Been using Volt transformer and about 20 fixtures, 3 zones for about 11 years. Recently the transformer turns off on its own and when reset, will stay on for a minute or less and the flip off again. I removed wires from one zone and it stayed on for 5 minutes then flipped off again. I have not added any fixtures or changed anything, the system has always been trouble free. I plan to try to remove other zones to try to narrow down the scope of the issue but seems strange the system stayed on a while then kicked off when I did this to the first zone I disconnected. Stumped
What you’re doing sounds like a reasonable troubleshooting approach. What’s size is your transformer and what your total wattage used? The first thing that comes to mind is a short somewhere created by either a damaged wire, loosened connection or water intrusion (either through the wiring or a lamp socket). Did something remarkable occur recently like a heavy lightning storm or perhaps there was some recent damage due to yard maintenance or gardening? If disconnecting groups of lights doesn’t isolate the problem, you may have to just carefully inspect wires and fixtures for damage. We’ve had our lawn service step on or nick wires near our above ground hubs a couple of times and we’ve also had squirrels bite into a cable or two in the past. If there’s no physical damage to your wires, you may next want to check on individual fixtures to determine if a lens got damaged or water somehow got inside a fixture and is now causing problems. If those things check out, perhaps you’ll need to examine the transformer connections and confirm that your GFCI is still functioning properly. HTH to start.
