Need lights in my closets

I have numerous closets in my house which are without lighting.

  1. Any idea on what I can expect to pay for going whole-hog and putting in a recess with switch outside? I'm spooked about adding this myself because I have a sprinkler system in my home and I'm worried about tunneling wires. I'm also not a real fan of the kind of conduits that run along the outside of the walls and ceiling.

  1. I am envisioning some 6v or 12v lighting system that I can hide on the inside of the closet above the door jam, driven by one or two lantern batteries. It could conceivably be activated by a switch on the door itself (by the hindge?) Does such a thing exist and is it feasible?

Thanks!

Reply to
tgmforum
Loading thread data ...

Ther are quite a few different cheap DIY battery units at HD etc, if you only spend a few seconds at a time its the way to go.

Reply to
ransley

I've looked. I think I must have had a "bad search" day or something. I'll try again, thanks!

Reply to
tgmforum

BTDT ....did it myself in a couple closets that were / had been gutted to do other work. I think if I had it to do over again and wasn't demo'ing the closet interior, I use a battery powered closet light....of course depending on closet usage.

cheers Bob

Reply to
Bobk207

Well, I took a different tack and researched the various parts. With my own wiring, etc., I suppose I can come up with something half-ugly, but hidden that ought to be ok.

Reply to
tgmforum

You don't say anything about the house construction. If it's conventional construction and you can get at an attic space above the closets then installing real 120v lighting in closets is fairly simple.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

For a closet if you only need like equal to 10w, a flashlight, there are round battery push on, round Led, what looks like an actual light bulb and maybe tube flourescent. Maybe look online

Reply to
ransley

Thanks, but the closets are on the first floor. And I am not a real fan of the pull chain thing anyway so I'd need to tunnel for a switch, complicating everything.

Reply to
tgmforum

Agreed, but I've tried some of those. They don't spray an awful lot of light, and one of the closets is a wide coat closet.

Reply to
tgmforum

Crawl space under the first floor?

The fact that you have a sprinkler system is not really an issue. Sprinkler systems have to use iron pipe so the chances of you damaging it are pretty much nill.

Thanks, but the closets are on the first floor. And I am not a real fan of the pull chain thing anyway so I'd need to tunnel for a switch, complicating everything.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

No, mine is with an orange PVC-like plastic. Really not something I want to even graze by accident.

Reply to
tgmforum

Even so it's unlikey to be in the way. A jury rig of 12v lighting is just going to have to be ripped out when you sell the house. Properly done 120v lighting is usually fairly easy to do and will add to the value and appeal of the house. Typically the only drilling is done from the wall base under the house or the attic. It's easy to see what other water and power items go through the same area so they can be avoided. Most interior walls are hollow. Use a stud finder to locate the surriounding framing lumber. I drill a small hole through the floor or ceiling at the edge of the wall and stick a small piece of stiff wire through it so I can locate the wall from the attic or crawl. Once you cut a hole for the old work box it's not very hard to fish the wire. You can install light fixtures on the inside walls of the closet rather than the ceiling to make it simpler.

Reply to
JamesGangNC

Do recessed lights work better, or does the directed spot-effect put too many things in shadow? I suspect that something that sprays light on the white ceiling and walls would yield the best light, but I am not sure and just don't want the age-old light with pull chain. I've seen that ad-vomitus and am just not a fan of it.

So that leaves me with a wall switch for it (way more fishing) or door switch (more fishing).

I suppose what I'm saying is that a jury-rigged thing that is hidden need not be perfect. A whole-hog A/C lighting system better be. Clinical OCD I suppose....

Reply to
tgmforum

Where I am it is against code to use an incandescent fixture in a closet. (Recessed would be incandescent.) They are a fire hazard. People stuff blankets and other flammables in the top of closets. We always use a 24" fluorescent and mount it just above the door frame inside the closet. They put out a lot of light but when you get a lot of crap in the closet it is nice.

Reply to
Art

Reccessed lights do not work well. Light beside or above the door works best. In old work I put the fixture on the side of the door where I put the switch. That simplifies the wire fishing a great deal. You will have to temporarily remove some wallboard to install the backbox if you want a door switch. Most of the time I just use those cheap one bulb round fixtures. Here's a couple examples.

This is a light I installed in a small closet in my daughter's room. The light switch is on the outside wall and the fixture is on the wall right behind it. I powered it from a outlet directly below the light switch. I used one of those "marine" light fixtures.

formatting link
To access power in an existing outlet remove the face plate and outlet from the box. Then pry the box away from the stud slightly with a flat screwdriver. Slip a hacksaw blade between the stud and the box and use it to cut the nails that hold the box to the wall. Work the old box out of the opening. You will replace it with an old work box when you finish fishing wires. If you are working in an attic space you can usually tap power from an existing ceiling fixture. If you are working in a crawl you can tap power from a nearby outlet and go back down into the crawl and back up into the wall where you are putting the closet light switch. Make sure you have no splices outside of a box.

Here's a light I put in a hall closet. I did not want the switch outside the door because it's the main hallway. So I put the switch inside the door under the light. I installed a new outlet below this for the spinkler controls the same time I put in the light. I put it all in between the same framing lumber.

formatting link

Reply to
jamesgangnc

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.