Hi

I want to fit some lighting under my kitchen cupboards to illuminate
the work top below. I have a reasonably convenient mains socket
(switched) behind one of the cupboards accessible thro' a hole in the
back panel. I think I will need 3 or 4 lights along the run of
cupboards but I am unsure whether to go for strip fluorescent or
halogen downlighters, mains or low-voltage. Has anybody any
recommendations?

Also, I would like to have all the lights switched from a single
switch but not the switch on the mains socket as this would not be
convenient. I've looked in B&Q and also in TLC catalogue but can't see
a suitable switch. Any ideas?

Thanks for your help
Pete K.

"petek" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi

I want to fit some lighting under my kitchen cupboards to illuminate
the work top below. I have a reasonably convenient mains socket
(switched) behind one of the cupboards accessible thro' a hole in the
back panel. I think I will need 3 or 4 lights along the run of
cupboards but I am unsure whether to go for strip fluorescent or
halogen downlighters, mains or low-voltage. Has anybody any
recommendations?

Also, I would like to have all the lights switched from a single
switch but not the switch on the mains socket as this would not be
convenient. I've looked in B&Q and also in TLC catalogue but can't see
a suitable switch. Any ideas?

Thanks for your help
Pete K.


Strip fluorescents run much cooler than halogens. I switch mine via a relay
controlled by the switch on the cooker hood. Been working fine since 1985
with 1 tube change!!

Bob

In article .com,
petek writes:
Hi

I want to fit some lighting under my kitchen cupboards to illuminate
the work top below. I have a reasonably convenient mains socket
(switched) behind one of the cupboards accessible thro' a hole in the
back panel. I think I will need 3 or 4 lights along the run of
cupboards but I am unsure whether to go for strip fluorescent or
halogen downlighters, mains or low-voltage. Has anybody any
recommendations?

Fluorescsent is what you want for that. Better lighting
of the worktop, and less heating up of the cupboards.
Fit as far forward as you can, right at the front if you
have a pelmet under the cupboards. This will minimise
the reflected glare from the worktop and the things on
it.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

petek wrote:
Hi

I want to fit some lighting under my kitchen cupboards to illuminate
the work top below. I have a reasonably convenient mains socket
(switched) behind one of the cupboards accessible thro' a hole in the
back panel. I think I will need 3 or 4 lights along the run of
cupboards but I am unsure whether to go for strip fluorescent or
halogen downlighters, mains or low-voltage. Has anybody any
recommendations?

Also, I would like to have all the lights switched from a single
switch but not the switch on the mains socket as this would not be
convenient. I've looked in B&Q and also in TLC catalogue but can't see
a suitable switch. Any ideas?

Definitely strip fluorescents - halogens produce way too much heat.

As far as switching goes, you can get linked strips, such as:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...75462&id=68183
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...75462&id=23953

you can join these together, using these cables:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...75462&id=37872
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...75462&id=22057

These have a nice high colour temperature, and run much cooler than
halogens.


--
Grunff
Diamagnetic Levitation:
http://www.shinyshack.com/product.php?prid=211095

On 2007-05-07 22:15:45 +0100, petek said:

Hi

I want to fit some lighting under my kitchen cupboards to illuminate
the work top below. I have a reasonably convenient mains socket
(switched) behind one of the cupboards accessible thro' a hole in the
back panel. I think I will need 3 or 4 lights along the run of
cupboards but I am unsure whether to go for strip fluorescent or
halogen downlighters, mains or low-voltage. Has anybody any
recommendations?

Also, I would like to have all the lights switched from a single
switch but not the switch on the mains socket as this would not be
convenient. I've looked in B&Q and also in TLC catalogue but can't see
a suitable switch. Any ideas?

Thanks for your help
Pete K.

For this particular application - and it's the only one where
fluorescents have a good use in a kitchen - small high frequency
ballasted tube fittings can be useful. They run cooler than halogen
fittings.

This only really matters if you have food which will deteriorate in the
upper cupboards. Otherwise, halogens are the better choice because
of the quality of the light.

For the switching, you can take a look at home automation sites.
One note here is that halogen lights are dimmable, whereas
fluoresecents are not.

In message , Andy Hall writes
On 2007-05-07 22:15:45 +0100, petek said:

Hi
I want to fit some lighting under my kitchen cupboards to illuminate
the work top below. I have a reasonably convenient mains socket
(switched) behind one of the cupboards accessible thro' a hole in the
back panel. I think I will need 3 or 4 lights along the run of
cupboards but I am unsure whether to go for strip fluorescent or
halogen downlighters, mains or low-voltage. Has anybody any
recommendations?
Also, I would like to have all the lights switched from a single
switch but not the switch on the mains socket as this would not be
convenient. I've looked in B&Q and also in TLC catalogue but can't see
a suitable switch. Any ideas?
Thanks for your help
Pete K.

For this particular application - and it's the only one where
fluorescents have a good use in a kitchen - small high frequency
ballasted tube fittings can be useful. They run cooler than halogen
fittings.

This only really matters if you have food which will deteriorate in the
upper cupboards. Otherwise, halogens are the better choice because
of the quality of the light.

A matter of personal preference. I experimented in our last house with
various under cupboard lighting options, including halogen, and came out
with a preference for the light produced by the fluorescent lamps.

