franky666
2015-12-05 00:09:16
- #1
Objection! It may seem to work with the 3 connected lights. But this does not work well. A maximum of 2 lights with 7.7W each can be connected to a 20W transformer.
You must never exceed the capacity of a transformer. That is not just the limit but already an overload. How much overload there is is almost irrelevant. Overload is overload. A reserve is always kept because of inrush currents, etc.
The blinking (or rather flashing?) occurs because the transformer is most likely a switch-mode power supply and interprets the high load as a short circuit and activates its short-circuit protection.
If 3 lights with 7.7W each are still connected to a 20W transformer, the transformer will fail sooner or later due to overheating. Until then, it will become very, very hot and glow painfully. If only the transformer breaks, then you have really been lucky that nothing worse happened. There is a reason why this power is specified as the maximum.
This is a very common cause of electrical fires! And in exactly this case, no insurance will pay because this falls under electrical shoddy work. A friend of mine had exactly this happen (the same situation, but with recessed ceiling spots where they just added one more improperly) and he is still chewing on the damage today.
So please, either
- use a suitable transformer (with reserve capacity)
- use as many of these transformers as you want with a maximum of 2 lights each
- only use 2 lights (= not great)
- if this configuration was sold as a complete set, return it completely as the sale would then be irresponsible (I don’t know Omlopp)
But definitely do not simply connect two of these transformers in parallel on the output side to reach 40 watts. Each transformer must have its own independent secondary circuit. (That is the side of the transformer where the lights are)
You must never exceed the capacity of a transformer. That is not just the limit but already an overload. How much overload there is is almost irrelevant. Overload is overload. A reserve is always kept because of inrush currents, etc.
The blinking (or rather flashing?) occurs because the transformer is most likely a switch-mode power supply and interprets the high load as a short circuit and activates its short-circuit protection.
If 3 lights with 7.7W each are still connected to a 20W transformer, the transformer will fail sooner or later due to overheating. Until then, it will become very, very hot and glow painfully. If only the transformer breaks, then you have really been lucky that nothing worse happened. There is a reason why this power is specified as the maximum.
This is a very common cause of electrical fires! And in exactly this case, no insurance will pay because this falls under electrical shoddy work. A friend of mine had exactly this happen (the same situation, but with recessed ceiling spots where they just added one more improperly) and he is still chewing on the damage today.
So please, either
- use a suitable transformer (with reserve capacity)
- use as many of these transformers as you want with a maximum of 2 lights each
- only use 2 lights (= not great)
- if this configuration was sold as a complete set, return it completely as the sale would then be irresponsible (I don’t know Omlopp)
But definitely do not simply connect two of these transformers in parallel on the output side to reach 40 watts. Each transformer must have its own independent secondary circuit. (That is the side of the transformer where the lights are)