Under-cabinet downlighting question

[Tim Downie]

I've got a couple of narrow high level cupboards on either side of my cooker. There is some under cabinet lighting further along the line of units but the lighting is poor close to the cooker. The cabinet width is too narrow to fit conventional fluorescent tubes and I was wondering about using GX 53 bulbs with a suitable lamp-holder.

Would something like this work?

'm just not sure whether such a lampholder is designed to be used "naked" or whether it's meant to be used with some sort of enclosure.

Tim

[Dave Liquorice]

Conventional as in designed for under cupboard use? Are these 300mm wide cupboards? Anything wider I'd expect to find available in T5 tube lengths. These days you could look at LED based strip lights.

The holder you linked to looks to me like it's designed to fit like a bezel around a hole with the lamp base poking through the hole. Thus into the bottom of the cupboard.

[Tim]

The cupboards are 300mm wide but the thickness of the edging strip at the bottom of the cupboards on two sides reduces available width for a light fitting to 210mm. Led strips that I've seen are longer than this.

Um, I don't think so. The bulb will lie flush on the surface of that fitting.

Tim

[NT]

CFL would be abetter bet than halogen. Also you might be able to fit the same florries there if you fit them at an angle. Placed right it could look ok.

NT

[John Williamson]

On the same website:-

overall length.

If there's room not too far away for a 12V supply, there are shorter flourescent fittings available for caravan and marine use.

[Tim Downie]

> 275mm overall length.

You musta missed the 210 mm width restiction.

With light outputs to match no doubt. The GX53 is available in 9W form.

Tim

[Tim Downie]

GX53 is a CFL.

I don't think so. Although I have more length on the diagonal, by the time you've included the electrical connection on the end of these striplights, they'd be too long.

I think a GX53 would be easier to fit and be brighter than a short striplight.

Tim

[Andrew Gabriel]

If the cupboard has an under-pelmet, fit a short T4 tube diagonally where it won't show that it's at a funny angle. The old-style short 4W/6W/8W T5's are rather low efficiency.

I have also used 10W 2D tubes for exactly this purpose, but I made my own fitting. (I would use 16W 2D nowadays - 10W is getting hard to find).

[js.b1]

GX53 fittings can be surface mounted (slim profile, easily hid by cupboard pelmet or invisible if the cupboard is low enough, recessed (hole in cupboard base) or standalone metal fitting (typically IP rated wall light but usable anywhere).

Always check if the GX53 bulb comes with the fitting - they are about =A35+delivery otherwise which adds up, some fittings say the do not come with them (and yet do!) whereas others rely on someone assuming they do. For a look at fittings do a search on Ebay for GX53 with & without the search "include description" ticked.

Always check bulb life, it can be a lot shorter than you think.

Alternatively if the light is too poor close to the cooker, have you considered a cooker hood with a light? Simple stainless Elica Krea was about =A389-99 on Ebay, John Lewis. Easy fit, you need a 127mm core drill because recirculation sucks and extracting cooking moisture is a very good idea.

[NT]

Now I remember they type you mean. Sounds almsot ideal, just beware of the CCT on these, as well as your linear tubes. Ensure they all match, and arent something nasty like 4000K or more.

NT