Hi there - Newbie - identification of unknown object please!!

TottyB · Sep 16, 2018

Hi there,

I'm not an electrician, but anyone who can chime in or direct me to someone/something/website than can identify it, would be much appreciated!! Thanks!!

In the rented property, there are these spotlights in which the bulbs keep blowing out all the time. I've checked the wattage, changed it etc., landlord isn't interested to change it, but recently I was changing another bulb and this little black object dropped out of one the shades. I cannot see where it comes from and if it is meant to be attached to the light shade or is it something else and is not a part of the light shade?

It is a little ball with a fish hook shape coming from it. Looks a bit like the shape of an earring, but just miniaturised. It has a weak magnetic attraction.

Does anyone know what this little black object is please?

Thanks.

[ElectriciansForums.net] Hi there - Newbie - identification of unknown object please!!

littlespark · Sep 16, 2018

No idea what the little black thing is. I don't think it should be there.
Do the lamps fit into the lampholders ok? Maybe there's something not fitting correctly causing the lamps to low.
I take it it's the halogen lamps that are blowing? It could be because of the heat that these generate.
Change them all to GU10 LED lamps like the one on the left in your picture.
Shop around, you can get them fairly cheap now.

telectrix · Sep 16, 2018

what he siaid ^^^^^^.

TottyB · Sep 16, 2018

Many thanks for replying. I checked the type of halogen bulbs I have been using and they are the same type you've suggested, GU10. Still cannot understand why the bulbs keeping blowing, but I think it wasn't a good wiring job in the first place....

Deleted member 9648 · Sep 16, 2018

Poor wiring in general will not affect lamp life. 90% of the time it is simply poor quality lamps, and poor quality GU10 lamps are much more common than good quality ones.

TottyB · Sep 16, 2018

wirepuller said:
Poor wiring in general will not affect lamp life. 90% of the time it is simply poor quality lamps, and poor quality GU10 lamps are much more common than good quality ones.

Thanks. Comments are noted.

Doomed · Sep 16, 2018

many years ago had a maintenace contract that covered lamp replacement in several shops, some of which at the time had up to 60 GU10's.
We were surprised if we DIDN'T get a call saying a lamp has failed every day.
(was a right pain - although 2 of the lads got to know some of the shop girls VERY well)

dmxtothemax · Sep 17, 2018

Most GU10 lamps run quite hot, especially the halogens which are incredibly hot, even the LED versions of these lamps can run pretty warm if it is a tight fit with little or no air flow. no wonder they don't last !

Lucien Nunes · Sep 17, 2018

Two posts in this thread mention that high temperatures of lamp inside fitting cause short lamp life. This isn't really the case with filament lamps generally, and especially not of halogens such as GU10s. The filament runs at over 3000°C, so that doesn't really care whether the outside is at 0, 10 or 100°. But what is important is the quartz capsule, which must be at 250° or greater to make the halogen cycle work and prevent the surface blackening. That is why they have a quartz capsule inside the glass outer envelope - so that the quartz can be kept nice and hot. It doesn't care whether the outer wall is comfortable to hold or toasty, so long as the capsule is at 250° or more. Excess heat can cause contact failure, but that is more of an issue with the lampholder than the lamp.

LEDs on the other hand need to be as cool as possible. Nothing about an LED benefits from heat, and a 240V device with a driver tucked inside its cap, such as an LED GU10, may have its life halved for every 10° increase as this is the typical effect of heat on certain electronic components.