I've been working on shelves and storage in the rental house. They
are kind of odd shaped closets and needed some custom shelves which
turned out really well. It's amazing how non square corners can be!

Now, I'm thinking of lighting. I'd have to run wiring, so I'm
thinking of battery operated stuff. What I think would work well is not
overhead lighting but side lighting, so that light wouldn't be shaded by
the shelves. Perhaps even "push lights". An alternative, albeit one that
needs power, would be rope lighting around the inside of the closet door
frame.

Anyone have any suggestions/ideas? I'm kind of winging it here.

Jeff

On Nov 27, 10:49*am, Jeff Thies wrote:
* *I've been working on shelves and storage in the rental house. They
are kind of odd shaped closets and needed some custom shelves which
turned out really well. It's amazing how non square corners can be!

* *Now, I'm thinking of lighting. I'd have to run wiring, so I'm
thinking of battery operated stuff. What I think would work well is not
overhead lighting but side lighting, so that light wouldn't be shaded by
the shelves. Perhaps even "push lights". An alternative, albeit one that
needs power, would be rope lighting around the inside of the closet door
frame.

* *Anyone have any suggestions/ideas? I'm kind of winging it here.

* *Jeff

THAT SOUNDS TOO GAY AND INSUFFIENCIENT
LET ME SEE CLOSET ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS
go to alt.engineering.electrical with this

THE RESIDENT CLOSET ENGINEERS THERE MAY HAVE A SOLUTION FOR YOU

PATECUMSEH

On Nov 27, 9:49*am, Jeff Thies wrote:
* *I've been working on shelves and storage in the rental house. They
are kind of odd shaped closets and needed some custom shelves which
turned out really well. It's amazing how non square corners can be!

* *Now, I'm thinking of lighting. I'd have to run wiring, so I'm
thinking of battery operated stuff. What I think would work well is not
overhead lighting but side lighting, so that light wouldn't be shaded by
the shelves. Perhaps even "push lights". An alternative, albeit one that
needs power, would be rope lighting around the inside of the closet door
frame.

* *Anyone have any suggestions/ideas? I'm kind of winging it here.

* *Jeff

Community electrical codes in your town may have some standards for
closet lighting. In some, bare bulbs in china fixtures which used to
be common, are now outlawed. Get the skinny from your city hall and
follow the rules. You'll find it to be pretty common sense stuff.

Joe

Jeff Thies wrote:
I've been working on shelves and storage in the rental house. They
are kind of odd shaped closets and needed some custom shelves which
turned out really well. It's amazing how non square corners can be!

Now, I'm thinking of lighting. I'd have to run wiring, so I'm
thinking of battery operated stuff. What I think would work well is
not overhead lighting but side lighting, so that light wouldn't be
shaded by the shelves. Perhaps even "push lights". An alternative,
albeit one that needs power, would be rope lighting around the inside
of the closet door frame.

Anyone have any suggestions/ideas? I'm kind of winging it here.


Run the wiring. What's the use in precision shelving if no one can see it?

"Jeff Thies" wrote in message
...
I've been working on shelves and storage in the rental house. They are
kind of odd shaped closets and needed some custom shelves which turned out
really well. It's amazing how non square corners can be!

Now, I'm thinking of lighting. I'd have to run wiring, so I'm thinking
of battery operated stuff. What I think would work well is not overhead
lighting but side lighting, so that light wouldn't be shaded by the
shelves. Perhaps even "push lights". An alternative, albeit one that needs
power, would be rope lighting around the inside of the closet door frame.

Anyone have any suggestions/ideas? I'm kind of winging it here.

Jeff

Whatever you do, put a switch that turns on the light when the door is
opened.

Steve

On 11/27/2010 8:04 PM, HeyBub wrote:
Jeff Thies wrote:
I've been working on shelves and storage in the rental house. They
are kind of odd shaped closets and needed some custom shelves which
turned out really well. It's amazing how non square corners can be!

Now, I'm thinking of lighting. I'd have to run wiring, so I'm
thinking of battery operated stuff. What I think would work well is
not overhead lighting but side lighting, so that light wouldn't be
shaded by the shelves. Perhaps even "push lights". An alternative,
albeit one that needs power, would be rope lighting around the inside
of the closet door frame.

Anyone have any suggestions/ideas? I'm kind of winging it here.


Run the wiring. What's the use in precision shelving if no one can see it?


