over head lights

[ponch]

when we pulled in tonight I went to turn on the lights over the counter, track lights mounted to the ceiling, and nothing happened. No blown fuses
nothing. about 5-10 minutes later they just came on. Didn't realise that I had left the switch on. DW jumped straight up lol

Any suggestions on trouble shooting? How do you get the switch off the wall to check the connections?

[sigo'suite]

Ponch,
The switch just pops off with persuasion from a kitchen knife or such.

I have had ongoing problems with my track lighting. It has been replaced twice. I doubt the problem is in the switch.

Finally I called Nicor and was told they no longer make the unit that is in my unit; so she replaced it with a newer style which I have not taken the time to install yet.

As you say, it just kinda comes and goes at will. Usually I am able to take a broom stick or some such assist tool and put pressure on the plate at the connection end of the track and make it light. albeit for just a while untill it decides to go off again.

On the Nicor issue, she directed me to one of the electrical dealers in our area who sells their product and it was shipped to them; when it arrived I went and picked it up. They did not want the old lighting since they no longer make it.

PM me if you need further info.

Hope this helps.

[ponch]

Thanks Ron I'll try that.

[Suitedreams]

We had the same kind of problem with our light switch. The light switch is cheaply made. The plastic cover pops off, then you have two lugs that holds the switch on the wall. The light switch and electric box are made together. The 110 wire is looped through the switch. I went to Lowes and got a plastic electric box and toggle light switch. You will have to cut the wire to tie it to the switch. MAKE sure the power is off, sorry to sound blunt, don't know your level of knowledge. Good thing DT made the wall 3 1/4 in. deep. I think the switch being located close to the door opening and closing may have had something to do with ours going bad. When you get the box look for a 12 cu. in. single gang box or 2 1/2 in deep.

[hitchup]

Ours wasn't in the wall switch, but on the ceiling where the light strip connects into the wire plate/box.

Note: David tried to reexplain to me, but neither of us can come up with a clear written explanation. :shock:

When the lights were on for an extended time, it would heat up & pull away losing the connection. Lights on, then off! Rather annoying. It hasn't done in since last summer, so he must have done something right.

[jack_diane_freedom]

Ours did the same thing and it was a loose connection in the base of the fixture. Just take out the two screws on the end of the fixture and it will expose the wiring. I had to put a new connection on it and now no problem. You will run into these types of problems as we a pulling a house down the highway with all the rocking and rolling and bouncing I am surprised these things hold together as well as they do.

[traveler]

I, too, have had this problem. In my case, it was in the base of the fixture. The contacts were burnt and corroded. I sanded the contacts and everything was fine--but DT sent me a new fixture which I installed. I also could push on the base with a broomstick and make them work and they would also go off and on by themselves as long as the switch was on.

Everyone probably knows this, but the 50 watt halogens are too much bulb for the fixture--well, three of them are anyway. Too much current is drawn, causing the overheating and burning.

I replaced the 50 watt bulbs with 30 watt ones and everything is ok.