Morris Minor Owners Club

HI. Two wires from an old inspection lamp. Is it 12v only? I wanted to put a plug on it, the wire looks thin though. Should I put a 12v cigarette plug on it instead?

ONe brown. Live?
One brown and yellow stripe. Earth?

I did this and my bulb blew and cracked!

12v bulb though! Rated 50w

Not sure what the lamp is rated for. It tripped the kitchen socket and rcd! Maybe the fuse in plug!?

I take It this may be 12v only. CAn I plug in the glug to an invertor and run off car battery or is it needing a cigarette socket?

Picture?

The bulb probably blew cause it was old and had a shock when you connected it up. Bulbs don't care which is live and earth, ie they will work either way around. If the bulb is rated for 12v then obviously don't plug it into the mains at 240v !!
The RCD will trip most times a bulb blows as it creates a surge of power which feeds back through the circuit.

Having read your thread again are you trying to run an inspection light off a car cigarette lighter, or off the 12v battery. You can get inspection lamps (halfords) that have croc clips which clamp over the battery.

.....or did you connect a 12v 50W bulb to a 240 volts mains??????????

By reading his post, it looks like he did!

If anyone does use a 240v lead light - replace the bulb with a low energy one - they don't have an element to break!
make sure the glass can't get bashed if you drop it - on mine I made a guard round it using a wire coat hanger...
It can survive being dropped 7 foot from the roof of a Landy

as for a 12v lead light -sticka 20w bulb in it, unless you want it to burn things!

from reading it again, it looks like he wired it to the earth and the live, im not surprised the RCD blew!

I dont mean to be harsh but... If your not certain about something to do with mains electrics, dont mess about! Electricity doesnt care, IT WILL KICK YOUR DONT SWEAR OR YOU WILL BE BANNED IF YOU DONT RESPECT IT!

Ive I have miss read your post i apologise, If you did connect to the earth on the plug, this advise may save your life!

Lol. Didn't notice the bulb was 12v that threw me. The inspection lamp has the thickest rubber sleeve on the lead that I have ever seen. And white paper inside the sleeve, very refined. The insulation on the live and earth looks very thin though. Like doorbell wire. I am going to connect up some crocodile clips and use it with 12v.

You DO NOT EVER connect any 'mains' item to Live and Earth. The RCD probably saved your life.... Best you stay away from Mains wiring since you obviously have absolutely NO idea......

LOL I tested a bulb in the kitchen, it blew and tripped rcd. I put a cigarette plug on the lamp and new bulb and it works a treat.! SOrry for the confusion I was trying to write on this useless keyboard.

Thank you for you concern!

RobThomas wrote:.....or did you connect a 12v 50W bulb to a 240 volts mains??????????

i know, i had to read that twice!

I'm actually quite concerned there. You weren't sure if it was 12 or 240 volt, so you went straight for the bigger more dangerous option. Even though ones dc, the other Ac. Don't do that again, incredibly dangerous

The thing about mains electricity is that if you make a mistake then you usually make it only once....