Under cabinet lighting

[flownosaj]

I was looking at all the home improvement stuff I can do for my new house and I began to think of installing about 5-7 feet worth of undercabinet lighting. I first looked at those halogen "cans" that can be installed--I'd prefer something thinner and less focused. I looked at the flicker-free thin flourescents --don't care for those either. Then I saw those rope-lights--gret idea and kinda what I'm looking for, but I don't care for those because if a bulb blows, I'll have to reinstall a whole new section.

So, does anybody have any suggestions for a thin, led based undercabinet light made primarily for accent lighting?

-Jason

 

[NewBie]

GELcore, the joint venture created by GE Lighting and Emcore, announced the availability of "Flexible LED Accent Lighting System" at WalMart stores. Based on GELcore's Tetra Lighting System, the patented new systems feature five advanced cool white LEDs. It is a bendable 18-inch product that uses adhesive for installation. Designed for mainstream commercial accent lighting applications, the system does not produce any heat or UV output. GELcore reportedly purchases the die used in this product from a variety of suppliers and then packages it for sale.

More info here: http://www.gelighting.com/na/pressroom/lf_led_accent.html

Here is another solution like it:
http://www.sylvania.com/canada/directions/dir16.htm#one

 

[flownosaj]

NewBie, you just made my day! That GELcore system seems just like what I was talking about. If I can just find a way to hook a few of them together I'll be set.

After I finish painting and playing mister-fix-it I'm going to make a trip to Walmart. Odd that they don't sell it at Home Depot or Lowes /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif

 

[McShawn]

BTW, wal-mart sells those GE under cabinet led lights.

 

[James S]

I've got several rope lights that I use for over cabinet night lighting of the kitchen. (fancy home automation, dims up when you walk into the room after dark, I am so cool /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif) I purchased them for undercabinet lighting a year or so ago, but they are not bright enough for any kind of task lighting at all. And they are very inefficient. The strands I've got use 80 watts when they are not dimmed and are only good as a nightlight. (although layed across the top of the kitchen cabinets they make a very nice nightlight, but not one that you would want to run all night as they sink 80 watts!)

So all in all I'm not impressed with rope lights except for slightly more robust christmas lighting applications or cove accent lighting or something.

I've been wanting to experiment with luxeons as undercabinet lighting. I would also like to do some shelf lighting in the living room with them. Unfortunately I want enough of them to actually make task lighting useful and so they haven't been in the budget yet /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

But I do have to go to walmart today to return a dead CF bulb that I bought there the other day and so I'll keep an eye out for this stuff.

 

[NewBie]

I saw them first at Walmart, then ran into the info, trying to find out their specs. At my store they were in the lamp section and not the light bulb area.

 

[flownosaj]

I checked both local Walmarts the other day--none of those led based units around at all... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[James S]

I spent quite a bit of time going through the lamp and lighting sections the other day and found nothing here either /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Guess I'll have to build my own afterall! Just a little expensive when you are buying several dozen luxeons...

 

[stump]

Walmart no longer carries it. Found a GE website claiming that Home Depot carries it. The lighting dept person at my local HD ended up calling GE and learned that this item was pulled from sale to the public and, subsequently, discontinued.

 

[flownosaj]

figures /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon6.gif

 

[evan9162]

Well, you can still grab a bunch of 1W luxeons and build one yourself. I think Future sells 1W luxeons for around $6-$7 each. You can use my cabinet lighting as an example of how to set them up: http://www.candlepowerforums.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Number=654718