Under Cabinet Lighting

Picking the perfect under cabinet light for your kitchen boils down to the lighting budget, and layout of the electrical wiring in the kitchen. For me the best type of lights to use under cabinets are the linear bar type lights that come in different lengths to fit different widths of cabinets. These type of lights give you the most light for the cost.

Once deciding on using the linear type bar lights the electrical layout will help determine what type linear light is best as in (Direct wire, or Modular), and the lighting budget will determine the best type of light bulb as in (LED or Xenon).

If the electrical rough wiring is already done, or in the planning stages the decision to use direct wire, or modular under cabinet lights must be made first.

Kitchens that have rough wiring sticking out from under the cabinets every few feet are meant for the direct wire type of under cabinet lights. Direct wire under cabinet lights have knockouts that are for rough wire. If two direct wire lights need to be connected together under the cabinet then this is usually done with armor cable from light knockout to knockout.

The modular type under cabinet lights are often used if there is just one rough wire in a long cabinet run, or just a receptacle to plug into. Modular lights are fully enclosed unopenable so manufacturers inter-light connection cables are used to link the lights together under the cabinets. Modular under cabs are usually low voltage, so a power source driver/transformer is needed between the house power and the lights. The power source can be mounted under the cabinets if thin, and is direct wired or plugged into a receptacle.

The Lighting Budget will determine the amount of lights and the bulb type. With a large budget the LED bulbs would be the first choice because: The bulbs last the longest, They are the most efficient, The light quality is good, and the bulbs don't get hot! Large budgets also allow for more lights to be used under, over, and inside cabinets.

A limited budget the choice of bulb type would probably be xenon. Xenon under cabinet lights are cost effective, and have great light quality. The only draw backs to the xenon lights are the bulbs get hot, and they don't last as long as the LED. I don't like halogen because they get too hot, and the bulbs don't last as long. I also don't like fluorescent under cabs because the light quality is not as good, and the bulbs don't last as long.

For inside cabinet lighting my favorite is the LED puck lights, and for over cabinets I like the LED tape lighting.

A little extra lighting can really create a dramatic affect for not a huge cost.

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