Low voltage down lights won't stay put

[macca2]

Hi all,

I have a problem with my low voltage down lights over the kitchen bench.

For no reason, the globe plus the insert that holds the globe drops out of the fitting and is left hanging on the wires. One even dropped onto the sink because the little spring clip came away from the ring.

Have I got a bunch of cheap fittings or is there some other reason for this and how do I fix it.

If I buy new lights what features should I look for. Are there good and bad makes.

Can replace the old ones from in the kitchen or do I need to remove roof tiles to release the clips from above.

Or will the new inserts fit into the old fittings.

I know there are a lot of questions here but they are driving us nuts. Especially SWMBO who as has to climb the ladder and do the replacing of the the inserts when they fall out.



Thanks

Macca

[OBBob]

Are they normal down lights in the plaster ceiling or are they mounted under the wall cupboards above the kitchen bench?

Normal downlights have a pretty sturdy clip that goes over the plaster. It's a little hard without a picture but I'm guessing maybe it is just the round fitting that holts the globe into the main fitting .. correct? If so, they are often very loose because you need to be able to remove them to change the globes but they normal stay put.

Are you sure you have them twisted in correctly, often they feel like they are in but they aren't. Once they are there they should stay there ... unless your house vibrates?

[macca2]

Thanks Bob
Yes, they are the normal down lights in the plaster ceiling. It is the insert with the globe attached that drops out . They appear to be a very loose fit in the outer ring.
When you twist them in there is only a very small lug to lock them in and it is very easy to go past this.
They appear to be that loose that the insert only has to move to the side and it will come off the lug. Does not need to turn.
No, I have not noticed any vibration in the house. We live in a very quite street with no trucks, buses, trains, trams or planes.


Macca

[peter_sm]

Blue tack may work. A small ball of it in the twisty bit. Not too much, wouldn't want to create a fire hazard. Maybe it will melt? Another idea I have is a ball of steel wool. It again has pro's and cons. If it shorts out, it will burn, but it wont melt.

I don't necessarily recommend you do this, as light fittings should not have to be messed with. I have a friend who is a fireman, and he said most common fires in homes are.
Kitchen Cooking oil
Traditional fireplaces
Downlights (dust, insulation etc.)
Drier lint filters.

Personally I would feel more comfortable replacing the fittings with quality units.

[patty]

Macca2 It sounds like these are just twistlock fittings what happens when you twist and turn the lamp into place it then inturn twists the cables/lead that are connceted to the transformer and this twisting action places a small amount of force onto the lead after a while the cable will want to counter-act this force andreturn/spring back into its original state and this is when the lamps "pop out" to get aound it try and manipulate the lead with your fingers in the direction it will be installed

[slacker]

I can get you some decent replacement Down lights and install them for probably less than would you would pay for them. (yes i am an electrician)

[Pusser]

I have the problem with two of mine - not falling out but trying to get them to lock in. I think the paint/powder coating is too thick. Gently filing sime off made it easier to engage the fittings and they now seat home properly.

[macca2]

Problem all fixed.
Slacker came round and replaced dodgey lights with 4 new and much better ones, and at the right price.
Clean and efficient work, thanks Sacha.

Macca

[Smurf]

I have a friend who is a fireman, and he said most common fires in homes are.
Kitchen Cooking oil
Traditional fireplaces
Downlights (dust, insulation etc.)
Drier lint filters.

Personally I would feel more comfortable replacing the fittings with quality units.

Personally I'm not keen on downlights at all for this reason (and I don't like the light they give off - too "spotty").

This isn't official, but the universal understanding of everyone I've spoken to on the subject (and that is quite a few people) is that the Myer building inferno in Hobart was caused by the lights they had installed a few weeks before the fire.

Most seem to think the lights, and they had a lot of them in a small area over a cosmetics counter, were simply generating too much heat near something flammable (probably wood - basically the entire building was timber due to its age). Then it got just a bit too hot on Saturday and ended with the spectacular "explosion" of the entire building (and very nearly a few others as well). It's just a concrete slab today with no trace of the building remaining.

They're OK if installed properly. But as an electrician I'm well aware that sub-standard work (mostly but not always DIY) is VERY common. All it needs is a bit of dodgy work with these downlights and you've got a ticking time bomb.

Most of them are specifically designed to dump their heat into the roof, not the room below, and with a filiament temperature of about 2700 degrees C only a matter of 20 mm or so from whatever surrounds the light at the sides and even closer to anything that gets on top the risk is very real if not installed properly.

In my opinion these things are in the same category as having large amounts of petrol etc sitting around. OK if everything is done 100% correctly and nothing goes wrong. But in practice even the big oil companies have accidents, fires etc from time to time and it's much the same with downlights. If something is inherently risky then sooner or later someone will have a problem.

I'll stick with bulbs and tubes.

[slacker]

No problems Dennis, glad i could help. I think i might have to change my user name for this forum.

[patty]

I'll stick with bulbs and tubes

Smurf... Mate ...Bulbs grow in the ground!<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->