under cabinet kitchen counter lighting?

looking for ideas... trying to help someone remodel a kitchen. she HATES the old under cabinet fluorescent fixtures with the buzzing, flickering, etc. Last weekend I cut a box in the ceiling above her sink so she could ditch an old surface mount fluorescent for a pendant type fixture, you'd have thought that I painted the whole room for her as happy as she seemed. So given that, are there any attractive fixtures, either LED or fluorescent (with electronic ballasts of course) to hang under your typical kitchen cabinets that can be hardwired and are not extortionately expensive? what are good brands these days? I can do the work but am not tapped into the world of electricians so I could use some ideas to get started.

thanks,

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel
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** I like the under cabinet Xenon made by Counter Attack. They're line voltage, with 35 watt lamps
Reply to
RBM

The best I've seen are T4 flourescents (1/2" dia), easy to hide under the cabinet, good color temperature and light distribution, good efficiency.

Reply to
Pete C.

I have two undercounter fluorescents, one over the sink and one over the main counter-top. They are up tight against the bollom of the cabinets above them.. Then, I covered the skirst of those cabinets with a flat piece of wood (oak) that matches the rest of the cabinets, and cut a hole in the wood immediately beneath the lights and put a piece of plastic diffuser in the opening. Using an electronic ballast, there is no noise and virtually no heat, no flickering, and the fixtures have been in place and used daily for many hours for more than 6 years. I used pieces of oak baseboard for the perimeter of the bottom plates that I made so that you do not see the raw edges. I can send you a couple of photos if you want, just e-mail me privately.

Reply to
hrhofmann

Only bad old unit buzzes. Flourescent are your best best and the colors are great unlike the old grey lights. They are 75% more efficient than incandesant and many out do leds. HD has a line of I think GE brand that are designed as undercabinet and are cheap, you can try and return it, I have been using them for nearly 20 years in apartments and houses. Led, to expensive, Halogen - ineficient.

Reply to
ransley

You're basically asking a subjectve question and you'll get opinions for and against just about every choice.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

I use Cree LEDs and I see a bunch of ne models. I need 3000degrees or under for nice warm light. I am driving about 100ma or less with a small aluminum plate for dissipation. Also use them in bath. They are ALWAYS on, and are on battery backup. Like this....

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Greg

Reply to
zek

I didn't like fluorescent, halogen was too hot and bulbs didn't last long. Finally, I went for line voltage "American Lighting" brand Xenon fixtures. They are available in pucks and strips. Xenon bulbs last longer and don't run as hot as halogen. Line voltage allows a dimmer to be used to control several fixtures at a time.

Reply to
EXT

I use string lights behind my countertop back splash. Lights up the wall and undercounter. Can be used on a dimmer.

Reply to
LSMFT

do you mean the kind in a plastic tube, or just bare-bulb like "italian" christmas lites?

Reply to
hrhofmann

Plastic tube.

Reply to
LSMFT

I like my LED lighting too. I didnt care much for the little wall wart power supply that came with them so I replaced it with a little 1 amp brick type power supply think it was made by Sola. I dont consider these task lighting, really more for general illumination than anything else but 90% + of the time it serves the purpose so the incandescent lighting is mostly used for kitchen clean up.

Jimmie

Reply to
JIMMIE

The same Cree led I use outside. I illuminate two trees with two LEDs running 500 ma. I want the new model in a 3 led something over 500 lumens for $16 bucks each. Trees light up more brightly because of the lens than with a flood.

Greg

Reply to
zek

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