Hi guys I'm looking for any ideas for under cabinet lighting on a soon to be fitted new kitchen. The pelmet isn't that big so it would need to be something slim line. I've had a look at some LED strips. Would these throw out enough light to work with. These obviously wouldn't be the main light for working in but an additional light.
Thanks for any links / info.
Cheers.
Fluorescent tubes with remote ballasts. You'll need a specialist to supply these. Choice of length(s) should give a perfectly even illumination. Careful choice of colour temperature will match the other lighting.
I used Osram electronic dimming ballasts.
It won't be cheap - but will better any other solution.
I've used these T5 tubes in a couple of places and like them and they've proved pretty reliable. They can be mounted sideways, so are just the width of the fitting deep. The link is just a pointer. There are a number of suppliers. Greater wattages = longer. There are various colour tones, so you need to ensure all tubes are the same white.
I used some little LED strips from Ikea Give out plenty of background / fill-in light.
I use fluorescents. From the point of view of best worktop lighting and minimum reflections, you want to fit the tubes as near to the fronts of the cupboard bottoms as you can. Right behind the pelmet is ideal.
You can buy T4 fittings in the likes of B&Q. Just beware that T4 tubes are not standardised, so make sure you can buy spare tubes from whereever you get the fittings. (I've been bitten by this once, as Omicron decided to stop producing their products.)
More recently, I have changed to use T5HE (High Efficiency) tubes, which are available in lengths to match widths of kitchen (and other) modular units, i.e. (from the table I put in Wikipedia)...
Length Watts HE Watts HO Notes
563 mm (22.2 in) 14 W 24 W fits within a 600 mm modular unit 863 mm (34.0 in) 21 W 39 W fits within a 900 mm modular unit 1,163 mm (45.8 in) 28 W 54 W fits within a 1200 mm modular unit 1,463 mm (57.6 in) 35 W 80 W fits within a 1500 mm modular unitUnder a run of 3 x 600mm cupboards, I use a 35W tube. It's bright, exactly what I want for working on the worktop. I use 5/8" terry clips on the back of the pelmet to hold the tube, and the electronic control gear is remote on the wall (positioned where it won't heat up the cupboards, although any lights will to some degree).
I have done the same on top of wall cupboards in a couple of kitchens to provide the room's general lighting, indirectly off a white ceiling, using the HO (High Output) T5 tubes (24W on single cupboards or pairs of narrower cupboards, 54W on a pair of 600mm cupboards). If you have lots of wall cupboards, you could drop back to the HE tubes instead.
HO tubes would be too bright under cupboard, and they also get very hot and it's not a good idea to have kitchen cupboards heated like that as they can't be used for storing lots of types of food.
You dont say how deep you've got to play with. LEDs are the shallowest, but dont expect decent light quality, so keep their output on the low side most of the time so its not too noticeable.
That would depend on the lamps! I have a home-made strip with a dozen or so 1W LEDs in it over the conservatory table (not enough headroom for anything else) and it's plenty.
Steven Campbell :
Plenty. Try these...
Just used something like this
Cheap as chips, very bright. Just search eBay for LED strip. 12 volt, obviously. I run it off ten NiMH AAs and it lasts all day and then some.
Sorry for the late reply guys. I think I'll abandon the LED route and go with the T4 / T5 lights as they seem to give off the best working light. However before I do, I thought I would at least try GymRatZ suggestion of the car LEDS. At £3 it would be rude not to.
Newshound any more info on your homemade camera ring? I bought the LED's as above and although they weren't suitable for under cabinet lighting, they seem ideal for what you have used them for.
Steven.
At illuminolighting.com we make the best custom cut Under cabinet lighting. We build them specially for you in 1-2 days. Our lights have an output of 1500 lumens per meter, a really high Color Accuracy (CRI) and are Super Slim.
don't worry, we've already got your name remembered and will make sure to stay away from disreputable spammers.
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.