12V lighting near sink

[PetrosA]

The pool thread got me thinking about this. If 12V lights are a danger near a pool is there some section of code that addresses this near a sink? We commonly install Ambiance lights under cabinets right up to a sink's edge, and never gave the safety end of it a thought. Now after reading the other thread (I don't do any pools) it sounds like this is a life or death situation if there's a fault in the transformer.

Let's assume a stainless steel sink, and some kid playing on the counter touches the exposed socket of an Ambiance light while in contact with the sink. Is the child's life in danger?

Another question I have is concerning some 12V DC LED lights I saw at the edge of a pool last year. The lights are big plastic blocks that fit in with the pavers around the pool. Is this a code compliant installation? I was asked to replace a bad electronic transformer for the lights and did so not realizing that it might be a violation.

 

[Bill W. 1]

There are no code restrictions for lighting near sinks.
I have not tried this(checked with a volt meter) but in theory there should be no potential (voltage)
between the 12v. under cab. fixture socket and the sink due to the isolating
effect of the transformer.

As for your paver led lights, unless specifically listed for the use, they would
have to be installed 10' min. from the pool.
I think there is a big market for lighting fixtures for this use.
Somebody must be working on acceptable products, I just have not seen any
as yet.
After all there have been 12v. (and of course 120v.) fixtures listed for use in the pool for many years. Because they are so well sealed and being incandescent they have to be submerged for cooling.
Some sort of encapsulated,waterproof led fixture fed with a swimming pool type transformer that has the grounded barrier between the primary and secondary might be the answer.


Inspect the uninspected

 

[PetrosA]

There are no code restrictions for lighting near sinks.
I have not tried this(checked with a volt meter) but in theory there should be no potential (voltage)
between the 12v. under cab. fixture socket and the sink due to the isolating
effect of the transformer.

As for your paver led lights, unless specifically listed for the use, they would
have to be installed 10' min. from the pool.
I think there is a big market for lighting fixtures for this use.
Somebody must be working on acceptable products, I just have not seen any
as yet.
After all there have been 12v. (and of course 120v.) fixtures listed for use in the pool for many years. Because they are so well sealed and being incandescent they have to be submerged for cooling.
Some sort of encapsulated,waterproof led fixture fed with a swimming pool type transformer that has the grounded barrier between the primary and secondary might be the answer.


Inspect the uninspected

From the pool light thread I understood that the transformer has to be listed for underwater lights as well (Isolating plate between windings) so I wonder whether the transformers we use for Ambiance work that way. There was no way for me to check the listing of the lights since they were already installed and getting them out would have been near impossible. The HO had the transformer, and it looked like a typical DC power source with in and out screw terminals. Next time I'll pay more attention!