LED ceiling lights - I'm baffled

JosephandAmber · Jan 10, 2023

The customer has five small LED ceiling lights in their bathroom. Some of the lights stopped working. A previous electrician came and 'did some work' but could not resolve the matter. I've taken a look, and three lights have been removed. I assume these were the broken ones, and he took them to go and match a replacement. Two sre still functioning but are stuck and unable to be pulled out.

What is confusing me is where the lights have been removed; this is what the wiring looks like:

[ElectriciansForums.net] LED ceiling lights - I'm baffled

Can anyone help me understand what the **** is going on here? How could there possibly have been a functional LED light here if the neutral has never been tapped on one and is linked with live on the other?

I just did a flying visit as ladders are required to access so going off of visuals.

timhoward · Jan 10, 2023

They must have been fitted in series.
Are the lights 230v AC or 12v DC?

JosephandAmber · Jan 10, 2023

timhoward said:
They must have been fitted in series.
Are the lights 230v AC or 12v DC?

So this is the issue, the customer has no idea where the transformer is.

The lights are these small 40mm LED spots, so a good chance they could be DC.

SJD · Jan 10, 2023

Constant current fittings, wired in series?
So when you remove one, you have to link it per the photo.

timhoward · Jan 10, 2023

JosephandAmber said:
So this is the issue, the customer has no idea where the transformer is.

I'd get the old ones out, if they are only 40mm and they are truly stuck then you can work out where the joists are and drill out for larger replacements. (preferably 230v)
If one of the feeds doesn't end up pulling a transformer or mains supply cable within range, you can send up a camera and I normally start guessing where a ceiling rose probably was once.
Most are fitted appallingly and the transformer will be flapping around.