I searched for LED undercabinet lighting that I could hardwire to a switch. But they're all plug in at the retail box stores. Can I cut the wire and do it that way..
Anyone using LED now and do you like them.?
From what ive seen stick with Flouescent, you get great colpr cheap. The leds dont offer this or a real energy savings or a cost savings/
No, you can not cut the wire off a corded appliance and hardwire it in, the wire on the cord is not rated to be used inside walls...
You would have to install an outlet controlled by the switch you want to use to turn the lights on and off at each location where you would want to have one of the under cabinet lights located...
~~ Evan
What I have done with corded undercabinet lighting is either put a switched outlet inside the cabinet, or if there is a space above the cabinet I install it above where you can't see it. Then I place the light under the cabinet, run the cord to the outside corner, come up inside the cabinet tucked inside where it can't be seen, then to the outlet.
Here are some pics of what I did in my kitchen.
I'm not using them yet, but I've cut the heads of three HF free flashlights with a view of installing them in an aluminum rail with a 3.5v power supply.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
3.5v? Don't these use three 1.5v button batteries?
The other problem you may run into is these are using the internal resistance of the battery to regulate the current. (no ballast resistor) A different power supply may burn them up.
I made an under counter light scavenging some of these LEDs but I ended up with a ballast resistor in a more conventional approach.
Is that low voltage in the Romex? Mine works off of a wall-wart transformer and I used lamp cord for the low voltage wiring. When the wall-wart finally smoked I replaced it with a power supply used for musical instrument effects, a much better power supply.
Jimmie
I have several strings in the house I built my MIL. Then came from an electrician friend of mine who got them on the job. The transformer is about as big as a shoe box, and the lights are a string of white plastic lights that are snapped together so one can make the string any length. It is hooked up to a dimmer. MIL loves them, they hide well, can be turned down for a very lovely soft light, or up to give quite a bit of light, and so far, none has gone out, and it's going on three years. We put the transformer in a remote cabinet, so I am not sure of the brand. But they are the absolute best that a very large international hotel chain could afford. For me, they were free....................
Steve
Heart surgery pending? Read up and prepare. Learn how to care for a friend.
From what ive seen stick with Flouescent, you get great colpr cheap. The leds dont offer this or a real energy savings or a cost savings/
But they have a quality of light 100x better than those freight train headlight fluorescents. Plus, they are dimmable.
Steve
Heart surgery pending? Read up and prepare. Learn how to care for a friend.
Hardwire it so you see NOTHING.
Steve
Those hockey pucks in the pics are 120V. The zip cords run up inside the cabinet, out the top and plugs into a switched outlet I installed.
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.