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Placement of Under Cabinet Lights

15 years ago

I ordered T4 flourescents because they were so slim. Now I find out that the only way to mount them is from the slim side, so if I hang them from the bottom of the cabinet, they'll actually be about 2" below the cabinets. Now - I have three choices:

1. Mount them to the wall behind the cabinets right below them, which would place the lights at the very back of the cabinets

2. Mount them the way they're meant to be and have lights 2" below the cabinets

3. Send them back, which would cost shipping and be a pain, and then I'd have to find lights that hook up to the same wiring, because it's already installed.

What do y'all think? Or, does someone know how to mount them sideways to the cabinet?

Featured Answer

chefkev

15 years ago

I'm not a lighting expert, just an regular guy who has barely finished their 1st kitchen remodel. I swear I almost did the exact same thing as you with the T4s. I realized it at the very last moment and got T5s instead. Since then I've read other posts which indicate that T2s might be an even better, slimmer choice.

I don't favor option 1; I worry that it won't give you the proper task lighting you want where you want it. If your cabinets are a good 18" over your counters (so your lights won't get in the way) and it won't bother you that they hang down and are visible, you can go with option 2. While I probably don't qualify as "TKO" as they say here, it would bother me - both because of looks and because I would want the extra clearance for when I haul out my larger kitchen appliances. So if it was me, and I had it in the budget, I would send the T4's back and get T5s or T2s.

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Comments (9)

rmiriam
Original Author
15 years ago
Yeah...I think it would bother me, too. Too bad - I was hoping someone had a magic fix :) Oh, well. Back to the drawing board!
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iris16
15 years ago
Wait a mintue! I have T4 from Pegasus and DH mounted them on the front "overhang" (that's not the right word) of the cabinet so that they point towards the backsplash. They don't show at all. I don't have a light rail. The lights came with two sets of clamps. One for mounting hanging down , one for mounting the way we did. I'll try and get a picture of them.
joann23456
15 years ago
Yes, I bought T4 lights. I haven't mounted them yet, but I know they can mount so the side that shows is only about an inch.

About the T5's and T2's, my understanding is that you need a separate box to connect them to, and *that* will stick out under the cabinets. I've read lots of specs on these lights, and they all seem to say that the fixtures are too small to make hardwired connections.

If this isn't true, and if I can get the slimmer lights and hardwire them without needing the extra box, would someone please let me know!
chefkev
15 years ago
My T5s were hard wired - there's no box that sticks out. Had I known T4s could be side-mounted, I might have gotten them. Interesting what you can learn here on GW.
rmiriam
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks, everyone - I'll call the lighting company today and see if we can figure this out. Maybe they can send me clamps that will allow me to mount them sideways. They didn't come with instructions (?!), so keep your fingers crossed for me!

Joann23456 -- as far as I know, T4s have to be hardwired to a box. The box is a couple of inches deep, but I don't think anyone will notice it.
sprengle1
15 years ago
My husband called and spoke to someone at Pegasus about their T4 units and confirmed that they can be installed as iris16 did, mounted 'on their side' to the front of the cabinet rail. They are still clamped where they're supposed to be, on the slim side, if the clamp is mounted there.

However, I think we're going to get T5 units in order to be able to find the bulbs more readily. Either way, they will need a hardwire box for mounting. We plan to install a light rail.
joann23456
15 years ago
Oops! I meant that I got the T5's, and didn't get the T4's because you need the hardwire box. I wasn't sure whether anyone would notice it, but the T5's aren't that much bigger, anyway.
Chris Secenui79u
8 years ago
Hard wire is the way to go. What you will have to do is add a light rail to the cabinets. It is a decorative trim that goes around the bottom of the cabinet to hide the 2" light

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