Under cabinet lighting

[Bruce Page]

LOML wants dimmable, under cabinet lighting in our kitchen. The offerings at Lowe's were disappointing.
Which is better, LED, Halogen, Zenon? She also said that she did not like the white light that some of the LED’s had and wants a warmer color.
I’m not looking for the cheapest deal but probably can’t afford the high end either.
I will be hard wiring them in.

If anyone’s been down this road I would love to get your opinions. I don’t even know where to start. :confused:

[Jamie Buxton]

The first-generation LEDs were a hard white, like bright white fluorescents. Lately there are LEDs called "warm white". They're better than the older bright white, but to my eye nowhere near as good as halogen. But the color judgement is yours -- well, SWMBO -- to make. LEDs are generally still pretty expensive.

Fluorescents are generally not dimmable, besides the color issue.

Halogen and Xenon are essentially the same thing -- nice clear light. The only downside with them is that they can get pretty hot. Look for housings that are metal, not plastic. That resists heat better.

These guys have a good selection of undercabinet lighting, at reasonable prices --- http://www.pegasuslighting.com/

[Jerome Stanek]

we tried Halogen lights in a display for perfume and they got so hot the bottles exploded

[Mike Cutler]

Bruce

A few years back we installed under cabinet lighting.
The lighting was a series of LED's in a "ribbon". Each section of ribbon was sized per each cabinet.
The ribbon is attached with a self adhesive backing, and is invisible from the front of the cabinets.
The AC to DC transformer is mounted inside one of the cabinets, though it doesn't have to be, so from the front nothing is seen.
The amount of LED's determines the ambient light, so no dimmer was really necessary.
I'll ask my wife where she got them and give you the info if you're interested.

[Dick Strauss]

I know that our local Menard's has LED strips that are modular. You can plug in 1-6 on one transformer depending on your lighting needs. The LED lighting modules snap together and only one has any wiring IIRC. The modular nature of these might eliminate the need for a dimmer (?)

[Bob Riefer]

I installed the Hampton Bay Xenon Puck Light kit purchased from Home Depot, Model # EC1333BK.



Some of the reviews on the depot site aren't that complimentary, but some are positive. My experience was that they were somewhat of a pain to install (tiny screws, and we removed all plugs and spliced the wires instead), and they do burn hot (but then, I don't leave them running 100% of the time). But once installed, they're working as they should, the light they produce is pleasing, the dimmer works nicely. At $40, the issues were worth it for me and I would purchase again.

[Brian Vaughn]

I looked into this a while back, and got vetoed because of the transformer, but here's what I finally decided on:

LED ribbon in warm white: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002QQ48TK/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_7
You may not need the full 15 feet, but odds are, you will.

LED transformer, plug in type: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0034GUEY4/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_9
They make some that wire straight in as well, but keep in mind, most will tell you not to install it into the wall itself.

I also had a dimmer picked out: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003L4KKF2/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_8
Not that fancy, but should be enough.

The dimmer is, of course, optional.

In the end, I installed a small flourescent fixture to put the orchids under, and it's worked fantastically, and I'm still deciding what I'm going to do with the rest of the cabinets.

[Bruce Page]

Thanks guys. This will get me started down the path.
Mike, I would love the source. Sources are good!