Help me select dependable brand/model of LED strip lights

cgcl

2 years ago

I'm going to use LED strip lights as under cabinet lights. Requirements are as follows:

1. High quality so I don't have to redo this

2. Driver sold paired with dimmer and accessories to get lights working properly

3. Hi CRI (over 90, preferably over 92)

4. Color Temp 2700 to 3000

5. Dimmable

Inspired LED has a product that meets all of the above so I'm sort of inclined to go with that, but does someone have another reliable product that ALSO offers one or more of the following:

6. Dim to warm (ie mimics true incandescent dimming)

7. Sells aluminum channel and diffuser with the kit

8. Offers all the above that also has an RGB function?(I'm sort of thinking to just run another set of strips parallel to the first for that)

Also, any recommendations on specific lumens for undercabinet lights?

Comments (5)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
IMO under cabinet lighting on its own switch never needs to be dimmed and I hate the yellow cast from incandecent lighting so that would never be a choice . IMO all kitchen lighting should be 4000K to keep all colors true. I think RGB is for a very contempory space and for sure not mixed with 3000K lighting.
HU-867564120
2 years ago
I wouldn't so much about brand of lighting, they all come out of China these days. The main reliability issues are with the driver or the individual LED's:

- If the driver fails, it can be replaced with a similar DC power supply, exact P/N replacement is rarely necessary. Many switching power supplies are available on eBay that will work. Locating the driver on top of the cabinets is an easy way to hide it and yet be accessible to work on.

- The LED's are typically wired with a few (2-4) wired in series with a current limiting resistor and then blocks of those in parallel with the power supply voltage. The end result is that if an LED fails, only a few LED's might go out, the bulk of the LED strip still works, complete replacement is rarely needed.
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cgcl
Original Author
2 years ago
Can you please further explain this:

"- The LED's are typically wired with a few (2-4) wired in series with a current limiting resistor and then blocks of those in parallel with the power supply voltage. The end result is that if an LED fails, only a few LED's might go out, the bulk of the LED strip still works, complete replacement is rarely needed."

My undercab lights will be in an L shape + one section

- There is romex on one end of the L that goes to a jbox in the crawl. I was going to connect the LED strip to that romex using a shallow undercab box.

- There is romex in the single section. that goes to the same jbox in the crawl. I was going to connect that LED strip to that romex using a shallow undercab box.

- There is romex for one of the 4 way switches under the cab that goes to the same J box in the crawl. I was going to move this to an adjacent J box in the crawl because I think this switch will be line voltage, where the above romex will be low (12 or 24) voltage, and the driver can be mounted in the crawl between them.

Your idea about the driver in the top of the cabs is good but they did not rough it in that way, so it is too late now. Crawl is encapsulated, conditioned and accessible, so it will work just as well.
HU-867564120
2 years ago
LED's are low voltage devices (~3 volts). But powering them from a low voltage high current power supply is costly, it is cheaper to power them from a higher voltage (for example, 12v) medium current power supply. So, three LED's will be connected in series (9 volt drop) and these 3 will be in series with a resistor (3 volt drop) to limit their current draw (Ohm's law, V=IR will set the current draw based on the resistor value). Multiples of this 3-LED + resistor combination will them be connected across the 12v supply to make then entire LED light string. If you use a magnifying glass and look at the LED light string closely, you will be able to see this. So, in this example, if one LED fails, three LED's will extinguish out of the entire string.

Our kitchen cabinets are assembled from standard factory cabinets, so we have a vertical chase between cabinets that allows the under cabinet wiring to be run to the top of the cabinets.
cgcl thanked HU-867564120
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joantucker
2 years ago
I just installed the new LED strip lights I got, and they're fantastic!

Help me select dependable brand/model of LED strip lights

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Patricia Colwell Consulting

HU-867564120

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Help me select dependable brand/model of LED strip lights

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Patricia Colwell Consulting

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cgcl
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