Low Voltage under unit lights stuck on!

[caithpal]

Hi

I have a set of low voltage under unit lights in my kitchen as well as a set of 240v dowlighter on the ceiling. Both sets are controlled by a switch (2 gang - 1 switch for each) on the wall.
Last month the switch on the right hand side which turns the under unit lights on and off stopped working and I could not turn on my under unit lights (it had worked normally for 2 years). I did nothing about this for a few days and then suddenly it started to work normally again. Some days later I noticed that when I turned the lights on they would not turn off. I tried turning off the power at the mains and that became the only way for me to turn off the under unit lights at night!

I then decided to replace the 2 gang switch on the wall with brand new 2 gang 1 way switch but realised that the one installed is 2 gang 2 way. I did this replacing the wires exactly as per the original installation to ensure I didn’t mess up. I assume now the reason the low voltage set was on a 2 way was that one half of my under unit lights have a small switch on the side of the light unit to allow me to turn off that half of the lights? I can’t turn the lights on with that small switch – just turn that half off.

This made no difference – same fault and the lights would never turn off! I was getting sick of isolating the downstairs lights each night and morning by this point.

I then investigated the transformers on top of my kitchen units and disconnected them all (the little plastic plugs that feed to each lamp). This worked so I now don’t have any use of my under unit lights.

Any ideas how I can fix this? Is it the lamps that are causing this permanent on state or the transformers, or the switch? I find it hard to believe that I have bought a switch that has the same fault as the one that worked fine for 2 years! I have attached a picture that might help?

HELP!

 

[SirKit Breaker]

No idea what this is doing? on your piccy. This is linking the live supply from switch 1 to switch 2 or vice versa. It looks to me like you have a one way lighting circuit and a 2 way lighting circuit in this switch. What do these switches control (or what should they control), my guess is that the one way is for your cabinet lighting and the 2 way is for the room lighting, do you have another switch somewhere that you havent mentioned?.

Cheers......Howard

 

[telectrix]

looking at pic. agree with SirKit, link is to supply one sw. from the other. can't understand why underlights be on 2way. if your notes on the pic are correct, ther left sw. is for the ceiling lights. you have to look at where the 240v connects to the transformer/s and go from there.

 

[telectrix]

if it's any help,all cables in the switch are Live or switched live, no neutrals

 

[caithpal]

Hi

Yes the one on the left is the ceiling lights and the one on the right is the unit lights. I have no other switches anywhere in the room other than this one and the small switch on one of the under unit lights that turns off half of them.

I just had a look at where the 240v connects to the transformers. The main cable comes in above the units on the right of my kitchen into a junction box from where 1 cable goes to the transformer and the other goes to the left hand side of my kitchen before entering another junction box and then into the transformer. So I assume somehow the low voltage is being permanantly fed from a live feed but answers on a postcard! ??

 

[telectrix]

think you need someone more qualified to look at it. sounds a bit of a bodge

 

[caithpal]

why would the COM port be bridged? If the brown is live and the black the switch cable that turns the lights on what is the greay doing?

 

[Amp David]

Its just along for the ride!

 

[caithpal]

Okay I just went to B&Q and replaced it with a 2 gang 2 way switch - same problem! Time to pay for a spark to look at it I think!

 

[Phil]

if you pop your location (Not address) on there will be a decent electrician on here that should be able to sort it for you

 

[telectrix]

was thinking along the same lines, phil. anyone living in my area needs help within reason, i would be happy to pop in and sort it out.