Undercabinet lighting: thoughts on alternative?

9 years ago

We're in the process of building a new home. Met with the electrician yesterday and discussed undercabinet lighting. Our builder "only" uses Xenon lights that were surprisingly big, bulky, and with a large ribbed conduit (is that the word?) poked through the wall next to each unit for the wiring. Looked terrible, IMO.

Though I definitely want UC lighting....I just can't stomach the builder's option. I asked about alternatives - prewiring etc so we can choose our own. The only alternative they offered is to install two GFI outlets in the uppers, one at each end of the kitchen, and both on a switch. Then we could install LED or whatever later and fish the plugs up into the cabs to plug in.

Does this sound like a viable plan? The cost of the monster-Xenons would be about $1000. The cost of the outlets+switch will be about $225 total, leaving plenty for us to shop around and find our own lights. It seems like the way to go, but want to make sure I'm not missing something.

ALSO - asked them about prewiring the 3 cans over the island for pendants. They said they can, for $50 per. However, I know there are "pendant conversion" kits out there. I wonder about those and if we'd be better off with the prewiring or DIY conversion down the road? Thoughts?

Featured Answer

ianna

9 years ago

ikea offers wireless lights and controlled with a remote controlled unit. Cheap and easy to install.

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Comments (6)

David
9 years ago
The cheapest option is to have pre-wired 120V AC lines leading out to selected terminated locations under the cabinets. The UCL power lines should be on a separate circuit so that the lighting can be controlled in unison.

If your cabinets are made of chipboard, drilling should be kept to a minimum

The following link has a lot more information.

DIY UCL Continuation

If the cans are already in place, why pre-wire for pendants?
katiejay
Original Author
9 years ago
The cheapest option you mention sounds great....only problem is we have two options and it doesn't sound as though either is what you suggest. Did you mean to say the UCL power lines need their own circuit? Or did you mean their own switch?

The cans are standard. We prefer pendants and would like to add those in the future. Hence, wondering if the "pendant prewire" or the later conversion would be the better route.
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Just to let everyone know, the link for this post has changed: I think you only need to use one plug at the outlet end. You can connect up several light fixtures one-to-the-other in a straight line using the direct connector that comes with each light fixture. If you have to angle to a corner cab, or insert lights into a cavity, you can still connect the lights to each other using their flexible connector. Call Pegasus Lighting Associates and they will help you if you give them your measurements. 1-800-392-4818. Here is a link that might be useful: Pegasus micro-fluroescent undercab lights New Link: www.pegasusassociates.com/MicrofluorescentT4.jsp Here is a link that might be useful: Pegasus Associates Lighting
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Pelletis, hi. I haven't bought any LED undercabinet lights for the job I was writing about above because the owners didn't think them necessary. They aren't remodeling the kitchen yet. It is just a power upgrade for now. Meaning I'm bringing in all the needed circuits to meet code for a modern kitchen. They are waiting a year or so to do that. What I posted about originally was brands of plug strips for undercabinet power. I'm still looking for a strip that meets what needs I would like and what code specifications it has to meet. Luckily the install of those strips has been changed and I have three weeks more, due to additional work the client gave the flooring and tile contractor. Now, to your dilemma. You said $900 for the lights, is that total cost for all? I hope so? It seems steep to me. But, there are different LED's made by different companies, just like any other product. Not the unit, fixture itself but, the actual LED's themselves. There are some that are made better, that light up better, have longer life, different color efficacy, among other things. You just have to do some "interweb"LOL searching and look up the manufacturer of the fixtures you like, as far as look, number of LED's per foot or inch, color, price, lifespan, and compare the different manufacturers. Also, get the name and model number of the ones the sales person is trying to sell you and call around to other lighting or electric supply companies and give them the info and see if you get a better price. You should tell them the prices you were quoted and usually they will try to beat that price. They may try to sell you a different brand also so be careful to look up what they want to sell you as well. I hope I was helpful in some way. Good luck
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Even thin lights may show when you are sitting and look into the kitchen. It seems most new kitchen installs are done with a light rail added to hide the lights behind. We did an update several years ago and kept our old cabinets which had no light rail or moulding below the boxes. DH is rather handy and we bought some oak (our cabinets are oak) corner moulding about 3/4 or an inch wide. I got stain matched up at a good paint store. Cloverdale I believe and they can make stain to match if you bring in a door from your cabinets. We installed that below the cabinets and I stained and varnished the. They gave a little update to the cabinet look and do a great job of hiding our UCL's. They look like they were always on the cabinets and match perfectly. He also installed our UCL and drilled small holes in the bottom of the cabinet, fished the wire thru them and then behind, thru the wall studs up to a soffit where we have access. Wired in an on and off and dimmer switch in our Zephyr fan hood since it has lots of room in the metal body. Virtually no wire showing and the light switch is with the fan light switch. DH is so innovative!
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David
9 years ago
If the builder is able to put GFCI receptacles in the cabinets on a switched circuit, that is just a variation of what I described.

Instead of the GFCI receptacles in the cabinets, there would be romex wire exiting the wall just under the cabinets. The romex would be terminated with wire nuts and kept inside a flat pancake electrical box under the cabinets.

The large ribbed conduit you described is armored cable.

IMO, pendant prewire is just giving money away.
katiejay
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks VERY much for this suggestion. I'm going to run it by the electrician and see about the romex wire idea.

Do you think the pendant prewire is "giving money away" because you don't care for pendants? Or because we could just as easily (and with decent quality?) convert them ourselves at a later date?
David
9 years ago
Pendant prewiring will be giving money away if

a. You continue using the recessed cans until such time as when you get the pendants you like/ want.

b. The cans themselves can be considered as pre-wired for pendants since they contain a metal box where the necessary wiring connections to the branch circuitry are made.

All the pendant conversion kits do is connect to the existing socket and provide some support for the hanging pendant.
katiejay thanked David

Undercabinet lighting: thoughts on alternative?

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