Ikea kitchen light transformer overheated - any ideas

[deutscheparts]

Hi, we have a set of Ikea halogen lights in our kitchen - the type that has two wires stretched between the two walls, and the bulbs bridge the two wires.
There is a large chrome transformer that is wired to the lighting circuit.
I switched it on this afternoon and after about ten minutes, it just went off, there is a buzzing from it and the small blue fuse (like a car fuse) has melted and broke apart when I removed it with pliers.
The chrome thing was VERY hot when I checked it, is there anything I can do as I can't see the item on the IKEA website to get any spares.
Thanks in advance for any support.

 

[electronicsuk]

Have you done anything recently that might have caused this, for example changing the lamps and perhaps putting in something of a higher wattage than what was there before?

If the fuse is like a car fuse then it probably is a car fuse, and if you can't see any obvious problems with the fitting and wiring then you might as well replace the fuse and see how things go.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Had a neighbour's Ikea light go like that, he put in wrong wattage lamp. Replaced fuse & all OK.

If its the transformer itself then you'll never get spares from IKEA, they are not in that business. Its either a replacement (if its a recent purchase) or buy a new one.

One thing, have you got a dimmer on the light? Most of the IKEA transformer lights are not dimmable...

 

[deutscheparts]

Had a neighbour's Ikea light go like that, he put in wrong wattage lamp. Replaced fuse & all OK.

If its the transformer itself then you'll never get spares from IKEA, they are not in that business. Its either a replacement (if its a recent purchase) or buy a new one.

One thing, have you got a dimmer on the light? Most of the IKEA transformer lights are not dimmable...

Hi, yes we have got a dimmer switch on the light, it's worked fine for ages. You've got we wondering now whether it should have that or not.
Re: anything done recently, no nothing at all, just switched on and off as required.

 

[Taylortwocities]

You are lucky to have got the dimmer to work.
Once you have replaced the fuse, if the light still doesnt work then I'll bet the dimmer is kay-nackered. To check swop the dimmer for a normal switch - dimmers tend to act as very expensive fuses in any event.

 

[Adam_151]

dimmers tend to act as very expensive fuses in any event.

The problem is that at first they tend to fail closed circuit, rather than open circuit!

Though if its a short circuit or fault to earth, and the incorrect fusing has been fitted upstream... then the triac could go on to fail in a rather violent way

 

[marcam]

hi i recently was working in a house doing a full rewire and i stumbled across a dimmer switch that had a fuse in it (thinking like 1970s+) just checking yours doesnt have a fuse or anything in it does it? and ikea are crap for dimming they simply cant do it, when a customer insisted that you could dim a light fitting i fitted the switch and he apologised after he had replaced 4 bulbs and the annoying noise from the dimmer (mk not no cheap homebase crud) so just grab a mk switch spst

edit: btw what dimmer is it or the transformer they are leading edge if i remeber correctly? and the dimmer might not like it in your case found this out with several mk ones

 

[deutscheparts]

Thanks for all the replies, the circuit runs through a standard Wickes dimmer switch, about teh same age as the IKEA light set.