[paulgarett]

Anyone with experience installing LED under-cabinet strip (tape) lighting?
Where under the cabinet should the strip lighting be installed? Back, middle, front?
Anyone with experience installing the Diode LED (name of manufacturer) strip lights?

 

[Semi-Ret Electrician]

Paul Home Depot offers UL/CSA listed LED tape lighting on-line by Armacost Lighting.

I prefer to mount the 12 Volt strips behind the facia (if you will) of the cabinet looking straight down, so it's hard to see standing.

 

[electricmalone]

Take a look at Q-Tran. http://www.q-tran.com/ They make all of their transformers / power supplies in Milford Connecticut. I did a factory tour last week. Small and very impressive operation. We have jobs in place installing hundreds and hundreds of feet of their iQ series LED tape. I have installed hundreds of feet of other brands of LED tape, they look best as far forward of the upper cabinets as you can get them. If you can mount them on a 45 degree angle facing back to the backsplash, it looks killer. Try to stick with something in the 2700K family. It makes a difference when you see it everyday. Hopefully there just happens to be a few extra feet of the LED tape leftover from our next few jobs, my xenon undercabinet lights need to go...

 

[flatlander]

Take a look at Q-Tran. http://www.q-tran.com/ They make all of their transformers / power supplies in Milford Connecticut. I did a factory tour last week. Small and very impressive operation. We have jobs in place installing hundreds and hundreds of feet of their iQ series LED tape. I have installed hundreds of feet of other brands of LED tape, they look best as far forward of the upper cabinets as you can get them. If you can mount them on a 45 degree angle facing back to the backsplash, it looks killer. Try to stick with something in the 2700K family. It makes a difference when you see it everyday. Hopefully there just happens to be a few extra feet of the LED tape leftover from our next few jobs, my xenon undercabinet lights need to go...

Do you find that this iQ series works best with, or without some sort of valance (or dado in cabinet base), given that it is so discrete?

 

[wildleg]

I like it installed on the front of the cabinet facing towards the back (NOT down, since you can see the reflection in the countertop)

 

[Dennis Alwon]

IMO tape lights should not be used for uc lighting. I prefer to use an LED strip light and leave the tape for places where they are more hidden-- There is also the issue with LV wiring being run thru walls.

 

[electricmalone]

Do you find that this iQ series works best with, or without some sort of valance (or dado in cabinet base), given that it is so discrete?

I like it in a diffuser lens channel. Qtran will custom cut and fabricate the setup to exact specs. Another good company, they have some better options for connectors, is Edge lighting. They get relatively pricey... Qtran has a back channel that is recessed into a dado. I have some on order for a kitchen project, as soon as I get these and do the install I will post pics.

 

[drumnut08]

IMO tape lights should not be used for uc lighting. I prefer to use an LED strip light and leave the tape for places where they are more hidden-- There is also the issue with LV wiring being run thru walls.

. Why not keep the low voltage cable run neatly through the cabinet to a j box up high out of harms way ? NM is fished out of the back of that to a 120 volt owner source . Generally how I do them .

 

[electricmalone]

. Why not keep the low voltage cable run neatly through the cabinet to a j box up high out of harms way ? NM is fished out of the back of that to a 120 volt owner source . Generally how I do them .

These work great, run Romex in the wall, change over with one of these. Sea Gull Ambiance wiring compartment.

 

[Southeast Power]

IMO tape lights should not be used for uc lighting. I prefer to use an LED strip light and leave the tape for places where they are more hidden-- There is also the issue with LV wiring being run thru walls.

I have exclusively installed tape light for backsplash/ UC lighting. I haven't found anything better.
I use FPL cable and every owner is extremely happy.
Just make sure to install it so that it faces the backsplash and not on the reflective counter.

 

[Service Call]

I have exclusively installed tape light for backsplash/ UC lighting. I haven't found anything better. I use FPL cable and every owner is extremely happy. Just make sure to install it so that it faces the backsplash and not on the reflective counter.

What is FPL cable?

 

[Southeast Power]

What is FPL cable?

http://www.awcwire.com/producttoc.aspx?id=nec-type-fpl-non-plenum

Pretty much, left over fire alarm wire.

 

[Southeast Power]

These work great, run Romex in the wall, change over with one of these. Sea Gull Ambiance wiring compartment.

Nice.

 

[Mshow1323]

http://www.awcwire.com/producttoc.aspx?id=nec-type-fpl-non-plenum

Pretty much, left over fire alarm wire.

My favorite
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004N1CGT0/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And I conceal the wire when it penetrates the wall with
http://www.lowes.com/pd_298084-3568...er&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=cord+cover&facetInfo=

 

[Lampshade]

Paul, the problem I see with LED tape is the reflection it produces on the countertop such as polished granite, you can see each LED reflected back at you and it looks terrible. If linear LED is being requested find something that has a frosted coating or cover of some kind so the light will disperse evenly. HOWEVER, If the counter tops are not a polished material, then it will work fine. Pay attention to the color temp 3000K-4000K max would be my suggestion.

 

[flatlander]

Paul, the problem I see with LED tape is the reflection it produces on the countertop such as polished granite, you can see each LED reflected back at you and it looks terrible. If linear LED is being requested find something that has a frosted coating or cover of some kind so the light will disperse evenly. HOWEVER, If the counter tops are not a polished material, then it will work fine. Pay attention to the color temp 3000K-4000K max would be my suggestion.

This is very good to know. These strip LEDs are pretty new to the local suppliers (at least the ones I've been dealing with). False bottoms with LED pucks has been the choice for the few higher end kitchens I've been involved with. It's a tough sell to recommend alternatives ... especially pricey ones, when I don't even know that they will be the best choice. Lots of changes in a short amoutn of time!

 

[Lampshade]

This is very good to know. These strip LEDs are pretty new to the local suppliers (at least the ones I've been dealing with). False bottoms with LED pucks has been the choice for the few higher end kitchens I've been involved with. It's a tough sell to recommend alternatives ... especially pricey ones, when I don't even know that they will be the best choice. Lots of changes in a short amoutn of time!

LED pucks or a contained LED fixture is a better choice in my opinion, if the fixture fails you can replace it, with LED linear tape you have to splice in where there is a failure, which requires tearing up your original install. But of course LED's are supposed to last FOREVER - LOL!

 

[Southeast Power]

Paul, the problem I see with LED tape is the reflection it produces on the countertop such as polished granite, you can see each LED reflected back at you and it looks terrible. If linear LED is being requested find something that has a frosted coating or cover of some kind so the light will disperse evenly. HOWEVER, If the counter tops are not a polished material, then it will work fine. Pay attention to the color temp 3000K-4000K max would be my suggestion.

You can't install them face down, they have to be installed on the light rail facing the backsplash.
Pucks are crap, I refuse to install them. They look amateurish.
the tape is like $12 for 16' and about that much for the driver.

 

[6 shooter]

You can't install them face down, they have to be installed on the light rail facing the backsplash.
Pucks are crap, I refuse to install them. They look amateurish.
the tape is like $12 for 16' and about that much for the driver.

What is the light rail?

 

[Mshow1323]

What is the light rail?

In a nutshell, a light rail, light bar, or under cabinet valance, is a little piece of trim on the underside face of the cabinet. More or less crown molding for the bottom.

And for the record, I only install them on the light bar if and only if, the back splash is not glass tile. If you do install on the light bar, the tape does bend that direction, so you don't need the adapters to get around corners. It saves a boat load of time