Undercounter Lighting Recommendations?

What do you recommend as the best undercounter light style. All I seem to find are the little hocky puck disks and rope lights. Anything else out there? Thanks. BTW these are going to be for new cabinets so I can build the upper bottoms around the light.

Reply to
Mike in Arkansas
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The hockey pucks are actually quite good. They're compact and they can be controlled by a dimmer. The downside is that they're not as efficient as fluorescents.

BruceT

Reply to
Bruce T

You probably mean undercabinet as undercounter wouldn't be very effective.

I popped some fairly big bucks and went with Kichler xenon bulb fixtures from my local lighting store. Later I saw the Kichlers with halogen bulbs at the local Lowes, but now a year later, when my daughter needs undercabinet lighting, Lowes only has hockey pucks. And we've had previous zero success with hockey pucks.

I love the Kichler xenons. The light is very warm, much like a regular incandescant lamp--not harsh white like the halogens.

I put in one 4-bulb, two 3-bulb, three 2-bulb, and one 1-bulb fixtures. They totalled about $500, installed myself. There are two brightness positions on the switches on the units, and of course I have them all wired to 3-way switches by the doors. There are no transformers or any other special wiring--they run off regular 120V feeds.

They are also quite low profile, so they wouldnt be horrible under a stock cabinet, but my cabinets had a trim molding so they are completely invisible unless you duck your head and look up under the cabinet.

Good luck.

Reply to
LRod

I completely agree with LRd's assessment. Xenon is the way to go, albeit more money. Those hockeypucks are nothing but a PITA... bulbs don't last.

I see a lot of kitchens and the only negative is the initial cost of Xenon.

Reply to
Robatoy

Doh! undercabinet of course not undercounter.

Reply to
Mike in Arkansas

That's the third or fourth time you've completely agreed with me recently. People aren't going to take you seriously anymore if they find out you think the way I do...

Reply to
LRod

They already don't, Rodmeister... I'm shaping my future defense: "LRod said so..."

=0)

Reply to
Robatoy

On 23 Feb 2006 17:45:01 -0800, with neither quill nor qualm, "Mike in Arkansas" quickly quoth:

There are tons of compact fluor fixtures available, Mike, and they're a lot cooler running than xenon pucks.

Google 'bout 10 million hits for "under cabinet light". The first:

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some swing-down fluor fixtures that look pretty flexible. From $14.40 each!

Also check eBay for lamps. I got some 10w pucks at 1/3 the store prices for a display cabinet on my too-long list of To-Build toys.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Beware the 120VAC halogen hocky pucks, they blow frequently, at about $3 per bulb. Or at least mine do.

Mike

Mike Patterson Please remove the spamtrap to email me. "I always wanted to be somebody...I should have been more specific..." - Lily Tomlin

Reply to
Mike Patterson

Mike,

About a year ago, I installed new kitchen cabinets and used xenon task lights from National Speciality Lighting. They have been great. They are dimmable, bright and give off much less heat then halogen. They are supposed to have a much greater life than the halogen also. I do not have any relation to National Speciality Lighting or any lighting retailer or wholesaler at all. I am just very happy with.the lights

Reply to
dd

I installed some halogen units from a customer of mine....

Called "Counter Attack"

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(These folks are gouging to the max)

They are MUCH less at wholesale Electrical & Plumbing supply houses...

The bulb prices will give you a "heart attack" but that seems to be the problem with this sort of lighting.

Mike > What do you recommend as the best undercounter light style. All I seem

Reply to
Pat Barber

I found a number of different lighting types, strip and puck types at American Lighting. Just Google the name and check the manufacturer's site. They make fluorescent, halogen and xenon types. The reason I stumbled on them, is because most of my cabinets are of a size 1/2" too small for other manufacturer's strip lights, AL makes them a little shorter and fit into the cabinet bottoms.

Reply to
EXT

On Fri, 24 Feb 2006 00:11:39 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, Mike Patterson quickly quoth:

The bulbs get really hot. If there's any oil from your skin which gets on them, they'll blow quickly. Make sure you wear gloves when handling them and wipe them off before installation, just in case someone else wasn't as thorough, Mike.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

Great! Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. Lot more options than I could find at my local borg. And it does appear there are many more 'under cabinet' lights than there are 'under counter' lights listed on google. Of course if crime among your pots and pans is an issue you might just want under counter lights. Looks like I'm going in search of xenon. Hope to find a good price locally or online. Mike... who is feeling overwhelmed by the kitchen project ahead.

Reply to
Mike in Arkansas

I presume thins is for a kitchen. One thing to consider that most people seem to forget is color temperature. Your undercabinet lighting decision should follow you general area lighting decision. If you use halogen lighting anywhere in the kitchen, all lighting in the kitchen should be halogen. Same for fluorescent all tubes should be the same color temperature spec. If you don't match the color temperatures even if the amount of light and distribution are good things will never look quite right due to the mismatch.

Pete C.

Reply to
Pete C.

Good point Pete. In my younger years I had a friend who always said "Never mix, never worry". Of course he was talking about liquor but I see that it applies to lighting also.

Reply to
Mike in Arkansas

What could possibly go wrong?

;-)

Reply to
Robatoy

Yah, I do that, thanks, but they still only last about 2 months, and that's with only 2-3 hours per day usage.

Mike Mike Patterson Please remove the spamtrap to email me. "I always wanted to be somebody...I should have been more specific..." - Lily Tomlin

Reply to
Mike Patterson

On Sat, 25 Feb 2006 14:32:14 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, Mike Patterson quickly quoth:

Chiwanese or 'Murrican bulbs? It can make a difference. Sometimes the price savings isn't enough to recoup for the short lifetimes.

- Woodworkers of the world, Repent! Repeat after me: "Forgive Me Father, For I Have Stained and Polyed."

-

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Comprehensive Website Design

Reply to
Larry Jaques

A few people have mentioned small 120v pot lights and some of the heat and burnouts associated with them. No one has yet mentioned 12v pot lights which do not experience the same problems near as much, as well as being quite a bit safer. Don't let the idea of 12v pot lights not supplying you near enough light. The better quality ones are very capable in the light department.

Reply to
Upscale

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