# low voltage under cabinet light problems



## ACSKEVIN (Mar 7, 2010)

my undercabinet lighting worked fine, then all of a sudden they quit. there was no light in the switch either. i put a new dimmer on and it worked for a second then it popped and quit. i took the two black wires that fed the switch and bugged them together. that brought all the lights on and then they started blinking on and off.


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

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## 65535 (Jan 16, 2011)

Is your kitchen zoned as a disco?


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

65535 said:


> Is your kitchen zoned as a disco?


Pyrotechnics display coming soon.


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## GettingBy (Aug 19, 2010)

ACSKEVIN said:


> they started blinking on and off.


They're overheating and their thermal cutouts are cycling on and off?


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## ACSKEVIN (Mar 7, 2010)

any thoughts why they worked for 2 years and now overheat?


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

ACSKEVIN said:


> any thoughts why they worked for 2 years and now overheat?


What makes you think they're overheating?


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## GettingBy (Aug 19, 2010)

ACSKEVIN said:


> any thoughts why they worked for 2 years and now overheat?


No. This is as strange as it gets.

Check the voltage to the lamps. I don't know what else to do at this point.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

The thing to do at this point is to have someone who understands electrical circuits and devices come and take a look at it. No offense Kevin, but it sounds as though you're in over your head, and there's no good reason to take a chance on setting your house afire.

...well, maybe if you have all of your insurances paid up. :laughing:


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

Well, it looks like this thread has turned into the Poster Child for folks trying to do their own electrical. After all, WillWorkForBeer said doing electrical is so easy even a 12-year-old retard can do it.

Seriously. Maybe some will understand that even seemingly 'simple stuff' *isn't* so gawdam simple.

Instead of actually trying to locate & resolve the problem, the OP took the wrong path of trying to replace parts one at a time in an attempt to 'fix' it. This is not what a trained professional electrician would do. I'm not saying ACSKEVIN is stupid, just _untrained_. There's a world of difference between the two. 

No one, after having the brakes fail in their truck, would just fill the master cylinder back up and hit the road again. You'd investigate WHY you lost all your brake fluid. Somewhere there's a leak, right? You'd need to find out where the leak is, correct the problem, bleed the brake lines, test them, and THEN return to the road.

Same principle applies to electrical problems.... locate & resolve it first, test the circuit to make sure it's cleared of the fault, and only then restore power. That's what electricians are trained to do, that's why we spend big money on education and tools for, and that's why we charge more then $12/hour.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

480sparky said:


> No one, after having the brakes fail in their truck, would just fill the master cylinder back up and hit the road again.


I need to introduce you to some of the good ol' boys I know. :laughing:


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

Tinstaafl said:


> I need to introduce you to some of the good ol' boys I know. :laughing:


Not Cletus, I hope. You know, the one who replaced the fuse in his truck with a live .38 round so his trucks' tail lights would work after going frogging!


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

:laughing::thumbsup:


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## ACSKEVIN (Mar 7, 2010)

callin in a pro. don't mind anyone tellin me that. thanks anyway


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## GettingBy (Aug 19, 2010)

ACSKEVIN said:


> callin in a pro. don't mind anyone tellin me that. thanks anyway


Please post back with the outcome.

I guess it's remotely possible that a bad neutral at your CB panel is causing a higher-than-normal voltage to these lamps and so they are running too hot, but then you'd likely have other electrical symptoms in the house that you'd be noticing.


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## ChadS (Feb 5, 2011)

Make sure you have an electronic dimmer, a conventional dimmer may work for some time but will burn the bulbs out fast!


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## fltdek (Dec 23, 2006)

480sparky said:


> that's why we spend big money on education and tools for, and that's why we charge more then $12/hour.


Guessing most of the money spent went for the tools, or they don't teach spelling/grammar in your trade school??


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

fltdek said:


> Guessing most of the money spent went for the tools, or they don't teach spelling/grammar in your trade school??


Do they teach manners in yours?


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## chew72 (Mar 1, 2010)

Tinstaafl said:


> Do they teach manners in yours?


Zing!


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