LED under-cabinet lighting

We tried with just one tape, and the light is very meagre compared to a fluorescent. You'd need several, not just one or two.

A fluorescent tube is about 3000 - 4000 lumens per meter. So, you can work out exactly how many tapes you need for equivalent light output.

It doesn't bend that way. There are 90 degree connectors, but I haven't seen 45 degree ones.

It can just be stuck on. It doesn't get hot. However, the strip may get dirty, particularly in a kitchen, and it would be virtually impossible to clean. Those housings can just be wiped with a soapy cloth.

How long is a piece of string. What do your current lights put out, estimate from there.

of course

if out of sight you can twist it on the corner. If visible that wouldn't look good.

yes. If out of sight you could cover it over with velcroed clear plastic bottle strips to keep them clean.

there's never any reason to buy anything from RS.

I'd give them at least one dimmed setting. For relaxed use it looks better and extends LED life hugely. A series cap on the mains feed can do that, as long as the PSUs don't misbehave.

NT

You can get ali channel with clip on diffusers for this purpose - these have screw on clips.

But for ease, I used:

If you want to go with tapes, you can get self adhesive LED tape that is waterproof (it's coated with a film):

I see they have a new LED in those - the brightest of the tapes a few months ago was absolutely mental.

I would go with 24V - then you don't worry about volt drop problems over distance. All quite safe (with a quality SELV PSU) too.

Those guys also sell the ali channel I mentioned.

These are upto around 1300 lm/m:

But bear in mind all of that is going down, rather than up, backwards and forwards.

I have some (in a different application) and they are *bright*. Blindingly so if you look at them directly without a diffuser.

One thing to note is that the glue on ones do not stayed glued on if kettles and toasters are used below the shelves and I'd doubt it does the leds much good either, over time.

Brian

Waterproof strips for outdoor use are possibly recommended for kitchen use.

For under cabinet lights pointing downward to a work surface do you actually need 3000 lumens per meter?

I doubt that most shorter tubes fitted in under cabinet lights are a higher wattage item giving that much light.

Lower wattage tubes may be comparable with the figures for LEDs

Typical figures

Unlike a fluorescent tube LED is a directional light source and all the light will be directed towards the work surface.

I went with the LEDHut 72W/5m strip, and that to me seemed just right.

It will be tricky to change angle in that plane and keep it flat. Cut and wire would give a neater result.

I left it bare since you can't see it. If you want there are splash proof and fully waterproof versions if you are worried about water / steam etc.

You can also get :

(go to the trade version of the site for better prices!)

Probably not - kitchens can get away with "whiter" light IME. However the 2700K tape works well.

On mine I went with something like:

and actually mounted it *inside* the cooker hood, and powered it from its internal lighting switch. So when you switch on the cooker hood light, it also brings on the under cabinet light.

The typical under cupboard T5 tubes are significantly less than that. more like 1500 lumen/m tops.

The tapes are often 1000 lumen/m - however you can have a continuous run without needing to stop for the ends of the tubes / fittings.

If you get the waterproof version, its dipped in a clear silicone jacket that is smooth and can be wiped down.

Would you normally buy stuff where it says:-

"20% of the transformer capacity needs to be left over to prevent overloading "?

Why are they quoting load figures that are unsafe if you use them?

Is it even an isolated supply or just some cheap Chinese SMPSU? For damp areas you really want an isolated supply to avoid shocks and/or RCD trips.

You should consider something like

Which is a SELV led driver and is isolating, runs at 100% of its rating (and is cheaper).

As well as the TLC strips these are easily available:

They come in various lengths with fixing brackets and link leads so you can daisy chain them to the required lengths and, of course, the flexible link leads go round corners.

They are mains operated, so no separate PSU to buy/mount/hide (one mains feed for the entire string) and look, overall, very much cheaper (and simpler) than the LED tapes you were considering.

We've got a couple of shortish one that came from Lidl under two small cabinets over a dark corner of the worktop and management is well pleased with them.

These are really good if lidl have them in again..

Apologies for my lack of response - for some weird reason my newsreader is refusing to fetch any of this thread. I'm resorting to google groups for time being.

Doesn't that depend on the size of the tube?? Mine are T4 (1/2" dia) 16W 2700K 455mm long ROBUS. And Robus is a make I'll avoid as these are failing in less that 1 year. I have tried to find out their claimed output with no success.

As I suspected. It will be the wired solderless types then.

Good point, thanks.

Yes, I saw those, but then found bare tapes and wondered why buy a fitting if you cab just stick the bare tapes on. I have my answer now, thanks.

See previous reply

I certainly wasn't suggesting I'd buy them from RS, just pointing out an example.

ok

No s*it Sherlock

Its only under cabinet lighting. There is an on-off wall-switch for when they are not wanted.

Thanks for the links Tim. I think I'll be getting a short piece of middle of the range lm/m to experiment with!