I'm looking to install under cabinet LED lighting in my kitchen. I see that they come in either strips or fixtures. I went to Home Depot and looks like they only carry a few fixtures. Is there an advantage of fixtures over strips?

My cabinets currently have a 110v hardwire feed into a single under cabinet fluorescent that I'm going to replace. I figure I would put a junction box there and install the power supply/driver in it and then run some LED strips and add a switch/dimmer.

Would RGB LED be okay in a kitchen or just a waste? At first I thought RGB might be cool but after looking at some videos I think I would just end up using white all the time.

Also, I've seen some installs where they put LED strips under the cabinet toe kick, what do you think of that?

I've been looking at stuff here http://www.elementalled.com, any other sites recommended?

 

I attempted RGB strips and changed to warm white. In the end we'd only use the white. And the white that RGB produces is a horrible temperature for the kitchen. It's very, very cold.

Go with a warmer "white". Even better in a "white" that you can adjust it's output.

Strips are fantastic though. I've got them behind the TV and under our cabinets. I'll be lining around our deck railing here soon.

 

I'll also admit to having a hard time installing this product. Buy the little accessories to make joining cut ends easier. Trust me.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10100871925251815

 

I am planning on doing this to my kitchen. I'm going to power the lights using the outlet behind my refrigerator (to not expose any wires/cables) and use a wireless controller to control the lights. Will post in this subforum once I get it done (if I get it done, haha. Been on my mind for 4 months now).

I did it to my fish tank

 

^ Be careful using the refrigerator outlet. Depending on the age of your house, that is a dedicated circuit for a reason, and I always recommend people not use it for anything else.

If something with the new lights malfunctions and blows that breaker, everything in the fridge can be ruined if you aren't around.

 

Oh wow really? My house is brand new, 2013 built. And the outlet didn't seem to be any different than any other outlet. As in, it's not a GFCI outlet. Just a regular two port outlet. Thanks for the heads up though, I'll look into it.

 

Regular outlet but it's probable that it is it's own circuit. Risk is small but it's there.

 

Yep, it will be a dedicated circuit (15 amp here...maybe 20 there) and the outlet is no different than others. See your panel for confirmation.

And yes, risk is small. There are millions of appliances not on dedicated circuits that are still running fine. If you remember to unplug them if you're going out of town or something then it probably would never be a problem.

For example, if it blows the breaker while you're at work and discover it a few hours later when you come home, I doubt anything in the fridge will be ruined. Just a heads up

 

I bought this strip and I'm happy with the results...



Here's a few other things I bought
Power Supply

Switch


Dimmer

Junction Box
http://www.elementalled.com/lo-pro-junction-box.html

I tried like hell to find a cheaper Junction Box but couldn't. They do have a coupon if you sign up for their maliing list. It is well made though and is made to hold that type of power supply. I put the switch in one of the knockouts so I could control AC flow to the power supply. The switch is a little smaller than the knockout so I used super glue to hold it.

 

I got a set of strips at Ikea. They're incredibly easy to install and come with all the necessary hardware. I think this is a newer version though as mine are a very cool color temperature.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20119418/