Undercabinet lighting: thoughts on alternative?

11 years ago

We're in the process of building a new home. Met with the electrician yesterday and discussed undercabinet lighting. Our builder "only" uses Xenon lights that were surprisingly big, bulky, and with a large ribbed conduit (is that the word?) poked through the wall next to each unit for the wiring. Looked terrible, IMO.

Though I definitely want UC lighting....I just can't stomach the builder's option. I asked about alternatives - prewiring etc so we can choose our own. The only alternative they offered is to install two GFI outlets in the uppers, one at each end of the kitchen, and both on a switch. Then we could install LED or whatever later and fish the plugs up into the cabs to plug in.

Does this sound like a viable plan? The cost of the monster-Xenons would be about $1000. The cost of the outlets+switch will be about $225 total, leaving plenty for us to shop around and find our own lights. It seems like the way to go, but want to make sure I'm not missing something.

ALSO - asked them about prewiring the 3 cans over the island for pendants. They said they can, for $50 per. However, I know there are "pendant conversion" kits out there. I wonder about those and if we'd be better off with the prewiring or DIY conversion down the road? Thoughts?

Featured Answer

ianna

11 years ago

ikea offers wireless lights and controlled with a remote controlled unit. Cheap and easy to install.

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Comments (6)

David
11 years ago
The cheapest option is to have pre-wired 120V AC lines leading out to selected terminated locations under the cabinets. The UCL power lines should be on a separate circuit so that the lighting can be controlled in unison.

If your cabinets are made of chipboard, drilling should be kept to a minimum

The following link has a lot more information.

DIY UCL Continuation

If the cans are already in place, why pre-wire for pendants?
katiejay
Original Author
11 years ago
The cheapest option you mention sounds great....only problem is we have two options and it doesn't sound as though either is what you suggest. Did you mean to say the UCL power lines need their own circuit? Or did you mean their own switch?

The cans are standard. We prefer pendants and would like to add those in the future. Hence, wondering if the "pendant prewire" or the later conversion would be the better route.
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David
11 years ago
If the builder is able to put GFCI receptacles in the cabinets on a switched circuit, that is just a variation of what I described.

Instead of the GFCI receptacles in the cabinets, there would be romex wire exiting the wall just under the cabinets. The romex would be terminated with wire nuts and kept inside a flat pancake electrical box under the cabinets.

The large ribbed conduit you described is armored cable.

IMO, pendant prewire is just giving money away.
katiejay
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks VERY much for this suggestion. I'm going to run it by the electrician and see about the romex wire idea.

Do you think the pendant prewire is "giving money away" because you don't care for pendants? Or because we could just as easily (and with decent quality?) convert them ourselves at a later date?
David
11 years ago
Pendant prewiring will be giving money away if

a. You continue using the recessed cans until such time as when you get the pendants you like/ want.

b. The cans themselves can be considered as pre-wired for pendants since they contain a metal box where the necessary wiring connections to the branch circuitry are made.

All the pendant conversion kits do is connect to the existing socket and provide some support for the hanging pendant.
katiejay thanked David