How do I fix a malfunctioning low voltage lighting system?

Byo29519231
by Byo29519231
Last evening my low voltage system which consists of 8 LED spotlights wasn't on after dusk. I found the circuit breaker had tripped and reset it. After about 20 seconds it tripped again. The same thing happened several times. When I changed the setting on the transformer from "auto" to "on" I found the first three lights not on and the remaining five burning dimly. I had just watered flowers and trees in the area. Does it sound like the wiring was shorting out? All connections are taped with 3M waterproof electrical tape.

  2 answers
  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Jul 15, 2018

    It sounds like the water is getting in somewhere and shorting it out. I would check both the lights and the wiring first to see if water is getting in somewhere before it causes a real problem. It could be one of the lights is letting it in somewhere, or perhaps the electrical tape may have come loose somewhere and is letting in moisture. Hopefully it didn't short out the lights!

  • William William on Jul 15, 2018

    Replace the electrical tape with waterproof wire nuts. Even though the connections are not touching, water is is creating an electrical connection anywhere the tape has failed and causing a short. Water is a great conductor of electricity. The dim lights mean the current is going to ground.