LED Spot light Meltdown!!

[jonnyg2k6]

I installed one 12v LED lamp (purchased from Ebay) into a recessed MR16 fitting and used a Halolite constant voltage LED driver to power it. It is just going to be used as a night light in the kids room.

However, I installed the lamp and it worked fine, I came back 20mins later to check it and found a bulid of what looked like molton glue building up behind the glass lense covering the LED bulb's. I switched it off and took the bulb out which was HOT. I thought the bulb may be faulty so change for a new bulb but the same thing happend again.

When I put a volt meter on the driver it reports 12v but gradually builds up to 17v + over a few secs. Totally confused. I assume the driver is faulty?? Should I of used the constant current driver instead???

 

[mikhailfaradayski]

possibly, do you have any details of the kit you have used so far?

 

[jonnyg2k6]

Bulb: from ebay, no +ve -ve identification on bulb.

Driver: Halolite constant voltage driver from Screwfix.

 

[electronicsuk]

As you didn't buy the two as a kit, it's very likely indeed that the melting is not due to a fault of the lamp or the driver, but a mismatch between the two. Whether constant current or voltage, LED lamps (except those that contain internal voltage/current limiting circuitry) must be used with the correct driver as recommended by the manufacturer of the lamp.

If the lamp has a GX5.3 base then it's probably designed to run off 12v.

 

[jonnyg2k6]

Thanks all. Perhaps I will go back to screwfix and purchase bulb 92205 which is Halo lights LED bulb then.....??

ElectronicsUK - Can you advise on my other post posted same time as this one )

 

[electronicsuk]

Thanks all. Perhaps I will go back to screwfix and purchase bulb 92205 which is Halo lights LED bulb then.....??

Assuming that Screwfix sell that lamp and driver as a matched pair, then that should be fine. However, don't assume that just because the manufacturers are the same, every product they make will be interchangeable.