I looked around for push lights today expecting to find some decent
LED lights, no go. Seems like not ago they were everywhere. I'll do as
you suggest and run the wiring and pick up some surface mount light strips.

Jeff

On Nov 27, 6:22*pm, Jeff Thies wrote:
On 11/27/2010 8:04 PM, HeyBub wrote:

Jeff Thies wrote:
* *I've been working on shelves and storage in the rental house. They
are kind of odd shaped closets and needed some custom shelves which
turned out really well. It's amazing how non square corners can be!

* *Now, I'm thinking of lighting. I'd have to run wiring, so I'm
thinking of battery operated stuff. What I think would work well is
not overhead lighting but side lighting, so that light wouldn't be
shaded by the shelves. Perhaps even "push lights". An alternative,
albeit one that needs power, would be rope lighting around the inside
of the closet door frame.

* *Anyone have any suggestions/ideas? I'm kind of winging it here.

Run the wiring. What's the use in precision shelving if no one can see it?

* *I looked around for push lights today expecting to find some decent
LED lights, no go. Seems like not ago they were everywhere. I'll do as
you suggest and run the wiring and pick up some surface mount light strips.

* *I actually bought a 3-pack of surface mount LEDs at Tuesday Morning, an outlet chain.. They're pretty bright, though i
never care for that ghastly white light. Still, to get at something
quickly...
..
Reason I did that: The pull chain broke on my closet ceiling-mounted
incandescent long ago and I never got around to fixing it.
Even bought a whole new porcelain receptacle, but it just sits. VERY
hard to get access; closet is so small.

HB

"Jeff Thies" wrote in message ...

Anyone have any suggestions/ideas? I'm kind of winging it here.

What worked well in our closets was hardwired under-cabinet fluorescent
lights mounted right above the door, that way shelves don't block much light
from reaching the lower parts of the closets. And with 8-watt T5s even if
you forget to turn the light off and close the door there isn't enough heat
buildup to be a problem. The wiring to the fixtures is enclosed in square
steel channel which I assume was to meet code (it was a whole-house rewire
which was being inspected). We elected to put the switches inside the
closets. Our fixtures were made by Nora Lighting.

http://www.noralighting.com/catalog/...-8932-345.html

Maybe today I'd look at LED fixtures--low power consumption, little heat,
and a loooong lifespan.

http://www.noralighting.com/catalog/...-9023-619.html

On 11/27/2010 11:59 PM, DGDevin wrote:


"Jeff Thies" wrote in message ...

Anyone have any suggestions/ideas? I'm kind of winging it here.

What worked well in our closets was hardwired under-cabinet fluorescent
lights mounted right above the door, that way shelves don't block much
light from reaching the lower parts of the closets. And with 8-watt T5s
even if you forget to turn the light off and close the door there isn't
enough heat buildup to be a problem. The wiring to the fixtures is
enclosed in square steel channel which I assume was to meet code (it was
a whole-house rewire which was being inspected). We elected to put the
switches inside the closets. Our fixtures were made by Nora Lighting.

http://www.noralighting.com/catalog/...-8932-345.html


This seems about right to me. The Nora lights look real nice, but I
think I'll go with something much cheaper! Lowes has got this:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_73189-1390-G...cent%2Bli ght

for $20 and I after a bit more looking I found a few battery operated.
There is a lot to be said about not replacing batteries after you forget
to turn them off though.

Thanks,
Jeff




Maybe today I'd look at LED fixtures--low power consumption, little
heat, and a loooong lifespan.

http://www.noralighting.com/catalog/...-9023-619.html

On 11/27/2010 9:22 PM, Jeff Thies wrote:
On 11/27/2010 8:04 PM, HeyBub wrote:
Jeff Thies wrote:
I've been working on shelves and storage in the rental house. They
are kind of odd shaped closets and needed some custom shelves which
turned out really well. It's amazing how non square corners can be!

Now, I'm thinking of lighting. I'd have to run wiring, so I'm
thinking of battery operated stuff. What I think would work well is
not overhead lighting but side lighting, so that light wouldn't be
shaded by the shelves. Perhaps even "push lights". An alternative,
albeit one that needs power, would be rope lighting around the inside
of the closet door frame.

Anyone have any suggestions/ideas? I'm kind of winging it here.


Run the wiring. What's the use in precision shelving if no one can see
it?