Re switching, -a switch mounted underneath the bottom of the upper
cupboards is reasonably convenient, you could run the feed through that.
In our previous kitchen it was two way switched with a switch by the
doorway as well, which worked well.
--
Chris French

petek wrote:

I want to fit some lighting under my kitchen cupboards to illuminate
the work top below. I have a reasonably convenient mains socket
(switched) behind one of the cupboards accessible thro' a hole in the
back panel. I think I will need 3 or 4 lights along the run of
cupboards but I am unsure whether to go for strip fluorescent or
halogen downlighters, mains or low-voltage. Has anybody any
recommendations?

I recently did a kitchen using nothing but these:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...ing/index.html

I used five of them all round the underside of the cabinets for worktop
lighting, and then a second set round the top of the cabinets behind the
pelmet for reflected room lighting (white ceiling, with no central room
light at all). All switched from a dual gang switch at the door. The
effect was very nice, good even lighting with no glare or shadows. I
used the diffusers on the under cabinet ones just to give them a bit
more protection in case they get knocked.

For powering the lot I laid in a pair of 2A round pin sockets above each
run of cabinets that were switched from the two gang switch on the
lighting circuit:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...und/index.html

That way all the fixed wiring could be assembled and tested easily, and
the actual lights just plugged in when the cabinets were in place. You
can control the overall level of lighting by selecting top or bottom
independently if you want. (although I notice that the owners of it
always you both sets together!)



--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

In message , John
Rumm writes
petek wrote:

I want to fit some lighting under my kitchen cupboards to illuminate
the work top below. I have a reasonably convenient mains socket
(switched) behind one of the cupboards accessible thro' a hole in the
back panel. I think I will need 3 or 4 lights along the run of
cupboards but I am unsure whether to go for strip fluorescent or
halogen downlighters, mains or low-voltage. Has anybody any
recommendations?

I recently did a kitchen using nothing but these:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind.../Lighting_Fluo
rescent_Index/Linkable_Flourescent_Fitting/index.html

I used five of them all round the underside of the cabinets for worktop
lighting, and then a second set round the top of the cabinets behind
the pelmet for reflected room lighting (white ceiling, with no central
room light at all). All switched from a dual gang switch at the door.
The effect was very nice, good even lighting with no glare or shadows.
I used the diffusers on the under cabinet ones just to give them a bit
more protection in case they get knocked.

For powering the lot I laid in a pair of 2A round pin sockets above
each run of cabinets that were switched from the two gang switch on the
lighting circuit:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...Menu_Index/Ult
imate_Index/Ultimate_Switched_Sockets_Round/index.html

That way all the fixed wiring could be assembled and tested easily, and
the actual lights just plugged in when the cabinets were in place. You
can control the overall level of lighting by selecting top or bottom
independently if you want. (although I notice that the owners of it
always you both sets together!)

And you could have done the whole thing in 5 minutes with

http://marinestore.co.uk/page/mrst/P...oat-epoxy/HA16
92/
--
geoff

On 7 May, 22:15, petek wrote:
Hi

I want to fit some lighting under my kitchen cupboards to illuminate
the work top below. I have a reasonably convenient mains socket
(switched) behind one of the cupboards accessible thro' a hole in the
back panel. I think I will need 3 or 4 lights along the run of
cupboards but I am unsure whether to go for strip fluorescent or
halogen downlighters, mains or low-voltage. Has anybody any
recommendations?

Also, I would like to have all the lights switched from a single
switch but not the switch on the mains socket as this would not be
convenient. I've looked in B&Q and also in TLC catalogue but can't see
a suitable switch. Any ideas?

Thanks for your help
Pete K.

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?...logen_Lighting

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?...scent_Lighting

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?...26_Switchbanks


NT

On 7 May, 22:33, "Bob Minchin" wrote:
"petek" wrote in message

oups.com...





Hi

I want to fit some lightingundermy kitchen cupboards to illuminate
the work top below. I have a reasonably convenient mains socket
(switched) behind one of the cupboards accessible thro' a hole in the
back panel. I think I will need 3 or 4 lights along the run of
cupboards but I am unsure whether to go for strip fluorescent or
halogen downlighters, mains or low-voltage. Has anybody any
recommendations?

Also, I would like to have all the lights switched from a single
switch but not the switch on the mains socket as this would not be
convenient. I've looked in B&Q and also in TLC catalogue but can't see
a suitable switch. Any ideas?

Thanks for your help
Pete K.

Strip fluorescents run much cooler than halogens. I switch mine via a relay
controlled by the switch on the cooker hood. Been working fine since 1985
with 1 tube change!!

Bob- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thanks Bob, I like the idea of using the cooker hood switch via a
relay. I haven't used relays before - can you suggest a suitable make/
model/type? I will probably be taking the advice of most responders
and using slimline fluorescents.
Pete

In article om,
petek writes:

Thanks Bob, I like the idea of using the cooker hood switch via a
relay. I haven't used relays before - can you suggest a suitable make/
model/type? I will probably be taking the advice of most responders
and using slimline fluorescents.

Chances are you can connect directly to the lampholder supply
in the cooker hood without any relay. I've done this on one
occasion. Of course, I have no clue how competent you are to
modify a cooker hood.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]