I have path lights that have the 3W G4 LED Bi-Pin 2700K bulbs in them. 2 of them are going out periodically. I removed the top cap or shade and noticed the LED was only partially on. Meaning of the 20 or so LEDs that make up the bulb, only 1/3 rd were on. I removed the bulb and it was super hot and the plastic seal on the globe was melted. Does this indicate bad bulbs or bad wiring?
could use a bit more information. What wiring method are you using? Daisy chain or hub or both or neither? How long are the lead wires for those fixtures (iow, the length of cable between those fixtures to your transformer? You want your first fixture at least 10 feet (cable length) from your transformer.
I am using a hub for the wiring method. I am pretty sure the lights are 10' (I am at work now so I will have to measure when i get home) from the hub but the hub is about 2' from the transformer. Can I use a multimeter to check the pinholes at the fixture to determine if this is the issue?
Hi, Ray. Just to clarify, you want at least 10 feet of cable between your first fixture and your transformer. Spatial distance is irrelevant. Evan or someone else at VOLT will correct me if I’m wrong but if your home run wire (from transformer to hub) is only 2 feet long and the wire leads from the hub to those fixtures are only 4 feet long, those fixtures are probably getting blasted (especially if they are the only fixtures on that hub). If, otoh, you opted for 25 ft lead wires, then it’s unlikely that cable length is the source of the problem.
From the transformer to the hub is 2 feet and from hub to fixture is 10 feet. I tested the voltage at the fixture and it is 14.1. What volt range does the bulb accept? Should I be testing something else? Amps or watts?
Hi, Ray. As I’m only a fellow lighting enthusiast, I think it might be best for you to contact VOLT customer service. Without knowing more about your setup, I can’t really give any meaningful feedback. They may tell you that adding more length to your home run wire will help, they may tell you to keep all the lead wire length the same, they may recommend using a different tap, they may want to know how many fixtures are connected to the hub, they may want to know wire gauge you’re using, etc. But I think you’ll get answers faster that way.
Thank you for your help Mesodude2. I have it figured out now, It is the bulbs. I switched out bulbs with a bad fixture and one that was not. The bulb did the same thing in a different fixture that was working correctly. Also I searched for the bulbs and they no longer make the 4 watt bulbs that have now, so, maybe they were defective or something. Thanks again for the help!!! Ray
