[macmikeman]

Have some trac fixtures , 120 v in and a built in xfmr to take em down to 12v that mounts in the canopy. I have issues with the amount of heat generated by the doughnut shaped magnetic xfmr's, the heat overload breakers built into the canopy, and the ETL mark where I would expect to see UL. The fixtures worked fine, until I later installed the dimmers the lighting house supplied with the fixtures. Soon as I installed those (Lutron Diva's magnetic) the little overload sensors began popping out and doing a cutout. We started with supplied Led lamps mr-16 style, and then switched to halogen mr-16's to see if that helps. Nope. Then I unscrewed the canopy and did a trial bypass of the heat sensors altogether just to test. The trac has 6 lamps, with Led's at 1.5 watts each the load was quite small. But the canopy housing the xfmr got too hot to touch. I shot my laser thermometer at it- reads 115 deg on the outside of the canopy. Mikey don't likey. This fixture is a suspended rail type from Tech Lighting. Big dollars. I'm getting very uncomfortable with the whole thing. I wanna tell em something concrete to get them to take em back, but it has to be something solid. What about this ETL listing? Is it ok?

 

[Dmansee12]

I have seen those lights melt all the insulation of wires... One house i was in it melted the hot so bare it turned the flex it was contained in to a giant hot cable running through the house. First time i ever saw my boss say i ain't touching that and run out to the panel to shut it off.

 

[glen1971]

ETL is an equivalent to CSA and UL... Up here there is a list of approved other testing labels.. Had to look up a few wierd ones in the past.. I don't have it online, but have a hard copy.. There are about 15, if I remember right...

The ETL Mark is proof of product compliance (electrical, gas and other safety standards) to North American safety standards. Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) across the US and Canada accept the ETL Listed Mark as proof of product safety. Retail buyers accept it on products they're sourcing. And every day, more and more consumers recognize it on products they purchase as a symbol of safety.

 

[daveEM]

In Canada the ETL mark must have a 'C' at the 8 o'clock position. Often a 'US' is at the 4 o'clock position for you guys however this page seems to think a ETL mark by itdelf is also OK in America...
https://www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/nrtlmrk.html

Not so in Canada, must have the 'C'.

 

[macmikeman]

Shows how much I pay attention to listings . I had never heard of them before now.

 

[LGLS]

http://www.intertek.com/marks/etl/ I heard the getting a product UL listed is extremely expensive, as UL is a private company, not a government agency, and can price it's listing services whatever it wants.