Firstly 1 of 4 halogen downlights in my kitchen stopped working (the other 3 still worked).

After trying a new bulb (no success) I did some research online which seemed to be continually point in the direction of the transformer being the problem.

I removed the light fitting and found there was indeed a transformer attached. I went out and bought a replacement transformer and connected this in what I believe to be the correct way (same as the previous was connected - same wires into same connections etc). Once connected and the light fitting, bulb, etc all connected back together I turned the power back on and pressed the switch, which immediatley made a funny sound and started to smell - obviously something had blown in the switch!

The switch is a dimmer switch.

I am now looking at needing to buy a new switch.

Would the switch have been the problem for 1 of the 4 lights not working? (I think this is no?!)

Have I wired the new transformer in wrong and caused the switch to blow? (coming from the transformer are brown & blue wires one end - i attached these to the junction box(?) where the grey cable comes in from the ceiling, and a box with to connection terminals at the other end - I attached this to the bulb connector)

Any help on this to save me paying for an electrician would be much appreciated!

Very quickly, before I put dinner out, you have probably bought the wrong type of transformer...some can cope with a dimmer, some can't..

either that or there is a more serious problem...

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Verwood Handyman
I Know it says I'm On-line, but I might have just left myself logged in, whilst I'm out....

Wine~o: thanks!

Does that mean then, that as I am now in need of a new switch, I am better off getting a regular, non-dimmable switch (I was thinking of doing this anyway) and therefore the possibly unsuitable transformer would be suitable for the regular switch?

certainly worth a try...

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Verwood Handyman
I Know it says I'm On-line, but I might have just left myself logged in, whilst I'm out....

The whole idea of an extra low voltage supply to quartz lamps is to ensure the voltage is exactly correct as both too high or too low will reduce the lamp life. The so called transformer is rarely a simple transformer but more likely a switch mode power supply. Some are designed so they can be dimmed in real terms it is so like in the cinema there is not a sudden switch from no light to full light and not to be left in a dimmed mode. The special inverters that can be dimmed come in two types. Lead and lag and the dimmer needs to be of same type. Even then some problems can result and only real way is to get lamp, inverter and dimmer from same manufacturer. I would use a simple switch.