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lights flickering on and off


cloudbound

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The lights in my almost-completed dollhouse rehab are flickering on and off all at the same time, then they go out altogether.  I've been checking my light fixtures as I make them to make sure they went on.  Then as I installed them I checked to make sure they went on.  I'd never left the power 'on' though for any length of time.  Yesterday after I installed a light I left the power on as I sat there and after a minute or so ALL the lights started to go on and off.  UGH!  Then after a few minutes they went off and stayed off.  I turned the power off and then tried it again checking to make sure my lead-in wire from the transformer was pushed in all the way to the junction splice.  The lights came on at first but within a minute they started to go on and off again.  I pushed the lead-in wire into the junction splice socket a little and the lights seemed to stay on.  As soon as I let up pressure on it they went out again.  I thought maybe there was a problem with my transformer so I hooked up a brand new one.  Within a minute the lights went on and off again.  So I tried a new lead-in wire - and once again within a minute the lights started to go on and off again - and stay off.  I tested the transformer using an extra light fixture and the transformer is working.  I tested the lead-in wire with the extra light fixture and the lead-in wire is working. 

  I don't happen to have an extra new junction splice so I have to wait till the hobby store opens tomorrow to buy a new one.  I am SO bummed.  Has anyone out there ever had a junction splice 'go bad' and do this?  I'm sure hoping its the junction splice because the very IDEA of having to remove all the lights I've installed sickens me.  As I said, I tested each light as I built it and then re-tested to make sure it went on when I installed it.  But I never even THOUGHT to leave it lit for a while after I finished building it.  I sort of figured if it lit, it was fine. 

  I'm so disheartened right now.  I can't even go in there and LOOK at the dollhouse. 

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I seem to recall having to replace a junction splice - I find that no matter what direction its installed in, the lead-in wire connection can be touchy. I think you should definitely buy a new one - I think that will take care of your issue. The only other thought I have is if the transformer isn't large enough to handle all the lights you've added. There's a max number of light bulbs (not fixtures, but bulbs) the transformers can handle. 

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  Thanks mini.  I thought of the 'too many lights' scenario immediately but I've got a 40=watt one and I can only count about 39 lights that're hooked up as of yet (I have lamps that will just 'plug' into outlets later.  40 watts is supposed to accommodate more than 40 bulbs... 

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Come to think of it - when I was plugging the lead-in wire into the junction splice each time I would test a new light installation, the junction splice was kind of 'sparking'..  Maybe I should've been turning off the power on the lead-in wire and THEN plugging it in or unplugging it.  I could just never remember if I'd left it 'on' or 'off' so to make sure I didn't accidentally forget, I just was plugging the lead-in wire into the junction splice each time...

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Try to widen/bend the prongs on the lead wire a bit to get a better connection.

Here is another thought- the light you installed yesterday, was it for a flashing fireplace light?  If you install a flashing fixture into the line, all of the lights will flash on and off.

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Hi Sable.

  Ha,  ha ...  as the lights first started flashing on and off I was sitting there kind of not BELIEVING this was happening.  Do you know what I mean?  I've only been working on dollhouses about a year but I've never had this happen.  It felt like something extraterrestrial had taken over the lights in the house.  Then the FIRST thing that crossed my mind was, "Did I somehow wind up installing a flickering light that's affecting all the system?".  But I've never purchased a flickering light.  Plus it was making ALL the lights go on and off, not dimming.  I tell you what - I was actually sick to my stomach sitting there.  I'm so anxious to get it finished so I can get all my fun furniture pieces in there too.  Hobby Lobby is the only store in this area that carries dollhouse supplies and its closed on Sundays.  I bought the last junction splice they had when I started installing all my lights about a month ago so I sure hope they've restocked! 

  I sure appreciate you trying to help Sable.  Thank you so much. 

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Well yuck - I didn't use screw-in bulbs on the last light.  I used three 'grain of wheat' bulbs in it.  How funny that one loose bulb would cause every bulb in the house to go on and off.  Shoot - I wish I HAD used the screw-in kind and that was the problem...

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I had a similar problem with my first house.  I FINALLY found the problem was the junction splice. I was using tape wire and checked to make sure I had installed according to the limited instructions provided.  I had, but the issue was the screw that held the junction splice in place.  It was barely touching both copper lines and thus shorting out the lights.  Plus, the splice itself was getting warm, very uncomfortably warm.  So I turned the junction splice around (even though this adjustment made plugging it in awkward) and snipped the end of the tape wire so it wouldn't be touching the mounting screw.  Solved my problem.  Hope this helps.

By the way, this problem was not addressed in the instructions.

 

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  I just went and checked to see if possibly my mounting screw was touching both lines as you mentioned, but that's not it.  I'd already tried to push the two prongs on the lead-in wire closer together but that didn't help.  So I got a brand new lead-in wire and tried it too - no luck.  I know I'm getting power from the transformer and the lead-in wire because I touched the end to the bare wires on a light and it worked.  I'm am HOPING that its just the little junction splice because if I have to start pulling light fixtures.... Oh my gosh.  Every single light fixture worked when I finished building it, and also lit when I installed it in the dollhouse.  And since I've never left the lights 'on' for more than the time it took me to test that they lit, if its one of those light fixtures that's the issue I don't know what I'll do.  Tracking down the culprit would mean un-connecting each one, one at a time, and testing to see if the other lights stay lit after a few minutes.  That's like 11 or 12 fixtures and some of them were a real pain in the neck to get installed! 

  I need to adjust my attitude.  Maybe if I think of it as a 'puzzle'....

  But thanks for your help Amy. 

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Hey Mike,

  I just did that and no luck.  They don't go on at ALL anymore - not even a flicker.  I pulled out that junction splice to be sure I hadn't shorted the connection with the screw that secures it.  But that wasn't it. 

  So are you saying that if one of my lights burns out, ALL of the other lights will shut off automatically?  That would make it SUPER difficult to trace down which light to replace.  Oh my.  My brilliant idea of making my own light fixtures may have backfired on me HUGELY! 

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BLUEBEARl!  You are like a GENIUS.  I did what you said and the lights go on and appear to be staying on.  I only sat there a couple of minutes holding the lead-in to the tape run so I'll have to go back and sit a bit longer to test again.  I hate to get to excited right now though.  But YIPPEE - it was so nice to see the lights go on!

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OH YES - another lesson learned!  The very first time I saw the little 'spark' coming from the junction splice when I plugged in the lead-in cord I SHOULD'VE realized it was not a good thing!  I could've accidentally been harming the junction splice each time I put the prongs in and out WITH THE POWER ON. 

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EUREKA - lights are on.  I picked up the new junction splice and got it in.  Lights are staying on steady now.  Not that I feel all that comfy yet....  I know one thing - no more making my own ceiling light fixtures unless I have lights that are replaceable (screw-in base).  I have one last ceiling fixture to install (bathroom deer antler light WITH replaceable bulbs thankfully)  Then I THINK I'm about ready to start adding the furniture and décor. 

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