do i really want undercabinet lights?

13 years ago

hi,

i'm considering my LED undercabinet lighting options but am confused about dimmability. is that really a desirable feature?

i'm assuming you dim it for mood lighting. but if you turn off all the other kitchen lights and just leave the undercab lights on, isn't that mood lighting already? do i still want to dim it after that?

how often do you dim your undercabinet lighting, and for what purposes?

thanks!

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Comments (13)

beekeeperswife
13 years ago
I'm dimming daily, and I love it.

Dimming can save on electricity too.
pence
13 years ago
I don't dim because when i want mood lighting, I light the glassed cabinets which are on a dimmer. My undercabinet lighting is strictly for tasks
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countrygal_905
13 years ago
Mine are going in today and they won't have a dimmer. It seems to be personal preference and what you will be using them for.
patty_cakes
13 years ago
pence, do you have glass shelves on those cabinets so the light can shine thru? I was thinking of having dimmers on my glass door cabs, but the shelves are wood. Does it matter? ;o)
jem199
13 years ago
Mine were wired in last night. I chose 2 dimmers - one for the LEDs over the sink and one for the rest of the UCL. With dimmers, you can have it all - an on/off switch for full brightness and the ability to adjust for any reason at all. If costs is an issue, I can send you my research. My LED UCL cost about $350 for these two different lighting zones, including lights, wires, transformers and magnetic dimmers. The dimming added about $120 to the supply costs. With the system I purchased, you could upgrade the switches and transformers later if you decided that you wanted to add dimming after an initial on/off install. But that seemed like a lot of trouble for saving $120.

We plan to use dimmed lights for mood and for a nightlight. We plan to use full lights for tasks. I had a stroke a few years back and have visual problems. Bright lights can make me dizzy and nauseous. So having the dimming will allow me to adjust my task lighting to a comfortable level. I added the maximum amount of lightbars so DH could have a stronger lighting level than I would be comfortable with.

We rigged them up yesterday to test them and they are just spectacular. You can email me at jemzen@hotmail.com if you want more information on the suppliers I used.
pence
13 years ago
Yes, glass shelves are a must, otherwise only that top shelf will show. If its a rather large area, get 3/8" glass shelf, it will hold up better and be sturdier
joyjoyjoy
13 years ago
At what point do you install these? Is it something I should do during the entire process or can it wait... and down the road be added if I want them without too much fuss?
boxerpups
13 years ago
I love my undercab lighting and I am actually thinking
of adding more. It is great to be able to dim or brighten
the lights. People often forget the impact of lighting
on a kitchen space. Not just the cans or celining lights
but the accent lighting inside the cabinets above, and
under all add to the kitchen warmth, drama and style.
~boxer

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Remodeling and Lights
koolforkatz
13 years ago
Love my undercabinet lights and the dimmer. I use the dimmer all the time.
jdougjo
13 years ago
We put 24V LED light strips above and below cabinets. The transformer is under the house and controlled by a dimmer. I didn't know if I would like both the under and over on the same switch, but it turns out to be great. We also have recessed cans and pendants, but use the cabinet lighting the most for both task and mood lighting. You can find great deals on these lights if you search around.
David
13 years ago
After installing under cabinet lights, I find that I'm using them more often than the main lighting.

LED lighting provides more flexible design options and styles than the standard Xenon/ Halogen/ Fluorescent.

Another alternative would be electroluminescent (EL) lighting. However, most EL lighting is monochromatic.

It is always easier to plan for undercabinet lighting and put in at least the necessary wiring when the entire backsplash is not yet installed.

There are entire threads on this in the lighting forum.
zelmar
13 years ago
We hardly ever use our undercabinet lights. The rest of the lights are so good that I never think to turn them on. The few times when I turn them on I have them at full strength (we have xenon with a switch for either low or high.) Most of the main work areas in our kitchen don't have upper cabinets (the prep peninsula, range, and sinks.)

I did use uc lights fairly often in our old kitchen since the lighting was so poor. With this kitchen, I find I prefer the light from overhead than from below eye level.
francoise47
13 years ago
We installed undercabinet halogen lights twelve years ago. We put them in not knowing if we would really use them. But we use them every day. When we renovate in the next year or so we will put in the new LED low energy lights. I find that as I age my eyes need the extra light to work in the kitchen, read recipes, etc. This is something I would never have thought of twelve years ago! Makes me wonder what other "aging in place" changes I should make when I renovate.

do i really want undercabinet lights?

Comments (13)

beekeeperswife

pence

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