Rented flat, halogen spots around the place that keep failing. So far
we seem to have had a couple where the bulbholder - transformer
junction block has melted and a number of transformers fail.

My suspicion is that when the tenants have replaced bulbs they've left
the junction/cables too close to the bulb and they've overheated (the
idiot who fitted them disposed of the metal brackets intended to
prevent this.

There can't be anything wrong in the way they're wired that would
cause failure at the transformer or beyond is there? What sort of
life to other people get out of 12v transformers?

Anthony James wrote:
What sort of life to other people get out of 12v transformers?

We have a Ring (!) branded electronic lv transformer that's been working
fine for the last 3 years.
It is in a position where it runs cool though - in a ventilated void space.
When it does eventually fail, I'll replace the fittings with mains
voltage lamps.

Lee
--
Email address is valid, but is unlikely to be read.

We had 12 of them installed in our kitchen when we had the house rewired and
found odd ones blew at around 2 month intervals, I bought a bulk pack ( idea
being to save long term ) of 35watt lamps instead of the 60watt that where
fitted, there was very little reduction in light, 4yrs down the line I'm
still waiting for one to blow so I can realise my investment in lamps
..................

--
Pete Cross

"Lee" wrote in message
...
Anthony James wrote:
What sort of life to other people get out of 12v transformers?

We have a Ring (!) branded electronic lv transformer that's been working
fine for the last 3 years.
It is in a position where it runs cool though - in a ventilated void
space.
When it does eventually fail, I'll replace the fittings with mains
voltage lamps.

Lee
--
Email address is valid, but is unlikely to be read.

In article , Anthony
James writes
Rented flat, halogen spots around the place that keep failing. So far
we seem to have had a couple where the bulbholder - transformer
junction block has melted and a number of transformers fail.

My suspicion is that when the tenants have replaced bulbs they've left
the junction/cables too close to the bulb and they've overheated (the
idiot who fitted them disposed of the metal brackets intended to
prevent this.


This fault is more likely due to a loose wire in the terminal block
which starts to arc and then overheats the terminal. The high currents
in LV lighting can easily cause this to happen.
--
Tim Mitchell

In message , Lee
writes
Anthony James wrote:
What sort of life to other people get out of 12v transformers?

We have a Ring (!) branded electronic lv transformer that's been
working fine for the last 3 years.
It is in a position where it runs cool though - in a ventilated void space.
When it does eventually fail, I'll replace the fittings with mains
voltage lamps.


We have some around the place, the oldest being about 6 years old I
guess, never had problem with nay of the transformers

--
Chris French, Leeds

Tim Mitchell wrote:
In article , Anthony
James writes

Rented flat, halogen spots around the place that keep failing. So far
we seem to have had a couple where the bulbholder - transformer
junction block has melted and a number of transformers fail.

My suspicion is that when the tenants have replaced bulbs they've left
the junction/cables too close to the bulb and they've overheated (the
idiot who fitted them disposed of the metal brackets intended to
prevent this.


This fault is more likely due to a loose wire in the terminal block
which starts to arc and then overheats the terminal. The high currents
in LV lighting can easily cause this to happen.

That's certainly a possibility , or it could be that the idiot tenants
have fitted too many, over-rated, lamps on each circuit.

As to the lamps blowing, some cheap (B&Q etc.) are dreadful. Try a
brand name; I've just change my first Osram in my kitchen that I
re-wired 4-5 years ago.

Andrew

Lee wrote:

Anthony James wrote:

What sort of life to other people get out of 12v transformers?


We have a Ring (!) branded electronic lv transformer that's been working
fine for the last 3 years.
It is in a position where it runs cool though - in a ventilated void space.
When it does eventually fail, I'll replace the fittings with mains
voltage lamps.

Lee

One toroid DOA. Or very shortly after.

Other 16 toroids and two electronics still going strong, no problems

The key is to buy from reputable electrical factors who sell to big
hairy arsed electricians with better things to do than be bad mouthed by
THEIR customers, not the local ditz-a-glitz shed...who buys cheap
chinese junk and sells it at a 700% markup to compelet idiots, or
international men of mystery...

I assume the correct rating of lamp for the transformer output is fitted?
ie - not trying to run 3 x 50 watt lamps from a 105 VA transformer, or worse
still a 70 VA tranny?

Maybe a daft question, but two lots of friends and my in-laws did this with
recessed ceiling fittings and freestanding tower unit respectively. I
believe that since places like Tesco have started selling "value" 50 watt
lamps at a fraction of the price of 20 and 35 watt lamps this problem will
become more common.

Does TCL fit into the reputable category?
CM.

On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 15:03:56 +0000, Lee
wrote:

Anthony James wrote:
What sort of life to other people get out of 12v transformers?

We have a Ring (!) branded electronic lv transformer that's been working
fine for the last 3 years.
It is in a position where it runs cool though - in a ventilated void space.
When it does eventually fail, I'll replace the fittings with mains
voltage lamps.

I hate my LV lamps. Horrid little things. One has to make compromises
when one buys a house, but I didn't really pay enough attention to the
LV lights, which are everywhere - in the kitchen, the hall, the
landing, downstairs loo and upstairs bathroom, not ever had them
before. Although no (more) bulbs have blown yet (there were a couple
of duff ones there already when I moved in), I don't like the bright
light (like an operating theatre) and the way they 'zoom' up to
brightess. I like proper 240 V bulbs that come on immediately.

So, on my list of Things To Do is, rip out these f***ing stupid little
lights and replace them with mains ones with nice, pear-shaped bulbs,
a ceiling rose and a lampshade. However, due to Part P I'll probably
have to pay an electrician a fortune to do the wiring.

Hate 'em, hate 'em, hate 'em! (And replacement bulbs are darned
expensive, compared to 18p for SmartPrice proper bulbs.)

MM

MM wrote:


So, on my list of Things To Do is, rip out these f***ing stupid little
lights and replace them with mains ones with nice, pear-shaped bulbs,
a ceiling rose and a lampshade. However, due to Part P I'll probably
have to pay an electrician a fortune to do the wiring.

Luckily not: replacing an existing light fitting with a different one is
in the even-a-mortal-may-do-it list in Part P. Unless it's a bathroom or
(sop to tragic incident just before Part P went through?) kitchen.
Bathroom one can *almost* understand (supp. bonding, enclosed-lampholder
preferred, etc.) but no-one will know, or care, if you change your
kitchen lights.

Hate 'em, hate 'em, hate 'em! (And replacement bulbs are darned
expensive, compared to 18p for SmartPrice proper bulbs.)

Your choice - but lifetime costs are *much* lower for compact
flourescents. For lights left on all evening (e.g. hall/corridor), the
aneamic light quality may well be worth putting up with for the cost
savings...

they're 60watt capable individual transformers so 50 watt bulbs (which
i think are being used) are fine.