Led ceiling lights all dim. Cover removal? Fuse location? (SOLVED)

Potterz · 10-21-2020, 05:22 PM

2020 Geo Pro 19FD. All 7 interior ceiling led lights (12v) have gone dim. 8th in bathroom still bright (different ckt I assume.)
1. I assume all 7 are on the same ckt but where is its fuse?
2. I've heard one bad led bulb will drag down all the others on the ckt. True?
3. I can't figure out how to remove the light cover to get to the bulb - doesn't twist or seem to "snap" on/off. Lights are 4.5 inches in diameter, center push button, and are mounted flush to the ceiling - picture attached.
Thanks in advance for your help.

Hclarkx · 10-21-2020, 05:29 PM

A different style from mine, but I would expect the lens to screw off.

Did they all go dim at the same time? Are they all similarly dim? If they dimmed irregularly, then I'd guess the multiple LEDs in them are failing one at a time. If all got dim at the same time, and similarly dim, then there's a significant problem in the panel or wiring. This situation is very unlikely and it's difficult to imaging what might be causing it.

My RV had nine "puck" lights. Eight of them were getting dim within a year. Each one had nine LEDs in it and those were failing one at a time. The RV manufacture sent me nine replacements. Five years later those new ones are all fine.

Potterz · 10-21-2020, 05:43 PM

All went dim together, all similarly dim

Iwannacamp · 10-21-2020, 06:21 PM

Hmmm. Not sure about the dimmer.

I have lights like that and it’s 1/4 turn left and pull.

Hclarkx · 10-21-2020, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Potterz

2020 Geo Pro 19FD. All 7 interior ceiling led lights (12v) have gone dim. 8th in bathroom still bright (different ckt I assume.)
1. I assume all 7 are on the same ckt but where is its fuse?
2. I've heard one bad led bulb will drag down all the others on the ckt. True?
3. I can't figure out how to remove the light cover to get to the bulb - doesn't twist or seem to "snap" on/off. Lights are 4.5 inches in diameter, center push button, and are mounted flush to the ceiling - picture attached.
Thanks in advance for your help.

If one LED fixture was pulling the voltage down on the circuit, there would be a lot of heat and likely sparks in that fixture.

It's curious that only that string dims and not others. Presumably the tank heater is not on this same circuit ...... though crazier things are found in our RVs. This pretty much rules out a battery or converter problem.

Do you have a volt meter? There should be a fuse panel someplace with a half dozen or more fuses, usually the color coded automotive type. I'd check voltages there. There may be "pads" that let you check each circuit for voltage at the downstream side of the fuses. I.e., if there is no voltage on one circuit, the fuse for that circuit is blown.

Still don't know how one circuit can see low voltage and not another ..... unless the tank heater is on that circuit. Tank heaters usually have a hefty fuse, maybe 30 amps, and lights are 15 amps. I would expect the tank heater to blow the light circuit fuse if it's errantly on that circuit.

Need that voltmeter I think. Start at the fuse panel. Look for a drop in voltage somewhere when the tank heater is thrown on.

Potterz · 10-22-2020, 01:06 PM

Great help from Forest River Customer Service/Tech Support!
Pulled every fuse, one at a time, but the dim lights never went out. Finally looked closer to find the first 15 amp fuse was burned. (FYI, the fuse label said Monitor Panel - no mention of ceiling lights.) Replaced with a new fuse and lights were immediately bright as they were originally. Was told that even with the circuit out of commission, the lights were still getting a small amount of feedback/phantom power, enough to light dimly.
FYI, apparently our light covers "snap" on/off, but warned it's very difficult, and trying to use a screwdriver blade could easily mar or damage the ceiling finish. Glad I didn't try.

Hclarkx · 10-22-2020, 02:41 PM

Hmmm. Are there LEDs in your fuse panel that light up when a fuse is blown?
If so those LEDs are in parallel with the fuses and get juice, and by light up, only if the associated fuse is blown. The circuit fed by that fuse gets some current via the LED but not very much. How bright that led is depends on the load on that circuit. I would have guessed that eight puck lights would have easily pulled voltage down so that that LED got the full 12 Volts. Again, this is if your panel had these LEDs adjacent to each fuse. (my FR does).

If there are no LEDs associated with each fuse, I have to wonder where the phantom voltage comes from ... kind of unsettling that you can have voltages with no source.

All's well that ends well.

tempestdriver · 10-22-2020, 03:07 PM

The covers on my 19FBS LED lights twist off

Iwannacamp · 10-23-2020, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hclarkx

Hmmm. Are there LEDs in your fuse panel that light up when a fuse is blown?

If so those LEDs are in parallel with the fuses and get juice, and by light up, only if the associated fuse is blown. The circuit fed by that fuse gets some current via the LED but not very much. How bright that led is depends on the load on that circuit. I would have guessed that eight puck lights would have easily pulled voltage down so that that LED got the full 12 Volts. Again, this is if your panel had these LEDs adjacent to each fuse. (my FR does).

If there are no LEDs associated with each fuse, I have to wonder where the phantom voltage comes from ... kind of unsettling that you can have voltages with no source.

All's well that ends well.

Prolly never happen with incandescent bulbs.

Maybe solar source??? [emoji23]

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