Library Lights

On one occasion, the library shelf lights tripped their breaker downstairs and went out.  This only happened once and was at least ten years ago but, it might happen again one day so, here's how to fix it.

There’s a note on the breaker panel that explains what you must do to turn them back on when this happens.  This panel is in the exercise room to your left on entering the room. 

When first built, this library’s bookshelves were lit by incandescent bulbs that got very hot and did not last long.  I annually had to replace most of the entire set.   there are 65 of them so this got a bit tiresome.

In 2018 I replaced them all with LED bulbs.  Now bulb outages are rare, one or two a year, and usually preceded by a period of flickering.  These bulbs are type RL4410-WWHP9, 12 volt, Warm White.  They are available from superbrightleds.com for around $5.00 each.  With shipping and exchange they are more like $6.00 each.  https://www.superbrightleds.com/561-led-bulb-9-smd-led-festoon-44mm+color-Warm~3000K

I buy them 15 at a time.  It takes only a minute to pry a flickering one out and replace it. Because there are so many of them, this is not infrequenet.

 

    Bathroom Lights

After about seven years our bathroom dimmable ceiling lights started to fail.  Now, in July 2016, two of the four have required new transformers.  They require the LET 151R transformer made by LIGHTECH.  www.lightechinc.com.  These are available through Amazon.ca for about $50. 

Disassembly of these lights is easy.  Turn off the lights.  No need to turn off the breaker in the basement. 

The rack holding the three MR16 bulbs comes out first.  Ease up one of the long sides until the thing is almost standing on edge and then lower the entire assembly down through the hole.  It will hang by its three bulb connections.  Gently disconnect the bulbs and set the rack aside.  Up inside the hole on the side holding the three wires there are two knurled nuts that can be removed by hand.  These release that side wall of the compartment and allow you to pull out the electrical case and lower it down and out of the ceiling compartment.  It will hang there on its 120v cable.  Left picture.

 

Driver box showing LET 151R driver

The driver box open for surgery, lights temporarily removed.

The three lights in their rack hanging by their wires.

 

You can open one side of the box by removing one red Robertson screw.  Loosen the remaining screw, slide the panel aside and tighten the remaining screw to hold it there as in the second picture.  Now you can remove the transformer and replace it with your new one that you ordered and received before you did this.

Some time in 2019 or 2020 we upgraded this assembly to LED lights and don't expect to have to mess with these again.  There's a possibility that the LED driver will fail one day as they commonly do.  The procedure for digging out the fixture to work on may still be useful so I've left this page here.

Of course, you could always call an electrician if these lights fail one day.  That never appealed to me.