flickering low voltage lights

EarthWire · Post by **EarthWire** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 3:09 pm

Recently I was asked to fit some low voltage downlights to wiring that had previously been installed by another electrician. There were 3 lights in each of two rooms and i was told that there were 2 transformers, one for each room, in the roof void which is inaccessible. There was an individual 1.5 flex to each lighting position. I put a 50w lamp in each downlighter but after about a half hour they started to flicker and go very dim. I changed the lamps to 35w which seemed to fix the problem but now the customer has told me that the lights in one of the rooms has started to flicker and go dim again.

tim'll fix it · Post by **tim'll fix it** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:23 pm

only a guess as I am not a spark but I would suggest you have overloaded the transformer and it is overheating and flickering

honeymonster · Post by **honeymonster** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 9:30 pm

I am not a spark either, but the last time I fitted low voltage lamps I had to fit a transformer for each Lamp!

markysparky · Post by **markysparky** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 10:20 am

The spark in question needs a slap! :o Leaving a transformer and connections inaccessable is bad practise. The transformer will one day fizzle out and need replacing.

Anyway it could be that Tim's right. Too much strain on the transformer.

Try 20 watt bulbs and see what happens!