LV Undercab Lighting

smc91805

Recently saw a contractor wiring a kitchen's undercab lights with 10-2. Reason being with a 300w transformer at 12v, your at 25a.

Right now I run 14-2 but each cab is a home run to the transformer, so there's never more then say a 100w on each leg. OCP on the primary is still 15a and when you transfer to the track your still using 12 or 14 wire.

Used to just use black landscape wire and jump right onto the track from under the cab but we got knocked down too many times because its not rated for in wall use. Kichler has a nice splice block to transfer from romex to LV wire now

Just curious what other guys are doing. Been using kichler's linear track system with 12v 10w sockets. Very happy with it so far

DuMass

Whenever I see that low voltage under cabinet lighting is specified, I will normally run 12/2 NM to the undersides of each cabinet location and just size my loads accordingly.
The manufacturers load chart usually specifies #12 minimum anyway, but the added advantage of using NM cable is that if the homeowner ever gets tired of changing 12V bulbs out he can change over to 120V T-5 fluorescent fixtures later without having to do any major rewiring.

WarriorWithWood

Home Weblow has in wall rated 12-2 speaker wire, all I can find on their site is the 14-2 but they do have it. it works great for low-voltage lighting. Here's a link to the 14-2.

http://contractorservices.homedepot....5-02d77987539b

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-Dennis
www.bowmanch.com

mdshunk

Much of that stuff does not have the temperature rating required by many low voltage fixtures. They can get hot as fire, and it'll make lesser temperature rated wires (such as the CL2 speaker wire) brittle after a period of years.

Magnettica

I forget which kind I like. I think they're kitchler but not sure. They're 120 volt XENON bulbs - 12", 18" 24" 36" and 48" are available. They look really nice when they're done. I run 14-2 NM-B to each single location and do a properly sized j-box, normally in the basement.

Do you guy install the UC lights closest to back of the cabinet to avoid and physical damage issues, or do you bring the light out so it's more centered over the countertop?

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mdshunk

I don't have an opinion on which location is the best. I ask the customer. When they leave it up to me, I keep them as tight as possible to the back. I've had enough people tell me back, middle, or front that I've noticed no clear pattern for a preference (even among jobs spec'd by lighting designers). I think it depends a little on whether there's recessed cans in front of the uppers to shine on the front of the countertop. In those cases, it makes sense to keep the lights in the middle or back. With no cans, maybe the lights are best near the front.

smc91805

I bring the LV track all they way to the front. Normaly use a piece of the cabinets left over to space the track and keep it perfectly straight so it's spaced about 3/4" off the light rail. I've never had any complaints of them being too hot or in the way and they always get dimmed.

Hardly ever do the line voltage for UC lighting but when we do it's the kichler xenon. That I keep far back, just old habbit.

Used to use seagull's pucks for the under cab but still use them for in cabinet lighting when glass doors and shelves are spec'd

Magnettica

I've seen guys put them up front with romex and no protection, cept' for a strap or two. I wonder if the inspector just didn't notice it or if he thought they didn't need any protection. I think it looks like crap when the wires just flapping in the breeze like that.

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mdshunk

I think it would be a stretch to think that romex running like that is likely to be damaged. Just because you can see it doesn't necessarily mean that it's subject to physical damage.

kawaikfx400

We use Seagull undercabinet LV lighting. Each cabinet gets ran back to a transformer,a 14-2,and your switch goes there also. Small white track,with 12v bulbs and small sockets that snap into the track in which you lay your seagull wiring in and we butt splice to the 14-2 coming out of the wall.

WarriorWithWood

Md,
I will transition to the seagull wiring as soon as I can (the 10-2). That wire is only for the in-wall portion of the install. It never gets near the fixtures.

__________________
-Dennis
www.bowmanch.com

loneframer

I like the lights toward the front of the cabinet, conceiled by a light rail molding. Otherwise, when seated at a table, the lights are very visible and also annoying.

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Tiger

I run conduit in the wall with a short length of greenfield to the fixture. I like setting the fixtures toward the center or front of the bottom counter so the light is centered on the countertop. I prefer line voltage fixtures. One less thing to go wrong.

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www.TigerElectrical.com