Right way to wire up kitchen cupboard lights?

[clangers_snout]

I'm installing some under-cupboard lights and some that are on top of the cupboards in my new kitchen. What's the right way to do this?

How is the twin and earth cable that supplies these lights meant to be brought out of the wall? Do you just bring it out to a junction box (presumably affixed to the top and/or bottom of the cupboard) and connect the lighting off the junction box?

Or does the T&E have to terminate onto some sort of fitting on the wall first (in other words is it not allowed to bring the T&E straight out of the wall)?

Sorry if that's a bit jumbled but I hope you get the idea.

Thanks for any help.

[Andrew Gabriel]

My recommendation is to fit Klik S26 sockets (same size as architrave switches) mounted horizontally on architrave back boxes slightly above and slightly below the tops and bottoms of the cupboards. (Klik S21 is a super-flush version, which recesses further behind the wall surface.)

e.g.

any electrical wholesaler is likely to have them in stock.

Then use matching Klik P22 plugs with flex to the lights mounted on the cupboard.

[clangers_snout]

Thanks Andrew. there's no doubt that that's a far more professional way to go about it but do you know if the T&E out of the wall to a junction box idea would comply with the regulations?

Your method is superior but I'll never need to plug and unplug the lights, and the connections will be hidden, so a cheaper (if nastier) method would suit me better.

[Biggles]

Junction box on top of cupboard and connect lighting off the junction box.

Previous kitchen had this arrangement and just had new extension with same arrangement, all certificated by a sparky.

Biggles

[clangers_snout]

Thanks for that Biggles. Can you tell me though how does the lighting cable (the T&E) exit from the wall to the junction box?

[Harry Bloomfield]

Why not simply use a switched, fused, flex outlet spur unit fitted with a 2amp fuse?

[clangers_snout]

Certainly that would be the right way to go about it but is there anything in the regs that forbids just bringing the twin and earth lighting cable straight out of the wall and just plastering the chase up to make good. So the cable would just emerge from the plaster. Is that against regs?

[Gloops]

clangers [e-mail] wrote, on 08th Sept. 2012 13:18 UTC + 2 :

Hello,

The last time I saw something like that being done, was with two rails bringing low tension, and lamps directly plugged onto them.

Of course you have to be sure your cupboard will remain wet.

Some ready equipment is sold for that, perhaps it is easier using it, even if not mandatory.

Where I said rails you can use two metal rods, provided you choose the gap between them to ensure they can never enter in contact. Provided the conductibility is sufficient, you can choose them on aesthetic criteria.

Concerning the lamps, perhaps LEDs provide the best light / consumption ratio.

Of course, this conception could not apply with medium voltage.

Perhaps you will wish to cover the rails except on contact places, in which case the aesthetic criteria apply to the cover instead of the metal rods. Maybe this applies rather for the bottom lights than for the top ones, to be specified according to the form and dimensions of your cupboard.

[Woody]

Fit a standard ceiling rose onto the wall and terminate the T&E in there. Then run suitable two or three core flex - depending upon whether the fitting needs and earth or not - to the fitting itself.

I'm sorry to say this but if you are having to ask this type of question it suggests you are not really competent to be doing the job yourself and would be better from a safety aspect to leave it to someone who is.