I looked around for push lights today expecting to find some decent LED
lights, no go. Seems like not ago they were everywhere. I'll do as you
suggest and run the wiring and pick up some surface mount light strips.

Jeff

Check your local code office, especially if you have inspections on
rentals. Some areas no longer allow some types of closet lights due to
heat buildup or 'too easy to smash and get electrocuted' issues. Old
stuff is grandfathered in most cases, but a new install might not be
allowed.

I think it's silly- an exposed bulb in a porcelain socket above the
inside of the door (or in ceiling near door) was SOP for decades for
walkins and fancy normal closets. I never heard of anyone dying. But
they don't care about my opinion. I'd be more hesitant to put a
fully-enclosed fixture in a confined space, unless there was an
automatic switch built into the door frame. In my experience, those run
a lot hotter if accidentally left on with door closed. It would be a
good application for an LED fixture, if you can find one at a decent price.

--
aem sends...

On Sun, 28 Nov 2010 09:44:04 -0500, aemeijers wrote:

On 11/27/2010 9:22 PM, Jeff Thies wrote:
On 11/27/2010 8:04 PM, HeyBub wrote:
Jeff Thies wrote:
I've been working on shelves and storage in the rental house. They
are kind of odd shaped closets and needed some custom shelves which
turned out really well. It's amazing how non square corners can be!

Now, I'm thinking of lighting. I'd have to run wiring, so I'm
thinking of battery operated stuff. What I think would work well is
not overhead lighting but side lighting, so that light wouldn't be
shaded by the shelves. Perhaps even "push lights". An alternative,
albeit one that needs power, would be rope lighting around the inside
of the closet door frame.

Anyone have any suggestions/ideas? I'm kind of winging it here.


Run the wiring. What's the use in precision shelving if no one can see
it?


I looked around for push lights today expecting to find some decent LED
lights, no go. Seems like not ago they were everywhere. I'll do as you
suggest and run the wiring and pick up some surface mount light strips.

Jeff

Check your local code office, especially if you have inspections on
rentals. Some areas no longer allow some types of closet lights due to
heat buildup or 'too easy to smash and get electrocuted' issues. Old
stuff is grandfathered in most cases, but a new install might not be
allowed.

I think it's silly- an exposed bulb in a porcelain socket above the
inside of the door (or in ceiling near door) was SOP for decades for
walkins and fancy normal closets. I never heard of anyone dying. But
they don't care about my opinion. I'd be more hesitant to put a
fully-enclosed fixture in a confined space, unless there was an
automatic switch built into the door frame. In my experience, those run
a lot hotter if accidentally left on with door closed. It would be a
good application for an LED fixture, if you can find one at a decent price.

With an enclosed fixture the clothing or whatever can't come in contact with
the bulb. People tend to over-stuff closets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9FGC68YcwM

"Jeff Thies" wrote in message
...
I've been working on shelves and storage in the rental house. They
are kind of odd shaped closets and needed some custom shelves which
turned out really well. It's amazing how non square corners can be!

Now, I'm thinking of lighting. I'd have to run wiring, so I'm
thinking of battery operated stuff. What I think would work well is not
overhead lighting but side lighting, so that light wouldn't be shaded by
the shelves. Perhaps even "push lights". An alternative, albeit one that
needs power, would be rope lighting around the inside of the closet door
frame.

Anyone have any suggestions/ideas? I'm kind of winging it here.

I've been using Philips "Stumble lights"

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a...EM-2-PC/1.html

They have a light "head" that has four very bright LEDs and a motion
detector "head" as well that you mount where it will detect a human standing
in front of the closet. I mount the above the inside frame of the door.
Since they run off low voltage transformers, they're of no concern to the
inspector. No batteries and the light is not the garish blue of most LEDs
but a warm white color my wife likes because it does not make clothes colors
look "funny."

--
Bobby G.

"Jeff Thies" wrote in message ...


There is a lot to be said about not replacing batteries after you forget
to turn them off though.

I have a couple of battery-powered lights in spots like storage cabinets,
they have infrared sensors that turn them on automatically when I show up,
and they shut off after a minute if there is no more motion. But the
batteries are guaranteed to die on that occasion when you most need the
light, it's funny how it works that way. I think hardwired is the way to go
unless it's impractical.

