Under cabinet fixture positioning tips

I'd like to mount some undercabinet fixtures toward the forward edge of the cab. Am I correct in assuming the way to do this is to provide some sort of chase between the wall and the fixture for the NM to run in?

Bassman said:

I'd like to mount some undercabinet fixtures toward the forward edge of the cab. Am I correct in assuming the way to do this is to provide some sort of chase between the wall and the fixture for the NM to run in?

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I install mine towards the back, after all thats where the dark spot is, but nothing wrong with leaving an inch for your NM.

Around here, everything is BX in the walls, and conduit when it's exposed. So I assumed they'd run conduit under the cabs? But they never do, they run the BX exposed.

I think that means under the cabs is considered a protected location; but they might just be cutting corners... I doubt it, though, I've seen it done by five different electricians.

Hopefully one of the resident electricians will drop by and illuminate us on that score...

Anyways, I like to position them towards the front of the cab, facing back towards the wall; it lights up the work area, without being visible or causing glare when you're sitting at the kitchen table.

Unless your cabs have recessed bottoms, you'll need a piece of trim attached to the bottom, along the front of the cab, to hide the fixtures.

They have some nice undercab LED lights now that look pretty easy to hide, most big box stores carry them.

Under cabinet...

I would put some thought into this.I've seen quite a few kitchens that the under mount fixtures look like an after thought.You really want them to look like they were always a part of the plan from the beginning.
Depending on the cabinet bottom you may have to trim out to hide it.
BTW,I left a post on your framing question from earlier about the bracing...

Livin4Real said:

They have some nice undercab LED lights now that look pretty easy to hide, most big box stores carry them.

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LED is out, I'm a prisoner to California's title 24 which requires 1/2 of kitchen lighting to be "high efficacy", which means fluorescent until other lighting develops.

Old Dog said:

I would put some thought into this.I've seen quite a few kitchens that the under mount fixtures look like an after thought.You really want them to look like they were always a part of the plan from the beginning.
Depending on the cabinet bottom you may have to trim out to hide it.
BTW,I left a post on your framing question from earlier about the bracing...

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I've seen what you refer to and that's why I'm looking for ideas. If I keep the light against the wall, no problem. The cab maker will make any size light rail I want to hide the fixtures.

You sure LED wouldn't qualify for high efficiency? They are more expensive, and sometimes the color temperature is off, but the newest ones are pretty good, and the bulb life is phenominal - way better than florescents. They actually give more lumens per watt, too.

jadnashua said:

You sure LED wouldn't qualify for high efficiency? They are more expensive, and sometimes the color temperature is off, but the newest ones are pretty good, and the bulb life is phenominal - way better than florescents. They actually give more lumens per watt, too.

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I checked the code and some LED's may qualify. Here's the poop:

<15 w requires min. 40 lm/W
15-40 " " 50 lmW
> 40 " " 60 lm/W

The problem is that if you want any incandescent, halogen or other lights, that wattage will exceed the 50% fairly easily. So, in my little kitchen, if I want, for example, 3 MR16's overhead and a couple of pendants, that could be 250 watts, and now I have to find 250 watts of high efficiency lighting to match. That's a buttload of fluorescent lighting in a 104 sq. ft. kitchen.

Almost every contractor I know puts up crap fluorescents until the inspector signs off, but I love a challenge.

I thought most led's were classified as high efficiency these days?

Livin4Real said:

I thought most led's were classified as high efficiency these days?

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You're correct. I went to a lighting store and checked them out today. My opinion is that they are not ready for prime time just yet. I really didn't like the look at all, but I know some folks do.