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Best way to hide UCL transformer in a glass cabinet?

9 years ago

Does anyone have a great way to hide the under cabinet lighting transformer in a glass cabinet? We are planning WAC LED tape/strip for all of our UCL. Our glass cabinet has a white interior with glass shelves. I am trying to figure out the best placement for the transformer.

Any ideas or pictures would be appreciated!

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Comments (9)

palimpsest
9 years ago
In another cabinet?
On top of the cabinet if accessible from the outside?

You may have to hold it in certain positions or put a black box inside the cabinet and see. Sometimes it's a weird place like the bottom front corner because it's outside your line of vision
kcorn
Original Author
9 years ago
We will have ucl in this middle cabinet with glass doors. We will also have ucl under these cabinets as well (including the cabinets on either side of the glass).
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#1) I see the LED UCL DIY thread is full at 150 posts. Is there not a #2 thread? I wasn't able to find one :( #2) I'm putting in a run of undercabinet lights - 32 watts under the cabinets, another 13.2 watts to light up two glass cabinets. The new mini dimmer switches that connect in series to the lights (i.e. the aluminum light bars from EV, Photonier, etc) that work with a non-dimming power supply seems like a very easy and inexpensive way to install, no? I do see they are rated for 40w per SuperBrightLEDs website. -Does this suggest I should put my in-cabinet lights on a second power supply/circuit, in order to stay below 40w for the dimmer switch? I'm fine with all being on the same switch/dimmer. -Can I just get a larger power supply (i.e. 100w from Photonier), split the power up into an undercabinet and in-cabinet run, and then use two mini dimmer switches? Guess I'm not sure if the 40w switch rating is for power in or power out/used....or both. This has me reconsidering getting a dimming power supply instead, that will handle the entire run, and wiring in a wall switch...... To complicate things, I do have a second zone clear across the kitchen that will use one undercabinet 24" bar, and one in-cabinet 24" bar. This are definitely wants to use a single mini dimmer switch for both lights on a cheap power supply (i.e. reminds me of my laptop power cord). It's not really practical to run low voltage from my other power supply - well, I guess I could, but this area wants to be switched separately anyways.
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The LED cans do not need a transformer. We used Lutron dimmers designed for LED lights. There is one transformer for all of the UCL LEDs A second one runs the glass cabinet. A third one runs our shelf/above cave LEDs You will need a transformer for each switch run. Also check on the lighting forum - I think someone is making LED UCL lights that don't need a transformer- but maybe I just imagined seeing a no transformer system. Transformers are expensive -so do look around. Make sense?
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It's fine but in terms of best use, maybe not. To plug something in, you have to bend over and look up to fit the plug. Items with transformers on the plugs (cordless phones, low voltage stuff) can easily fall out because of their weight. It does serve the purpose of meeting code however. Sometimes when people have a particular back splash where they use little electrics and hate having an outlet at all, it is a great alternative. Then it is best if an alternate counter (where you work the most) has conventional wall receptacles. What most electricians really hate is installing it. Bad enough to plug something in. Worse to look straight up installing it for a few hours. Also requires use of a GFCI breaker or feeding it from a kitchen circuit protected by a wall receptacle GFCI. Also with the looks, even very elaborate back splashes usually look fine with receptacles. Just get the correct color (white, almond, ivory, brown, black, or gray). Drives me nuts when I see dark brown with white devices or a white back splash with ivory devices. Can also get fancy and order Lutron's receptacles in like 24 different colors. Putting the receptacles horizontally and only 1" above the counter top also hides them well.
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DIY2 - that's a great article! What it describes is similar to what I was thinking - using IKEA so I thought we would use an end panel to create a 1/2" height rail - but your article suggests using a full panel (laid flat) and cutting into it for the lights - that's probably a better option! hockeyfan - The kitchen will be traditional/farmhouse. How do you like the inspired tape product - is it bright enough? I looked at that as well. Your comment about seeing the lights when seated is a valid concern. We will have counter height seating looking directly at the cabinets so that's why I feel like we should add something to make the lights and wire less visible. I really don't like the IKEA deco trim - it fans out (Bodbyn) and I just know it will get banged up - then there's always the problem with making good miter cuts. And, I want to have as much distance between the counter and cabinets as possible.
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sjhockeyfan325
9 years ago
You don't need a transformer in the glass cabinet - just out one transformer in the cabinet to the right of the glass cabinet and run the strip lighting in series. I'll post two pictures - this one is the transformer. You can see that the little wire goes through the bottom of the cabinet.
sjhockeyfan325
9 years ago
In this picture you can see where the little wire connects to the first strip of lights. After that, the strips are connected with little connectors that came with the strips. Hope that helps.
kcorn
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks sjhockeyfan! I will talk to the electrician about this. We have wires pulled for each of the three cabinets in this area so I wasn't sure if we needed multiple transformers (one being visible in the glass cab). They will all be on the same dimmer/switch.
sprtphntc7a
9 years ago
i don't know if this will help you, but we put ours in the crawl space and then ran the wires up thru the studs to the kitchen. the drawl space is directly under the kitchen so it was easy.
we also put a transformer in a living room closest and fed wires thru the ceiling and back down the studs.. our kitchen was gutted obviously, so it was relatively easy...

your transformer doesnt have to be in the cabinet is what i am getting at.

HTH
a2gemini
9 years ago
Our transformers are in the basement. Originally, they were going to put in an adjacent cabinet
Mags438
9 years ago
Ours were put in upper upper glass cabs; lights up there too. Cab ppl put a false front to hide. Something like cardboard type material, painted same color as glass cab interior.
Fori
9 years ago
I was going to say decorative platter, but these other ideas seem better. :P

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