On 11/28/2010 3:42 PM, Robert Green wrote:
"Jeff wrote in message
...
I've been working on shelves and storage in the rental house. They
are kind of odd shaped closets and needed some custom shelves which
turned out really well. It's amazing how non square corners can be!

Now, I'm thinking of lighting. I'd have to run wiring, so I'm
thinking of battery operated stuff. What I think would work well is not
overhead lighting but side lighting, so that light wouldn't be shaded by
the shelves. Perhaps even "push lights". An alternative, albeit one that
needs power, would be rope lighting around the inside of the closet door
frame.

Anyone have any suggestions/ideas? I'm kind of winging it here.

I've been using Philips "Stumble lights"

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a...EM-2-PC/1.html

They have a light "head" that has four very bright LEDs and a motion
detector "head" as well that you mount where it will detect a human standing
in front of the closet. I mount the above the inside frame of the door.
Since they run off low voltage transformers, they're of no concern to the
inspector. No batteries and the light is not the garish blue of most LEDs
but a warm white color my wife likes because it does not make clothes colors
look "funny."


Just about perfect, and cheap too.

Jeff

--
Bobby G.

"Jeff Thies" wrote in message
...
On 11/28/2010 3:42 PM, Robert Green wrote:

stuff snipped

Anyone have any suggestions/ideas? I'm kind of winging it here.

I've been using Philips "Stumble lights"


http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a...EM-2-PC/1.html

They have a light "head" that has four very bright LEDs and a motion
detector "head" as well that you mount where it will detect a human
standing
in front of the closet. I mount the above the inside frame of the door.
Since they run off low voltage transformers, they're of no concern to
the
inspector. No batteries and the light is not the garish blue of most
LEDs
but a warm white color my wife likes because it does not make clothes
colors
look "funny."


Just about perfect, and cheap too.

Just a warning. They often sell out of items like this (especially when
someone like me posts the URL!) so if you're interested, you might want to
call them and see what kind of stock they have left. It's going to be a few
less than last week because I ordered 10 of each kind (they also make a one
piece unit with the motion sensor embedded in the lighting unit). The
all-in-one units aren't good for closets because the sensor faces the back
of the closet, but I now have them installed from the bedroom to the kitchen
so that I can get up at night and get something to eat without turning on
any of the house lights. So far, after almost a whole year, not one of them
has failed in any way.

I used to use X-10 for projects like this, but their motion sensors are too
"chatty" and put too much traffic on the powerline to be useful (potentially
blocking other X-10 signals) and besides, they would turn on the overheads
and were more likely to wake my wife than the Stumble lights. Wiring's
pretty straightforward, although in one case I had to splice in some extra
wire between the connectors to reach an outlet to plug the transformer into.
One transformer can drive multiple lights (at least two, haven't tried
more). They use a three-pin mini-connector that so far, I have been unable
to locate. )-: But splicing works, so it's not a big issue.

I've never had a problem with Allelectronics. Returning stuff is super
simple and their ground shipping rates are quite reasonable. Not the
greatest prices in town on all their stuff, but I haven't found the Stumble
lights for sale anywhere else, cheaper or not. Been using them for a year
and am quite happy with them. They replaced battery-powered LED lights with
the garish blue tint that didn't put out half the light. I got pretty sick
of feeding them batteries as well.

The layout of four LEDs in a row makes them very suitable for closet
lighting. They even come with mounting gear. Two screws and you're in
business. I actually mount them with screws to a thin piece of plywood and
then attach Velcro to that. I put a strip of Velcro above the inside frame
and attach them that way because drilling two precisely located holes for
the screws is a bit dicey in some closets unless you empty them out.

--
Bobby G.

"DGDevin" wrote in message
m...
"Jeff Thies" wrote in message ...


There is a lot to be said about not replacing batteries after you forget
to turn them off though.

I have a couple of battery-powered lights in spots like storage cabinets,
they have infrared sensors that turn them on automatically when I show up,
and they shut off after a minute if there is no more motion. But the
batteries are guaranteed to die on that occasion when you most need the
light, it's funny how it works that way. I think hardwired is the way to
go
unless it's impractical.

Been there, done that and switched to hardwired low-voltage lights because,
as you note, the one time you *really* need them the batteries have died.
The Stumble lights referenced elsewhere are remarkably bright, always
activate upon motion and have a warm white light that makes clothes in
closets look like they will in normal light. My wife had a hard time
differentiating beiges from grays under the blue LED light.

--
Bobby G.