I’ve mounted a couple of second hand lamps through my work tabletop, drilling holes to fit the socket mount. To draw the cables through the hollow socket and under the table, I clipped of the big transformer wall plugs. They were too heavy to hang upside down from the power strips I mounted under the table anyway.
So now the lamps are installed, but they don’t have power. I tried disassembling the transformer plugs to fit the internals into a freestanding enclosure that could be mounted mid-cable instead. Well, these things were very much made to never be taken apart, and after using a hacksaw to open one of them… Let’s just say I’m looking for new transformers now.
The lamps use compact LED tubes @ 7-11W, which is why the transformer is needed. I’ve been fairly particular about the lamp model — Lival PL011 — and nevertheless I’ve found them with varying makes and models of transformer. But I’m not an electrician at all, so I’m going to need your advice on replacements. I’m in Europe, so the wall sockets provide 220V AC.
The transformers that I’ve seen included with these lamps give slightly different information along the lines of
- 220V ~
- 50Hz
- 170-200mA
When I look around the web, however, most transformers available either step the voltage up or down, or convert between AC and DC. Any tips on what I should keep an eye out for, and how better to find it?
Thanks in advance, any help is appreciated!
Thanks for the reply!
Yeah, the info I gave is all that’s offered on the transformer… LED driver… whatever. That’s why I interpreted the voltage as unchanged from input to output. If that’s even possible.
It’s not - you wouldn’t need a power supply/transformer then.
LED’s run on direct current, so the wall wart converts 220v to 5v using either a transformer (old school) or a switching power supply (more likely, same as what a laptop uses).
I’d be surprised if the wall wart didn’t list both input and output voltage and current. That’s required by some kind of regulation.
The key will be what voltage and amperage (or wattage) the panel is designed for. You’ll need a power supply to match the voltage closely, and to (generally) output at least the max amperage the lamp can consume. More voltage is not good, more amperage is fine - a light will only use what it can use.
Yeah, me too. Hence my confusion at the labels:
Your lamps aren’t LED but CFL (think old neon signs), and the small black box is not a transformer but an inductor.
In short, your lamps produce light by an electrical current flowing through a gas in a glass tube. To make the gas conductive to electricity, a very high voltage is applied for a short amount of time. That’s what the thing in the plug does.
I don’t know that particular model of lamp, but my suggestion is to use intact lamps and bin the broken ones. There’s a considerable risk of electric shock, fire or (in extreme cases) high-velocity glass shards if you try replacement parts at random and don’t know exactly what you’re doing. As the lamps haven’t been working beforehand anyway, I suspect they’re generally beyond repair.
Thanks for your reply. I appreciate your correction re inductors vs transformers. As I’ve written elsewhere, all I have to go on is what they’re labeled. Different blocks for the same lamps say one, some say the other. Some just go with “plugin” to add to the confusion.
The lamps do work, I tested them with modern, compatible energy saving LED tubes before cutting the wall plugs off. See my other reply with an image of the new tube’s specs.
Sorry, I can’t seem to add more than one image per reply. The above is one of my original warts. Attached here is a close up of another variant, found online:
Just be careful. I do not mean to sound condescending, but it seems you lack basic understanding of electronics. That combined with mains power is deadly. Don’t do it unless you’re sure.
If they are indeed LED lights, you would need a DC adapter with a DC output voltage such as 12V. This voltage you should know at this point. It is safe to work with UNLESS you open the transformer. DON’T OPEN THE TRANSFORMER(s), rather fix them under the table and use an extension cord.
If they need AC, it is definitely something else than 220V or there would be no transformer. Do not proceed unless you’re sure what you’re doing.
Well, I know not to mess with live wires, so that’s one basic rule down. But you’re right, and I appreciate the warning.
Edit: fwiw, I’m trying to get a better grasp of electronics and electrics repair. If you have good basic learning resources you can share, I’d love to hear them.