Hello. I am looking into placing four lights over four doors of a
wooden wardrobe . It is an IKEA wardrobe and it comes with four
separate lights connected to four transformers which each need to be
connected to a plug. My main concerns are circuit-wise:
- managing to turn on all lights if any of the doors open (would be
nice to have only the above light to turn on but let's keep it simple)
- security \ power usage issue: where to interrupt the power with the
switch which is controlled by the door? If it is positioned "before"
the plugs and transformers the circuit going around all doors of the
wardrobe will be high voltage (security issues), while if I position
it after the transformers, could four 12 v transformers permanently
connected to the power line lead to excessive power wastes (not to say
I would need four switches arghh!)
- would it be best to have a single transformer for all lights (would
it work?)
- any other issue I have not foreseen
- should I study some book on electric circuits? (of course)

Thanks for your help.

stonefist

On Thu, 09 Aug 2007 07:58:44 -0000, mused:

Hello. I am looking into placing four lights over four doors of a
wooden wardrobe . It is an IKEA wardrobe and it comes with four
separate lights connected to four transformers which each need to be
connected to a plug. My main concerns are circuit-wise:
- managing to turn on all lights if any of the doors open (would be
nice to have only the above light to turn on but let's keep it simple)

That is simple, one switch for each light.

- security \ power usage issue: where to interrupt the power with the
switch which is controlled by the door? If it is positioned "before"
the plugs and transformers the circuit going around all doors of the
wardrobe will be high voltage (security issues),

Anything below 1000V AC is low voltage. If you could high voltage
running round your wardrobes I'd be surprised!

while if I position
it after the transformers, could four 12 v transformers permanently
connected to the power line lead to excessive power wastes (not to say
I would need four switches arghh!)

It wouldn't be a noticeable amount, if any at all.

- would it be best to have a single transformer for all lights (would
it work?)

Yep.

- any other issue I have not foreseen
- should I study some book on electric circuits? (of course)

Not really.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

On 9 Aug, 08:58, wrote:

Hello. I am looking into placing four lights over four doors of a
wooden wardrobe . It is an IKEA wardrobe and it comes with four
separate lights connected to four transformers which each need to be
connected to a plug. My main concerns are circuit-wise:
- managing to turn on all lights if any of the doors open (would be
nice to have only the above light to turn on but let's keep it simple)
- security \ power usage issue: where to interrupt the power with the
switch which is controlled by the door? If it is positioned "before"
the plugs and transformers the circuit going around all doors of the
wardrobe will be high voltage (security issues), while if I position
it after the transformers, could four 12 v transformers permanently
connected to the power line lead to excessive power wastes (not to say
I would need four switches arghh!)
- would it be best to have a single transformer for all lights (would
it work?)
- any other issue I have not foreseen
- should I study some book on electric circuits? (of course)

Thanks for your help.

stonefist

Your switches need to be on the mains side. Unless you can find 16A
door activated switches (or whatever power youre using).

I dont see mains cable being a security issue. Fitting the switches at
the top of the doors and running all cable along the top would keep it
out of harms way if you store sharp things in there.


NT

On Aug 9, 9:58 am, wrote:
Hello. I am looking into placing four lights over four doors of a
wooden wardrobe . It is an IKEA wardrobe and it comes with four
separate lights connected to four transformers which each need to be
connected to a plug. My main concerns are circuit-wise:
- managing to turn on all lights if any of the doors open (would be
nice to have only the above light to turn on but let's keep it simple)
- security \ power usage issue: where to interrupt the power with the
switch which is controlled by the door? If it is positioned "before"
the plugs and transformers the circuit going around all doors of the
wardrobe will be high voltage (security issues), while if I position
it after the transformers, could four 12 v transformers permanently
connected to the power line lead to excessive power wastes (not to say
I would need four switches arghh!)
- would it be best to have a single transformer for all lights (would
it work?)
- any other issue I have not foreseen
- should I study some book on electric circuits? (of course)

Thanks for your help.

stonefist

just to get the idea...

http://picasaweb.google.com/stonefis...98965578156226

On Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:09:23 -0000, mused:

On Aug 9, 9:58 am, wrote:
Hello. I am looking into placing four lights over four doors of a
wooden wardrobe . It is an IKEA wardrobe and it comes with four
separate lights connected to four transformers which each need to be
connected to a plug. My main concerns are circuit-wise:
- managing to turn on all lights if any of the doors open (would be
nice to have only the above light to turn on but let's keep it simple)
- security \ power usage issue: where to interrupt the power with the
switch which is controlled by the door? If it is positioned "before"
the plugs and transformers the circuit going around all doors of the
wardrobe will be high voltage (security issues), while if I position
it after the transformers, could four 12 v transformers permanently
connected to the power line lead to excessive power wastes (not to say
I would need four switches arghh!)
- would it be best to have a single transformer for all lights (would
it work?)
- any other issue I have not foreseen
- should I study some book on electric circuits? (of course)

Thanks for your help.

stonefist

just to get the idea...

http://picasaweb.google.com/stonefis...98965578156226

I thought you'd have read the answers you've got and finished it by
now.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

Hi,

Are the lighting power supplies pretty heavy as if they contain a lump
of steel, or light as if they contain just a PCB?

If the latter then they're almost definitely a 'switched mode' type.

These consume next to no power when no load is connected, so you could
have a switch on the low voltage side without wasting power when the
lights are off.

If the power supply is an old style transformer type then a switched
mode one won't cost very much.

cheers,
Pete.