Read Undercabinet Lighting by robert Grey (Kitchen Remodeling Projects)
I am considering one of a variety of systems that use “hockey pucks.” Some options are: low voltage lights (non-halogen), low voltage halogen and 120 volt halogen. Hoping some readers can fill in the blanks for me.
1. Heat
Given thermoplastic faced cupboards, will too much heat be directed towards the underside of the cabinets? Halogens, in particular, seem to have very hot fixtures. Solutions?
2. Location
Would also welcome any comments on spacing: between fixtures and setback from the edge of the cabinet.
3. Wiring
Is there any convention, best practice or “?” for wiring these? For eg., are these usually wired to a common switch (all on or off or dimmed simultaneously) or are undercounter areas controlled separately?
Thanks for the help.
EDIT: Just came back from a new lighting store that has white led undercabinet lighting. Pucks are about half the diameter of what I discussed above. Wonder about light intensity tho? Light has an array of 6 approximately 1/8 inch diameter lenses. Don’t know tho if 6 lights or 1 light with all these lenses (suspect the latter). Would this be more background than task oriented? I have seen Led flashlights that can put out huge amounts of light so the potential is there.Anyone actually installed them? Sure looks after the heat issue tho.
Edited 3/15/2006 12:02 pm ET by Dunc1
Replies
(1) Can't answer that one.....I'd check manufacturers specs and recomendations.
(2) The thinner models that can hide behind the face frame of the cabinet work well pulled all the way forward so that they are basically shining down aprox. center of counter top. If they're too thick, pulling them back a tad helps hide them while still lighting the work surface.
(3) No hard and fast rules, but I prefer to have them on a seperate dimmer. In my own home, I like to leave them on after dusk. No need to turn on main lighting for the various kitchen visits throughout the evening. Soft, warm lighting adequate for fetching a glass of water....rinsing a cup, etc.
FWIW....of the "newer" home options upgrades available these days, undercabinet lighting is one of the very few I wouldn't want to do without.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Personally, I don't care for the pucks. They run hot, don't cast an even light over the area, and can have excessively bright reflections in shiney countertops.
I prefer festoon lamps similar to those in jewelry cases like found in these:
Note the inside of the cabs have pucks and the top has rope lighting. Compare the light patterns.
Pete,
Do the xenon festoon lamps run hot? I'm putting strip outlets on the backsplash just under the cabinets. I'm putting undercabinet lights in as well. I like the festoon, but was leary about a fully exposed bulb if people are going to be reaching under the cabinet to plug in an appliance.
Thanks.
FR
Not like a halogen. But they're fairly warm. You can hold one after popping it out ot it's socket after it's been on for a while. Mite need to juggle it one or twice.
Pete,
After seeing the Undercabinet Lighting article in FHB, I was all set to use the festoons. Then, one electrician I know recommended against them. He said they are constantly breaking or burning out and I should use the enclosed fixture with the built in transformers.
Have you had maintenance problems with your light strip? The author in the FHB article seemed pretty high on the festoon setup.
Thanks.
On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being best for overall satisfaction:
I'd give them an 8.
I cannot imagine better lighting. The color, the size, how it illuminates are all great. I'll be using these types in all of whatever house I have in the future.
But there are some issues.
Lamps do appear to burn out more frequently than I'd like. Out of a run of 40, I replace one about every 2 to 3 months. However, I couldn't swear that the transformer is properly sized. It could be putting out too much.
And those lamps are not cheep. I bought a box of 100 online for like $150.
In retrospect, I wish I would have run a strip of metal tape on the wood surface before attaching them. I feel that would have reflected more heat and light down and lengthed the life of the cabinet's finish.
I do have one fixture that needs replacing due to apparent corrosion. A bulb won't light in it anymore.. I'm scratching my head on how to replace it.
Overall, the appearance and function in my opinion rates excellent dispite these issues.
For the past ten years, my undercabinet lamps have been 12V DC incandescents, much like in cars. They produce sufficient light, don't get very hot, and they last. My light store has the replacement lamps when I need them.
I used the 12v DC halogen puck lights for a few years, but replaced them with 110v AC pucks about three years ago.
The DC trasnformer wasn't overloaded, but I was replacing a bulb every few weeks. After the switch to AC, I've replaced two bulbs in three years. That works for me!! - lol
Pete,
Thanks for the info and the statement that you would use them again. Can you tell me what brand you used?
Frank R.
I'll have to dig for that. Rite now, I don't know.
Pete,
I'm set on the undercabinet lights. Thanks for all of your help. One more question. Where do you hide the transformer for the pucks that you have in the cabinets. I have some glass cabinets. In my last kitchen, the transformer was on top of the cabinets (but you could not see it). Now, I'm going to have crown going to the ceiling so I don't think you can put the transformer on top because you would not have access to it. I'd like to drop the transformer in the basement and run lines up to the 10 pucks going in the cabinets, but - for all of the pucks I have looked at, the transformer must be within four or five feet. Any suggestions on where to put the transformers or where to get pucks that I can put the transformer 20 feet away? Also, are your transformers hard wired or plug?
Thanks again.
Frank R.
I have heard of people getting creative with hidden latches, velcro, magnets, etc. Maybe you could have a hidden panel in the crown that would still allow you access to your "tranformer vault".
I looked at halogen & xenon b4 deciding upon fluorescents. Ones I chose are sold in various lengths - 1 ft - 2ft - and use a small diameter tube (about 5/8 in dia). Replacement tubes are readily available from a big box store. System also includes junction boxes to connect the fixtures to the romex and some neat little connectors to add additional fixtures to provide continuous coverage over long counter runs.Also starting to appear are various led (white) lighting systems. While they might be a little weak for task lighting (vs 'mood' / night lites) their light output is improving. Saw one at Ikea (Ontario, Canada) that just might do the task lighting job.
Xenon, xenon, xenon.
Forget halogen for undercabinet use.