Replacing undercabinet lighting

last year

Hi all - I am in the final stages of my apartment renovation. I am thinking about adding undercabinet lighting (hard-wired with an LED bar). It's not a big kitchen so the cost is not much. I found a bar that adds beautiful light to the undercabinet area. I think it is stunning but what I can't figure out is when it needs to be replaced how that would be done. Assuming it is hardwired, if I were to replace it, sounds like I would need an electrician? And if it were screwed into the cabinet, if I replaced it it would require drilling new holes to install a new set? Has anyone installed undercabinet lighting and regretted it? TYIA.

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J from Lakes Country

last year

I ordered my LED undercabinet lighting from Amazon. It is plug-in, so I could do it myself. I was able to connect five of the strips and only use one plug. The best part, it works with Alexa. So I can say "Alexa, Let there be light!" and the lights come on. I can dim and change the color value. It was under $100 bucks and dramatically upgraded my lighting in the kitchen. Go for it!

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Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
The LED lighting should last a very long time so why not worry about it when it is needed .
chispa
last year
Get LED tape light with a diffuser. Make sure you select the Kelvin (color temperature) that you like best. I used 3500K for my under cabinet LED lights, which matched the recessed lights in my house.
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Our kitchen is similiar, not a lot of natural light. We used halogen recessed cans in the ceiling. You'd be shocked at how much light they can throw off, and they are not too concentrated in one spot. Just make sure you have the right kind of reflectors in the can for more general wide lighting. They also do illuminate the ceiling from light that bounces back up. We put halogen pendants over the island, but they are more spot, as they are concrete and only light the area below them. All the halogens are on dimmers, so we can control the amount of light and heat they generate. On dimmers, halogens are very efficient and "green", using less electricity. Under the cabinets, we put in xenon. They stay cooler. However, to be totally honest with you, we never have all the lights on at the same time. The halogens illuminate the kitchen so well I hardly ever use the undercab lights, even during meal preparation. The xenons usually come on when the halogens are off during a dinner party (we have a huge great room kitchen arrangement). They function more as mood lighting than anything else. If I did it over again, I'd probably even omit the undercab lights altogether.
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cupofkindnessgw
last year
@chispa Could you please link what you used in your kitchen? TIA!
Paul F.
last year
If you have a electrical plug in a cabinet then you might consider a Phillips HUE LED light strip or two. Select your own white color temperature, dim it, turn it red and green for XMAS and control and schedule it with your phone. That's what I'm using it once my cabinets are installed.
Lyn Nielson
last year
no one regrets getting under cabinet lighting. Go for it!
nickel_kg
last year
We've had hardwired LED bars for six years now. They work great and last a long time, but yes, someday when they fail an electrician will have to deal with it. I'm hoping for 20 years from them.
chispa
last year
@cupofkindnessgw, I don't know! I just told the electrician what I wanted and how I wanted it to look and he purchased all the parts.
snappity
last year
I used InspiredLED for my UCL and the light looks great, and the electrician had no problems intalling it. It’s a very thin tape an continuous beam, not the dot-light look. (I can come back with pics in a few days after my counters are installed!)
3onthetree
last year
A hardwired UCL is no different from the vanity light in your bathroom, the chandelier in the Dining Room, or the ceiling light in a hallway. The house wires connect to the fixture and those connections are hidden. In the hardwired UCL, they will be hidden in the UCL's integral box (it's "cover"), whereas in the other fixtures (some vanity lights notwithstanding) the connections are hidden in the house's outlet box in the wall or ceiling.

To change any of them you just shut the circuit off and reverse the install process. Some people are uncomfortable around electricity and hire electricians, others can DIY a fixture change.
Sally T
last year
@snappity and @chispa - I'd love to see photos! And silly question - how do you know your preferred Kelvins?
cupofkindnessgw
last year
@snappity The lights you are describing sound amazing. How did your electrician prep for these lights? Thank you so much! 🌸
snappity
last year
@cupofkindnessgw Honestly, I have no idea - I had InspiredLED do the design and ordered all the parts, and the electrician installed - my kitchen was a gut job so everything was opened and I think that made it easier for him to set it up so one switch controls both sides. (all of my electrical was new anyway). Inspired sends all the parts as well as specs like dimmer compatibility. This is the tape I got: https://www.inspiredled.com/product-category/12v-flexible-led-light-strips/12v-cob-led/

As for Kelvins, for UCL I wanted bright and specified 3k as that would be working/task lighting, but I ended up with 3k for my recessed as well. I had assumed the variable temp lights that electrician was providing would have a 2700 setting, but they are 3000/4000/5000, so everything is 3000. I slightly wish that I had 2700 but the dimmability makes a huge difference. I had them drop two in my living room while everything is open, and that's where I'd really prefer 2700, but it's kind of a temporary fix as next year I want to do that side of the first floor with new ceilings, electric and hardwood floor refinishing, so I will be sure to specify when we get to that project.

For UCL I actually bought some inexpensive plug in UCL with different temps to try, and I might install those in my sink / trash cabinet when we are all done. It was worth the $15 for testing purposes, though.
snappity
last year
Sally, here are some pics as promised. The UCL on full bright, the tape mounted underneath, and that loop of light tape is awaiting an open shelf that it will be mounted unde, but gives you an idea of the lighting style.
snappity
last year
@Sally T - one more photo, my hood lights are definitely cooler than my 3k lighting, 4 or maybe even 5k? You can see the difference in this pic. I think I can swap those out, but honestly I probably won’t bother. The wall color si BM’s White Dove, for reference.
Anne Duke
last year
I loathed my original dotted LED tape UCL and it took a long time to find the electrician to actually replace them. I had to go with continuous light tape, without diffuser, due to cabinets lacking a lip. Mine are 4000 K and all my other lighting is 3000. I tried all 4000 and could not tolerate that look for my home.
snappity
last year
One more pic - I have now waxed the counter, but it’s still matte, but I realized you could see the reflection on my range - might help folks know what the tape looks like over a glossier surface. And on color temp, I emailed the range hood manufacturer and they are 5000k, but I could order 3500k replacement bulbs if I want to warm it up.

Replacing undercabinet lighting

J from Lakes Country

Comments (17)

Patricia Colwell Consulting

chispa

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