Under-Cabinet LED Lighting: What to Plan Before Installation

[cedricuk]

When planning LED lighting under kitchen cabinets, there are a few details that seem worth getting right before the units and worktops are finished.

 

For a neat installation, how do people usually plan the driver location, cable routes and access for future maintenance? Hiding the driver inside a cupboard can keep things tidy, but it still needs to be accessible if it ever needs replacing.

 

I’m also interested in the practical differences between fitting LED strip in an aluminium profile with a diffuser and using ready-made under-cabinet light fittings. Is the profile approach worth it for better light distribution and heat management, or do integrated fittings tend to be simpler in the long run?

 

It would be useful to hear what has worked well in real kitchen installations, particularly when planning everything before the cabinets go in.

[Mr Punter]

With the integrated fittings, if they are discontinued or you alter the kitchen you may not be able to get the right lengths.  Make sure they are able to switch from the same place as the rest of the lighting.

[FarmerN]

Not sure this is relevant ,as you may be asking about floor level lights under main units.

Our LED strip lights under our wall units to light the work top are in a channel with diffuser.

They were mounted right at the front of the units ,behind the front trim strip of the cupboards.

Unfortunately this leaves an unlit shadow along the front edge of the worktop, they should have been set back a few inches . Didn’t want them at the back of the underside of the cupboards as we thought they might be visible from the far end of the large kitchen / living room.

Drivers on top of cupboards , wires down behind units.

[Russell griffiths]

All our drivers and led controls are in a central location with a flex running to the led strips. 
no driver or control needed near the strips. All dimming and colour changes done on an app, al switching on and off from a switch on the wall. 

[Bancroft]

1 hour ago, FarmerN said:

Drivers on top of cupboards

And with drivers on top of cupboards, make a box for them to go in (with side vents for heat dissipation).  Regardless of how good your kitchen vent is, the top of cupboards still tend to end up with a greasy film over time so a little protection is worthwhile.

[Alan Ambrose]

@Russell griffiths - I’m planning a similar set-up. Any other tips / detail / gotchas you can tell us? What app & dimmers did you use? Any pics? Also, what physical controls? And, if you don’t mind, what cable?

 

Strikes me that’s a lot of cable to run, but so be it.

Edited 4 hours ago by Alan Ambrose

[Russell griffiths]

52 minutes ago, Alan Ambrose said:

@Russell griffiths - I’m planning a similar set-up. Any other tips / detail / gotchas you can tell us? What app & dimmers did you use? Any pics? Also, what physical controls? And, if you don’t mind, what cable?

 

Strikes me that’s a lot of cable to run, but so be it.

Electrician planned it all really 

all cable runs to led strip is flex as a bit of it is 5 core for colour change strip, I think white only requires 2-3 cores cable is relatively cheap take everything back to a central location, no need to hide drivers in cupboards or under kick boards. 
Robus is the make of the controler units. 
if I was to build this again I would not bother with 75% of what we installed, never use them, spend most night with a couple of table lamps on. 
do you actually need lights in cupboards lighting up some old shite tea set the wife was given. 
and for the life of me I don’t know why anybody thinks lights under the plinth in the kitchen is a good idea. 
I think I could have scrapped about £2000 worth of pointless lights we installed.