noticed the seldomly used
undercounter lights didn't work. I started looking for the cause and
realized they were low voltage halogens rather than 120v. So
basically, there is a transformer somewhere in the kitchen with a
blown fuse or winding. I have resigned myself to having to remove
some drywall or tile to repair the problem, but I really don't want to
use the trial and error method to find the transformer. The lights
are near a number of 120 v circuits, but instead of tapping into those
circuits, they tied into the circuit for the island. The island has a
cooktop and some outlets for portable appliances. All that stuff
works. I suppose it is even possible that the transformer is in the
island and they ran 12 volt wire under the floor and up the wall to
get to the undercounter lights. That wouldn't be how I would do it,
but who knows. Between having hardwood floor, a tile backsplash, and
granite countertops, the repair won't be easy, but step one is finding
the transformer. Any ideas how to find it without tearing apart half
the kitchen?

The most common place to install a low voltage transformer is on top of the
cabinets if the space is accessible. Take a look.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Had a similar situation recently and then found a 'hidden' (although
legally mounted and wired by a 'proper' electrician) fuse, behind a
removable bottom drawer and a metal cover!.

But had an idea before that; I have a shaver that when plugged in and
but even running, makes clicks on a radio... my idea ..... although
never used, was to hook up the shaver through an extension cord to the
'far end' of the dead circuit through some sort of temporary adapter.

Then follow the clicking wiring back, using a battery radio.
Suggestion anyway.

Good luck.


On a dead circuit like the one the OP has, the AM radio trick works
with either a commercially available tone generator or the cheap
route, using a door buzzer muffled somehow, towel or container, with
one wire coming off it to feed the RF noise into the light string so
it can be traced with the pocket AM radio. I've traced many a wire
inside a wall using this method. Oh yea, the buzzer can be powered
by either a battery or doorbell transformer. It will make a lot of
RF noise regardless.

TDD