DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi I am new to this forum :D and would like to ask a question about my ceiling light that was installed just over a year ago. I have 9 halogen bulbs on my ceiling light which were running bright up to about yesterday!! they still are working but have gone extremely dim. I do not have a dimmer switch so dont know what has happened. Will I have to replace my ceiling light or is there anything else I can do?? :?:

- Thanks in advence

I will guess the inverter (Some call it a transformer) has failed. But really not enough information.

hi,
you don't say the wattage of the lamps but assuming 20W each = 180w which is a reasonably heavy load so would be looking at switch and light fittings connections for loose terminal first,
regards

Halogen bulbs operate at 12 volts and a transformer is required to bring down the 110/220v to 12 volts. Since all 9 bulbs has gone dim at the same time, I presume they are all connected in parallel to a single transformer. This presents quite a reasonable load to the transformer and might have caused it to fail. I suggest you distribute the load to let's say, 1 transformer for every 3 bulbs to minimize stress on the transformers.

Many Thanks for your replies - Can i buy a new transformer and get someone to fit in in - or do I have to replace the light?

not all halogen lights are 12v with a transformer, in fact most multilight single fitting centre lights are 230v so don't need a transformer at all, if you don't know the voltage / wattage remove a lamp and see if info printed on side.
More info given = more helpful replies