[Imageman2020]

I have undercabinet lights that are low voltage. They work xenon pucks just fine. I want to convert to low voltage LEDS. Supposedly these are 12V DC but when I hook 12V DC LED pucks up, they don't work.

There is a switch to turn these on that is 120 volts. Somewhere buried behind the wall is a 120 to 12VDC converter. I can't access it. I am assuming there is too much current to the lights so the LEDs won't work... maybe more than the 12V. I bought a multimeter but it doesn't show any voltage. I put the wires together and I get a spark so I know there is power. Maybe I am using the multimeter wrong? I put the probes to each end of the wire. I also put it to one end of the wire and to a ground. Nothing.

In the end, I wand the LED's to light up but they don't seem to want to respond to the power getting to them. Is there anything I can do??

 

[Jim Port]

Some LEDs are polarity sensitive. Try switching the wires at the connections.

Your meter should be set to DC.

 

[Imageman2020]

The only reading I get on the multimeter is when I set it to 200, I get .4. What is that telling me?

 

[Let it Snow]

It's not going to work. You must remove the 120V to 12V converter and feed 120V into the LED driver.

 

[Imageman2020]

The transformer is in the wall somewhere...not accessible. The LED kit I bought has a transformer at the plug with low voltage wires to the led pucks. I am just hooking up those low voltage pucks. I get nothing though...

 

[jbfan]

The transformer is in the wall somewhere...not accessible. The LED kit I bought has a transformer at the plug with low voltage wires to the led pucks. I am just hooking up those low voltage pucks. I get nothing though...

By code, it can't be buried in the wall.
Look in the crawl space or attic. That is where I find them.
You could pull the switch out and maybe find it there.

 

[Imageman2020]

I looked hard because I was told that these transformers tend to put out a bit more than 12V and that's why the LED won't work. I wanted to replace it. The switch is in tile and I can't see anything behind it. We had a contractor finish our basement and I think he drywalled it in. In any case, there is power to it (spark) and I can't get a reading on the multimeter (except .4 when I set it to 200....doesn't make sense).

This is just driving me crazy.

 

[FrodoOne]

Post a photo of how you have "set" the mustimeter
and
WHERE you are making the "reading".

 

[Matt1963]

Your using your meter incorrectly. Take a picture of your meter and post.

Your transformer won't work on most LED's ....they call them driver's.

I haven't had problems with outside landscape lighting but I do inside.

You need to know where your transformer is because you never know if you have to work on it and in this case you need to replace it.

Post a picture of your lights, maybe they require something else.

 

[Imageman2020]

Post a photo of how you have "set" the mustimeter..

 

[Imageman2020]

Your using your meter incorrectly. Take a picture of your meter and post.

Your transformer won't work on most LED's ....they call them driver's.

I haven't had problems with outside landscape lighting but I do inside.

You need to know where your transformer is because you never know if you have to work on it and in this case you need to replace it.

Post a picture of your lights, maybe they require something else.

I wish I could get to the transformer because I would switch to a new one. I can't get to it.

 

[Imageman2020]

 

[Imageman2020]

 

[FrodoOne]

Photo 2 in post #10 appears to show a measurement of 0.4 V AC.
However, you did not show where/how you were measuring this.

If "Somewhere buried behind the wall is a 120 to 12VDC converter." you MAY not use this - since it is inaccessible.
(Although you can use it - if you are prepared to take all of the risks.)

(In your first Post, you also wrote "I also put it to one end of the wire and to a ground. Nothing." which ought to be the case.)


I suggest that the best thing that you can do is to "start again" - with the correct "driver" and wiring for the lights concerned.

 

[Matt1963]

This picture is the correct setting. The line with the 3 dots under it is DC volts and you want to be on twenty. Touch your two probes to the two wires going to your old lights and check the reading.

By the way your xenon bulbs get 10,000 hours of life so you really don't need to replace yours...I'm still using mine.

Post more pictures of your new lights, can't tell much from that one.(wire ends, other side)

By the way my transformer is in my attic above my kitchen.

 

[Imageman2020]

I get zero when I put it to dc 20. But there is definitely power because I get a spark if I put them together. That's what I don't understand. There is a second floor above the kitchen so no attic there. I think our renovator for the basement walled the transformer in and I'll never find it.

Again, why am I registering no power when meter set to DC?

as for the zenon, The pucks are now gone. They don't even sell them on amazon anymore. They were hot and felt like a fire hazard.

 

[AllanJ]

Are you sure that the power module supposedly buried in the wall is delivering direct current? If you you set a meter to DC and try to measure an AC source you will get unpredictable results, probably a zero reading.

You might want to get a two piece tone generating circuit tracer which may give you a hint of where in the wall the transformer might be.

"" you did not show where/how ""

Where did you touch the two meter probes to? Try again measuring AC voltage between the two wires possibly in one bundle (cable) that came out of the wall and went into one of the pucks. (Three combinations if three wires going into the puck, taken between two wires at a time)

"" they were hot and felt like a fire hazard""

Small or medium sized xenon household lights are a style of tungsten-halogen (not halide). Tungsten-halogen is a style of incandescent-filament. Incandescent lights work equally well on AC or DC of the proper voltage and do not require ballasts or electronic drivers..

 

[Imageman2020]

Are you sure that the power module supposedly buried in the wall is delivering direct current? If you you set a meter to DC and try to measure an AC source you will get unpredictable results, probably a zero reading.

You might want to get a two piece tone generating circuit tracer which may give you a hint of where in the wall the transformer might be.

"" you did not show where/how ""

Where did you touch the two meter probes to? Try again measuring AC voltage between the two wires possibly in one bundle (cable) that came out of the wall and went into one of the pucks. (Three combinations if three wires going into the puck, taken between two wires at a time)

"" they were hot and felt like a fire hazard""

Small or medium sized xenon household lights are a style of tungsten-halogen (not halide). Tungsten-halogen is a style of incandescent-filament. Incandescent lights work equally well on AC or DC of the proper voltage and do not require ballasts or electronic drivers..

again, the only reading I get is .4 from the AC side. How do I interpret that?