Why would spike lights trip an MCB as if a dead short is present ?

[NEB Electrical]

Just finished installing 20 x spike lights in a customers front garden. 2.5mm SWA ran from existing junction box feeding existing fence lights. All pulling no where near 1A in total.

When all connected and wiring tested, went to switch on MCB and it popped. Rendering the MCB useless as if L-N fault. Spend an hour going round checking every single connection and also to make sure no cuts in armour cores etc. All fine. Changed MCB and reset. Straight away it popped again.

I then disconnected all of the spike light load cables Line and Neutral. Reset MCB and all fine. The existing fence lights worked no issue. Connected in 1 spike light and reset MCB. Popped again. So I assumed this was a faulty unit, however it did this with another 3 before I stopped And began to pull my hair out.

I then got an LED floodlight and flexed it up, connecting it into the same connections as the spike light had been in, and it worked absolutely fine.

The customer then asked me to fit a plug top to a new spike light, which was the same but never fitted as it was extra , I did and when switched on it popped the MCB and rendered the socket outlet useless.

The spike lights are 7W LEDs with a black 2core flex brown and blue cabling. I even tried reverse polarity on them and still the same issue.

I pretty much put it down to faulty lights, but the fact there is 20 of them is making me second guess myself. Anyone here have any experience with this ? I have 16 years experience and never heard anything like it.

Any help appreciated.

Nick
NEB Electrical Ltd

 

[DPG]

What test results did you get?
Edit: apologies, I just re read the post and I think I misunderstood.

These are definitely 240V lamps right?

 

[westward10]

Are they definitely mains rated.

 

[NEB Electrical]

Guys

They are all 24v !!!! I just had a look at the tiny label .. I went off the box they came in which had mains power on it and the fact they were supplied with no driver etc (customer supplied)

Actually kicking myself. Been such a long day today. I actually cannot believe I overlooked that. Oh well looks like they are for the bin then and an expensive job for me.

Thanks again

Nick

 

[DPG]

Guys

They are all 24v !!!! I just had a look at the tiny label .. I went off the box they came in which had mains power on it and the fact they were supplied with no driver etc (customer supplied)

Actually kicking myself. Been such a long day today. I actually cannot believe I overlooked that. Oh well looks like they are for the bin then and an expensive job for me.

Thanks again

Nick

These things happen. At least you found it.

 

[Baddegg]

Guys

They are all 24v !!!! I just had a look at the tiny label .. I went off the box they came in which had mains power on it and the fact they were supplied with no driver etc (customer supplied)

Actually kicking myself. Been such a long day today. I actually cannot believe I overlooked that. Oh well looks like they are for the bin then and an expensive job for me.

Thanks again

Nick

Fair play to you @NEB Electrical nick for putting ya hands up ?

 

[NEB Electrical]

Fair play to you @NEB Electrical nick for putting ya hands up ?

Honesty is the best policy ...... sometimes ?

 

[goasis]

Lack of cpc gave the game away!! Sickening!! Reckon u better open a beer and try and forget the whole affair!!
[automerge]1569963582[/automerge]
Who's brave enough to own up to some "I could kick myself" moments?
Running in black 3core flex instead of co-ax, and not realising till 2nd fix was pretty embarrassing..

 

[westward10]

Who's buying the new ones if they are now all duff

 

[123]

Aw man I feel for you. Mistakes happen though. I've wired an entire house lighting in twin brown rather than T&E before (wholesalers sent me the wrong cable and I never noticed till 2nd fix). Another job 1.5mm Hi Tuff instead of Co Ax (Shocker really, other than being black in colour they are nothing like the same)

 

[Dustydazzler]

How on earth did you install hi tuff cable instead of CoAx

Or do you mean someone sent you high tuff in error

Wholesalers are notoriously bad at sending wrong stuff

 

[NEB Electrical]

Lack of cpc gave the game away!! Sickening!! Reckon u better open a beer and try and forget the whole affair!!
[automerge]1569963582[/automerge]
Who's brave enough to own up to some "I could kick myself" moments?
Running in black 3core flex instead of co-ax, and not realising till 2nd fix was pretty embarrassing..

Yes i know mate. Looking back in hindsight the lack of earth. It crossed my mind but didnt put it together. Im used to 24v stuff being black and red. The flex was brown and blue.

Everydays a school day as they say. A mistake is only a msitake if you cannot rectify it.
Source URL: Why would spike lights trip an MCB as if a dead short is present ? - https://www.electriciansforums.net/threads/why-would-spike-lights-trip-an-mcb-as-if-a-dead-short-is-present.179174/#post-1578740

 

[NEB Electrical]

Who's buying the new ones if they are now all duff

We will be supplying new 240v spike lights.

Exact same model but 240v. As we have our SWA points in place and the customer does not want to shell out for the drivers etc required (these did not come with the fittings).

Oversight on the customer for not ordering the correct light but installer error on our part as we did not notice these were 24v. Regardless of blame the most important thing is to get the job complete.

 

[MJPD29]

Guys

They are all 24v !!!! I just had a look at the tiny label .. I went off the box they came in which had mains power on it and the fact they were supplied with no driver etc (customer supplied)

Actually kicking myself. Been such a long day today. I actually cannot believe I overlooked that. Oh well looks like they are for the bin then and an expensive job for me.

Thanks again

Nick

A very easy mistake to make. Did the same with a 10w led floodlight last year that customer suppliers and didn't come with a transformer.

 

[Penguin]

Just finished installing 20 x spike lights in a customers front garden. 2.5mm SWA ran from existing junction box feeding existing fence lights. All pulling no where near 1A in total.

When all connected and wiring tested, went to switch on MCB and it popped. Rendering the MCB useless as if L-N fault. Spend an hour going round checking every single connection and also to make sure no cuts in armour cores etc. All fine. Changed MCB and reset. Straight away it popped again.

I then disconnected all of the spike light load cables Line and Neutral. Reset MCB and all fine. The existing fence lights worked no issue. Connected in 1 spike light and reset MCB. Popped again. So I assumed this was a faulty unit, however it did this with another 3 before I stopped And began to pull my hair out.

I then got an LED floodlight and flexed it up, connecting it into the same connections as the spike light had been in, and it worked absolutely fine.

The customer then asked me to fit a plug top to a new spike light, which was the same but never fitted as it was extra , I did and when switched on it popped the MCB and rendered the socket outlet useless.

The spike lights are 7W LEDs with a black 2core flex brown and blue cabling. I even tried reverse polarity on them and still the same issue.

I pretty much put it down to faulty lights, but the fact there is 20 of them is making me second guess myself. Anyone here have any experience with this ? I have 16 years experience and never heard anything like it.

Any help appreciated.

Nick
NEB Electrical Ltd

Hi Nick,
I had a similar instal of multiple LED GU10 mains 2core Spike lights.

We removed all of the lamps and the circuit tests met the requirements.

What I learnt from this is, never to accept the clients purchase of online lamps, that she received at a cheap price.

All the lamps were defective and goes to show that sometimes buying on line isn’t always the best option.