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I am in the process of having some renovations done and as a small part of this I am planning to replace a set of outside wall lights. I asked my electrician what the voltage was and was told 240v so I bought a set of weatherproof 240v LED lights. For various reasons I have had to change electrician and I am now told the lights are in fact 12v. This in itself is not a problem as I have found suitable 12v replacements but I am very concerned that there are old (~20yrs) transformers for these lights hidden somewhere in the walls or the ceilings but as the installation was done before I bought the property, I have no idea where they are located although I'd like to convert the wiring to 240v (done by my electrician, of course). Does anyone have any bright ideas as to how these transformers can be located with the minimum investigative hole-cutting?
 
The simple answer is no, they could be anywhere. They could be integral parts of the fitting.

Do you have pictures of the lights, bulbs (lamps for the pedants) and cables entering the lights?

A 12V external wall light with a remote transformer doesn't seem right, can't say I've ever seen one.

Would be interesting to find out how they (previous electricians) were determining the voltage at the lights.

We're any measurements of Voltage taken?

I got caught once by a MR16 GU5.3 fitting which I assumed was 12V, as they nearly all are, yet this one was 240V.

So, a measurement of Voltage at the fitting is really the only place to start.
 
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The simple answer is no, they could be anywhere. They could be integral parts of the fitting.

Do you have pictures of the lights, bulbs (lamps for the pedants) and cables entering the lights?

A 12V external wall light with a remote transformer doesn't seem right, can't say I've ever seen one.

Would be interesting to find out how they (previous electricians) were determining the voltage at the lights.

We're any measurements of Voltage taken?

I got caught once by a MR16 GU5.3 fitting which I assumed was 12V, as they nearly all are, yet this one was 240V.

So, a measurement of Voltage at the fitting is really the only place to start.
Thanks. Not sure if measurements taken but have asked the question. If it makes any difference, the original fittings were put in place 20-odd years ago. To my untrained eye, it seems crazy to seal up a device like a transformer, which obviously has a limited lifespan, behind a wall or in a ceiling without any access.
 
It might be possible to find it with a stethoscope to listen for it buzzing, depending on your hearing and how noisy the building is. Switching the lights supply on/off would allow it to be isolated from any other 50Hz source.

Same applied for looking for a magnetic signature, though toroidal transformers (or electronic SMPSU - unlikely 20 years ago) have small fields.
 
Can you see a model number on the fitting? Have a google.
A rating sticker will also tell you.

having a remote transformer is rather unusual.... voltage drop between tranny and lamp will be a problem.
 
it seems crazy to seal up a device like a transformer, which obviously has a limited lifespan,

I agree that transformers should be accessible for maintenance because they can and do fail, and electronic types do have a finite lifespan. But traditional wirewound types can last for a century or more without attention, so it is not inevitable that they will need to be accessed during the life of the installation.
 

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