Crazy Kitchen Spot Lights

leaskovski

leaskovski

leaskovski

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Joined
22 Oct 2004
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Berkland
Ok, so the Mrs and I have been living in the new gaff for over a year now, and the Mrs has now had enough of the kitchen not being fully illuminated.

The kitchen has always had down/spot lights. Its got 4 rows of 2. Each light is a GU5,3 halogen 50W. When you take a light out, you have to take the clip off and then try to pry the light out so you can disconnect it from what I can only describe as a Mr Potato Head socket. Not brilliant.

Anyway, its odd because I have checked the lights and they aren't blown. Sometimes the 1st row completely lights up with only 1 on the 2nd row, other times it is just the 2nd row lighting up. If we are really lucky, 1 of the lights on the 4th row lights up (which doesn't come on instantly). In this lucky occasion it makes it easier to do the washing.

Maybe the house is telling me not to do the washing!? :confused:

Anyway, before I call a sparky in, I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas on what to look at. Its been like this for a year and hasn't really caused any issues. No tripping of the lights on the fuss box. The only time that has happened is when a light has popped on the landing, that's all.
 
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Shows how much I know about spot lights. Yep, an MR16 socket is what is in there at the moment. I didn't know that they are run off of a transformer. Got any links to wiring diagrams or overviews of my current setup then?
 
Very simple wiring.

The feed from the transformer 12v side is just daisy chained, looped in, looped out from one fitting to the next one.
 
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GU5.3 lamp holders range in quality from utterly terrible to barely existent. If someone's put dichroic reflector lamps in instead of aluminium reflectors then the heat will be rising straight up into the lamp holders and melting them.

Pop a lamp out and see if the lamp holder falls apart in your hands. If it does then you can change them, they cost very little.
 
Thanks people.

I don't think I am going to be able to get the the transformer without ripping up carpet. Damn it. Even more damn its as the back room now has new carpet down. Ballacks.
 
Nightglow said:
Might be able to find the transformer, by removing one of the light fittings & have a nosey.
Click to expand...

Just throwing it out there - you can still get 240V GU5.3 bulbs & fittings which won't have a transformer.

That being said after reading your problem I think you can rule out a dodgy switch, as they are bringing at least one lamp on within the circuit meaning the switch is working. More than likey it is locally to the light fitting itself - and if they are 12v bulbs then would most probably be the tranformer. In your situation where pretty much every one is playing up I would replace the lot with a better fitting. Probably a 240v GU10 with a LED lamp instead of getting 12v fitting again.
 
mattyy said:
Just throwing it out there - you can still get 240V GU5.3 bulbs & fittings which won't have a transformer.
Click to expand...

Even after 30 years, I still forget about 240V GU5.3 lamps.:o

Sometimes the 1st row completely lights up with only 1 on the 2nd row, other times it is just the 2nd row lighting up. If we are really lucky, 1 of the lights on the 4th row lights up (which doesn't come on instantly).

But, after reading the above, I dismissed them being 240v lamps due to the symptoms above, plus we down know the age of the light, therefore it might be a older style transformer in use.
 
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I can confirm, by Google image search of the spare lights boxes, that the ones in question are 12v jobbies. So transformer does sound a bit shagged.

I expect the transformer to be close to the switch, so I might pull that fitting out to see if I can spot it.

Cheers
 
Ok, I am trying to get this sorted now... anyone know how you remove the housing for these spotlights...

IMAG1313.jpg
 
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