Domestic (Non-electician) needs advice please! - bathroom lights pop/flash and trip breaker

[BlackbirdViera]

I have a 2 year old 3 storey town house. I turned the bathroom (top floor) lights on last night (4x recessed spots) and there was an almighty flash and the breaker (bottom floor) tripped.

I did a little test and discovered that all the other lights on the top floor work, it is just the bathroom which trips the breaker... Isolate the top floor and no lights work, activiate the top floor, and all lights work, but the bathroom trips it out.

My next test was to swap out one of the bulbs, and the same thing happend - an almighty flash, and it tripped out again - though it appeared to come from one spot this time - the one where I swapped out the bulb.

The bathroom is a main bathroom and at the same time an en-suite, so there are two light switches (on the landing and in the bedroom) - both of these trip the breaker.

Any idea what it could be, and what my next avenue should be?

Many thanks in advance!

[ChristianG]

Call out an electrician. Good luck.

There is a list of contractors local to your area on the niceic website.

[Starbuck]

Sounds like your 12V transformer feeding the spots is damaged. I assume they are low voltage lights?

[Risteard]

Originally Posted by Starbuck

Sounds like your 12V transformer feeding the spots is damaged. I assume they are low voltage lights?

Low Voltage lights would not require a transformer if at 230V.

[Starbuck]

Low Voltage lights would not require a transformer if at 230V.

Realy? So how do you propose to get 12V from a 230AC supply?If he has LV spots then he will have a transformer.

[Risteard]

Originally Posted by Starbuck

Low Voltage lights would not require a transformer if at 230V.

Realy? So how do you propose to get 12V from a 230AC supply?If he has LV spots then he will have a transformer.

No. If he has ELV (Extra Low Voltage) lights then he will have a transformer.

[Starbuck]

I said 12V in my post above.

[Risteard]

Originally Posted by Starbuck

I said 12V in my post above.

12V is ELV, not LV.

[Starbuck]

OK! So when you said he wouldn't need a transformer if his LV lights were 230AC you were saying that 230AC is LV then yeah?

[Risteard]

Originally Posted by Starbuck

OK! So when you said he wouldn't need a transformer if his LV lights were 230AC you were saying that 230AC is LV then yeah?

That's about the size of it, yeah.