Quick sparky question - halogen lighting

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27 May 2003
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Problem is that the halogen ceiling lights in the kitchen don't last half as long as they should do.
The 4 x 50w lights are lasting around 1-1.5 years max (probably under 500 hours which is well under their 1500-2000hr life rating) with a couple going within a few months.
Have replaced them with different brands but still the same thing.

I know little about lighting but could the transformer (which is 15-20 years old) be on its way out?

Ta
 
I'm guessing the transformer is somewhat passed its best. Go and get a new electronic unit.
 
Having the same problem here, but with halogen ones in my room, 2 stalked of 3 on the ceiling, seem to be blowing within 1-5 months, and when one blows, it takes the entire upstairs light circuit with it, forcing us to put more wire in the upstairs lighting fuse in the fuse box! :(
 
You’d be surprised how many homes still have re-wireable fuses. the house doesn’t necessarily need a rewire but would prob benefit from a mains and earth change. or at the very least replace the rewireables with some of these
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/32-amp-Wylex-...ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

they plug in in place of the fuse wire, real simple. If you can change fuse wire you can fit them. no tools require. just use the appropriate rating.
 
Lights going off from a bulb going is bad.

If you electrocute yourself in the night from a light switch nobody would be able to see you to help!
 
Tesla said:
Lights going off from a bulb going is bad.

If you electrocute yourself in the night from a light switch nobody would be able to see you to help!
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happens in most new installations as mcb's these days are designed to trip quickly, to do this they must be very sensitive...unfortunately this often means when a bulb blows so does the mcb
 
more likely to happen where transformers are involved though

Just get 240v halogens and lose the transformers :D
 
I didn't know this but you can get soft-on transformers that prolong the life of the bulb. All the stress a bulb gets is when you flick the power on as the current surge is so high. It's the same reason why when you've got dimmer switches your bulbs last practically indefinitely.
 
Jonny69 said:
I didn't know this but you can get soft-on transformers that prolong the life of the bulb. All the stress a bulb gets is when you flick the power on as the current surge is so high. It's the same reason why when you've got dimmer switches your bulbs last practically indefinitely.
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Ordered one of these soft-on transformers last night, hopefully it should do the trick for me!
Our current one sounds like a lightsaber when turned on initially!
 
The last GU10 LED bulbs i saw were poxy little 2w things, hopefully things have improved by now!
 
That's the GU10 base, didn't know they were making LED bulbs that were actually useful. Fitted a shedload of 2w to a stripclub a couple of years ago, very atmospheric, very small pools of light (not much spread on LED elements), kept it nice and dark (dealing with plymouth girls here!)
 
SB118 said:
Fitted a shedload of 2w to a stripclub a couple of years ago, very atmospheric
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I did wonder why B&Q had blue lights in :)

If they ever have the white in stock I'll buy some and try them out - they're supposed to be 50W equivilant so should be fairly bright.
 
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