Apartment and transformers?

gabgab

Hey everyone, you all seem like a knowledgable and friendly bunch from a bit of browsing,

Here is my problem. I live in an apartment and I have two bulbs in seperate rooms that dont work, I have tried changing the bulbs but to no avail, it is one or two bulbs in different rooms.

One in the kitchen,
Two in the bathroom,

I have replaced the bulbs in the kitchn and no avail, the ones in the bathroom are the same from the attempt I made to change them,

Somebody suggested that the transformer is causing the problem,

I can attach a pic of the main board if that is any use to you guys?

I want to get this sorted, is it as easy as pulling the old transformer and plugging the new one in? There is one marked lighting circuit and 10a, (amps??) I am a bit clueless but if there was a problem with that would it not cause all lights to be not working?

Cheers,

Stoner

it might be a taffo, what type of lamps are they, as you sure they are low voltage.

Do the lamps have two pins sticking out of them? read the description on the lamp and post it here and we'll know if it requires a traffo or not.

Changing a traffo is not plug out and back in again, there is a connection required, if you are "a bit clueless" as you say yourself it would be best to get someone who knows what they are doing to change them.

You might even consider CFL or LED replacements now that you are already down two fittings.

Pete67

I think you are confusing the transformer with the circuit breaker (MCB) in the panel? I'd suggest you get someone to check this out for you rather than risk your safety. The transformer is located in the ceiling void and usually fairly close to the light fitting to minimise the volt drop on the low voltage cable. There should be 1 transformer per light fitting, but sometime shortcuts are taken and a single transformer supplies several fittings in the same room. Don't take the cover off the consumer unit (panel) as there are permanently live terminals inside it.

gabgab

Ah cheers lads, its a ceiling light and the bulbs do have as you said stoner are 2 pins.When you say lamp do you mean bulb yeh?

Yeh you are dead right Pete it is the circuit breaker. I just opened it up where it is labeled, I will take two pics and post them up to make it easier for you guys,

cheers for the help,

gabgab

There are the two pics everyone,

Davy

2pins like this pic then its 12v so could be the transformer. As stoner said already they are not a straight connection, useless you are familiar with them it might be better to get some one to change them for you. It wont take long, about 5 mins or so.

mark_d_spark

Yeap they are "extra low voltage" lamps in ur picture. so they will hav a transformer. If u want 2 test the transformer you need a multimeter, If you dont have a way of testing it and your just planning on replacing the transformer yourself, make sure u isolate the supply from your fuse board. The transformer has an input (primary) which you connect your supply(230v) to, And it has an output(secondry) which is your 12volts so connect the lamp holder to that. It should be a straight swap anyway.

gabgab

Thanks a million lads,

I dont think this is as easy a swap as I think it looked, anyone know a reasonable electrician out carrickmines way?