You swapped a dead globe for a new one and the light still won't come on, or now a whole row is out. Most of the time it's the globe type, a tripped circuit or an old transformer that doesn't get along with LED.
Work through the checks below first. If you're still in the dark, ring 0421 772 661 and we'll sort out the fitting, the transformer or the circuit.
Always turn the light off at the wall switch before touching a globe, and let an old halogen cool down first: they get hot enough to burn. If the fitting is scorched, the ceiling around it is discoloured, or you smell burning, leave the light switched off and turn the lighting circuit off at the switchboard if it's safe to reach.
Don't pull the downlight out of the ceiling or unplug its transformer or driver. Behind the trim there are mains connections, and the ceiling space may have old cabling that's brittle. Everything on this page can be done from the floor or a stable step ladder without opening anything.
These are the checks we'd ask you to run before booking us. None of them involve removing the fitting.
A GU10 globe has two stubby pins with little feet and twists into place; it runs on mains voltage. An MR16 has two thin straight pins and runs on low voltage from a transformer. They are not interchangeable, so compare the new globe against the old one.
GU10s need a firm twist until they lock. MR16 pins need to go fully into the socket. A globe that's only half in will often do nothing at all.
When a halogen blows it can trip the lighting circuit breaker or safety switch on the way out. If the other lights on that circuit are also off, check the board and reset the tripped device once.
New globes are occasionally faulty. Try the new globe in a fitting that works, or put a working globe from another fitting into the dead one.
If the light is on a dimmer, make sure the new LED globe says it's dimmable. A non-dimmable LED on a dimmer may stay off, flicker or buzz.
Many newer LED downlights are a single sealed unit with no replaceable globe. If you can't see a separate globe, the fitting or its driver has failed and the whole unit gets replaced.
Old halogen transformer, new LED globe. This is the cause we come across most. Older iron-core and electronic transformers were built for halogen loads. Many need a minimum load to run properly, and a low-wattage LED globe may sit below it, so the light stays dark or flickers. Swapping only the globe doesn't fix that; the transformer needs to suit the LED, or the fitting is replaced with an integrated LED downlight. Our LED downlight buying guide covers the options.
The transformer or driver has failed. Transformers sit in the ceiling space near each fitting and they wear out, particularly in hot roof spaces. If a correct, known-good globe won't light, the transformer is the next suspect. That's a job for an electrician because it means working on the mains side of the fitting.
A tripped or faulty lighting circuit. If several lights went off at once, it's usually the circuit, not the globe. A halogen blowing can trip the breaker, and a fault in a fitting can keep tripping it. If more than the lights are off, see power out in part of the house.
Heat damage at the lampholder. Years of halogen heat can make the socket brittle or burn the contacts. A new globe then can't make a good connection. You might notice a brown or blackened socket when the old globe comes out; if so, stop and leave the light off.
Call us if a correct globe still won't light, if the lighting circuit keeps tripping, if the socket looks scorched, or if lights flicker or buzz after the change. We test the transformer or driver and the circuit, then replace the faulty part or the whole fitting with an LED downlight that suits the dimmer and the ceiling.
If most of the house still has old halogen downlights, it's often worth replacing them together rather than one dead light at a time. That gets rid of the old transformers and the heat in the ceiling. See our downlight installation page for how we approach it, or why lights flicker if the problem is flickering rather than no light.
Sometimes. If the downlight is a mains-voltage GU10, a GU10 LED usually works. If it's a low-voltage MR16 on an old transformer, the LED may flicker or not light because the transformer wasn't designed for such a small load.
A halogen globe can fail with a short burst of current that trips the lighting circuit breaker or safety switch. Reset it once at the switchboard. If it trips again with the globe removed, call an electrician.
The fault is in that fitting: usually the transformer, the driver or a heat-damaged socket. That needs an electrician to replace.
No. Transformers and drivers connect to the mains wiring in the ceiling, which is licensed electrical work in NSW.
If they're old halogens, often yes. Replacing them together removes ageing transformers, cuts heat in the ceiling and lets you choose one colour temperature and dimmer that all work together.
NSW Electrical Contractor Licence 332956C · Fully insured · Since 2016 · Based in Hurlstone Park
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