Low voltage track lighting repair help needed

[slowtwitch73]

Our track lighting in the kitchen decided to poop the bed.. it's waaay up high.

The lights went on and off for a couple days, then just off. Checked the rocker switch at the wall, and that's fine.

So pulled out the 15' ladder and managed to get the power rods off the rest of the track with out anything crashing down.

I've attached some pics.. it's got a big transformer 'coil'.. looks like some of the coating on the transformer has melted and dripped onto the lower wires.. I'm assuming that's bad and likely the issue?

There are also two 'breakers' that were not tripped, but poking at them a bit, I think there is a possibility they are gummed up with kitchen grease skuzz, the white plunger may be stuck and be unable to pop out if tripped.

Any tips appreciated re testing etc.. also thoughts on a likely transformer replacement.. it would really be the pits if the whole system needed to be replaced.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Currently running 13 halogens.. seems this might be a good time to switch to led...

 

[kbuhagiar]

Currently running 13 halogens.. seems this might be a good time to switch to led...

Definitely.

LEDs are noticeably cooler (halogen heat can be self-destructive) and use a LOT less energy.
I would forget the headache of repair and just get new LEDs.

 

[Shiftless]

I agree with all of the other posters. Switch to LED

I assume your “low voltage” is 12 volts. I see 2 items with label with a 25 amp rating. You say you’re running 13 halogen bulbs. Are those 50 watts each? That makes 13x50 which is 650 watts.
Divide 650 by 12 and you get 54 amps.

Maybe your low voltage is 24 volts. I don’t know. I’m just giving some examples of how to figure out why the system failed. Of course it is 14 years old.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Thanks guys.

Currently has 4 GY6.35 bulbs, and 9 GU5.3 halogen bulbs.

My web digging has led GY6.35 bulbs at 2 watts each and GU5.3 at 7 watts each for a total of 71 watts needed.

I think once I get rid of the old transformer there will room in the fixture for an led transformer.

Do I add 20% to the wattage I need when looking for a transformer?

I assume the breakers would no longer be needed with an led trans?

 

[slowtwitch73]

I agree with all of the other posters. Switch to LED

I assume your “low voltage” is 12 volts. I see a label with a 25 amp rating. You say you’re running 13 halogen bulbs. Are those 50 watts each? That makes 13x50 which is 650 watts.
Divide 650 by 12 and you get 54 amps. If that’s even close, no wonder that set up melted down.

Current trans is 600 watts....

 

[Shiftless]

What are those little boxes labeled 25 amps?

What is the wattage rating on each halogen bulb?

 

[slowtwitch73]

What are those little boxes labeled 25 amps?

What is the wattage rating on each halogen bulb?

Breakers.

The little bulbs (4) are 20w each.

The bigger bulbs (9) are 35w each (I had to look it up as the current bulbs have no info)

 

[Shiftless]

Thanks guys.

Currently has 4 GY6.35 bulbs, and 9 GU5.3 halogen bulbs.

My web digging has led GY6.35 bulbs at 2 watts each and GU5.3 at 7 watts each for a total of 71 watts needed.

Those letter and number codes refer to the base only and do not specify wattage. If you are running halogen bulbs now and not LEDs, I can guarantee you that they draw a lot more power than the 2 and 7 watts you stated earlier.

I’m glad you got that straightened out. 4@20 and 9@35 seems more like it.

Thats about 400 watts so you’ll need a hefty transformer. Why not buy a whole round of led bulbs and a smaller transformer? I have experience with halogen bulbs. I had 3 fixtures running a total of 9 fifty watt bulbs on house current. (120 volts). Seems like they burned out after less than about a thousand hours. If you go with LEDs, you’ll probably never replace a bulb again.
I converted to LED fixtures with diffusers rather than the spotlights. I like it much better. More light with much less power consumed. And the promise of extremely long life.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Thanks Shiftless... yes led is the direction I want to go... just need to figure out the trans size.

The 2 and 7 watt numbers would be for led bulbs (from what I can gather).

I think this would work?:

LED Driver 120 Watts Waterproof IP67 Power Supply Transformer Adapter 100V-260V AC to 12V DC Low Voltage Output for LED Light,​

 

[Shiftless]

That should work fine for you. Do you need dimming?

I use 12 volt LED bulbs for my landscape lighting. Even though lots of sources say LEDs need direct current, mine work fine with the AC Output from an old Malibu transformer.

 

[slowtwitch73]

No I don't need dimming. Evidently that would change the transformer req's.

The next hurdle is to try and get the old transformer out of the housing and hope the new one fits.. biggest dim is 7" long. I think it will work out.

I can't see how the old one is held in... need to climb up and fiddle with it.

on Edit, I got the old transformer out.. what a beast.. must be 10lbs. With that and the breakers not going back in, there should be room enough to fit the new led transformer.. we will see.

 

[walta]

To my eye the transformer looks to still be operational.

I would guess the problem is where the low voltage power connects the track.

Do you own a volt ohm meter?



Walta

 

[slowtwitch73]

Yes I have a meter.

I didn't test but did check all the connections.

 

[walta]

Consider connecting an AC cord and lamp to the transformer and see if you can get the lamp to light.

Seems to me if you can’t identify the faulty component you may try to reuse the faulty part. A frustrated person on top a 15 foot ladder dos not sound like fun to me.





Walta

 

[kbuhagiar]

A frustrated person on top a 15 foot ladder does not sound like fun to me

All the more reason to switch to an LED system and be done with it.
Stop messing with last century's technology...

 

[cybrdyke]

No I don't need dimming. Evidently that would change the transformer req's.

The next hurdle is to try and get the old transformer out of the housing and hope the new one fits.. biggest dim is 7" long. I think it will work out.

I can't see how the old one is held in... need to climb up and fiddle with it.

on Edit, I got the old transformer out.. what a beast.. must be 10lbs. With that and the breakers not going back in, there should be room enough to fit the new led transformer.. we will see.

Is there a label on the old transformer. If so, what is the "current out" rating?
CD

 

[slowtwitch73]

Hey guys, I got this all working with the transformer from post #10 and led bulbs. I managed to fit it all the original housing and rigged up some zip ties to hold it all up there while I wired. Fiddly.. hope it works for a long time.

Thanks for the help.