Light in Crown Moulding

[mkgrady]

Customer is renovating a bathroom and is suggesting I put rope lighting in a space created by crown moulding near the ceiling. I have done this for kitchen cabinets where I have installed a receptacle above the upper cabinets. There, there is plenty of space to plug in a bulky cord. I put the receptacle on a switch.

In this bathroom, where the walls are stripped down to studs, I'm not sure how to do it. There doesn't seem like there will be enough space for the connection. Is there a rope light that I can connect directly to a piece of romex stubbed out the wall near the ceiling?

I'm also wondering if the rope can be cut to an exact length? I can't imagine being able to get a rope light the exact length to match the perimeter of the room.

Thanks, Mike

 

[stickboy1375]

Not sure if you can still cut rope light or not, seems to be a UL issue, as far as the receptacle, they are going to have to leave you room for that. if they want it hidden anyway.

 

[chris kennedy]

Does your cove comply with the rather broad wording of 410.18?:smile:

 

[mkgrady]

Not sure if you can still cut rope light or not, seems to be a UL issue, as far as the receptacle, they are going to have to leave you room for that. if they want it hidden anyway.

Seems like I'll need a lot of space for the receptacle and the bulky cord the rope comes with. If I can't cut the rope I guess I could order a length the exceeds the perimeter length and just double it back on itself to get the right length.

Any better ideas?

 

[mkgrady]

Does your cove comply with the rather broad wording of 410.18?:smile:

Just read it. I don't know what you mean.

 

[alfiesauce]

Rope light can't be cut anymore. It's UL listed only for premeasured lengths. You also can not tape up the rope to avoid double lighting an area with overlap.
Apart from rope lighting there is not really a cheap option. If the customer really wants it you could push for a LV track system inside the cove, but it's a good sticker shocker when you let them know the cost of it.

 

[stickboy1375]

You can get low voltage rope lighting as well... but you would probably still need a box for the connection.

 

[chris kennedy]

Just read it. I don't know what you mean.

I get a lot of that. My point is, if there is not enough space to install a receptacle in your cove, then even if you use a hard wired cove light, your inspector could through 410.18 at you.

Are you looking at the 08?

410.18 Space for Cove Lighting.
Coves shall have adequate space and shall be located so that lamps and equipment can be properly installed and maintained.

 

[LarryFine]

Any better ideas?

Okay, here's a couple, in no particular order:

See if you can get a recessed pocket built (large enough for the cord) into the side wall above the molding, with a receptacle inside it.

Use one of those window-sill receptacles that have been posted around here in the recent past. You can probably shorten the rope's power cord.

Added: Maybe even sink an Arlington deep-recessed exterior W/P-in-use box in the wall.

 

[mkgrady]

I get a lot of that. My point is, if there is not enough space to install a receptacle in your cove, then even if you use a hard wired cove light, your inspector could through 410.18 at you.

Are you looking at the 08?

About ten minutes before your post I put my 08 in the van for a different issue tomorrow. So when I looked at 05 I told myself there probably isn't a difference. WRONG!

But I still don't know what problem you are referring too. I don't even know if they make a hard wired rope light, but either way if I wire it through a recept or hard wire it, how would the cove prevent me from properly installing or maintaining the rope? Whether I plug it in or hard wire, doesn't it just lay in the valley of the cove?

 

[mkgrady]

Okay, here's a couple, in no particular order:

See if you can get a recessed pocket built (large enough for the cord) into the side wall above the molding, with a receptacle inside it.

Use one of those window-sill receptacles that have been posted around here in the recent past. You can probably shorten the rope's power cord.

Added: Maybe even sink an Arlington deep-recessed exterior W/P-in-use box in the wall.

I like the first two ideas, thanks (don't know how to insert smiley face).

I like and use those Arlington recessed boxes but seem pretty big for what I'm doing. I guess I could throw the cover away. Wait a minute, they mount on the wall, and the wall (sheetrock) isn't there yet. Maybe another idea would be a clock recept.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

There is a manufacturer that makes a product called "sill lights" or something very close to that name.

The product is a single receptacle that is the size of an attachment plug for cord caps, it will not require a box.


Remember though, in bathrooms all 125v, 15-and 20-ampere receptacles require GFCI protection. 210.8(A)(1).

 

[wireguru]

you could use the xenon cove lighting. It works perfect for the application. See here http://www.tivolilighting.com/docs/COVELUM_XENON-011509-web.pdf

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

XENON
Power supply Selection​

​

​

Class 1 Transformer
Covelum™ transformers offer a standard case style with universal inputs and outputs, 24 volts AC output voltage.​

• Secondary requirements meet NEC Article 411




I am curious, what kind of wiring method are you using on the secondary of the transformers supplied with the lighting?

 

[JWCELECTRIC]

Is there anything in the code that says you can't put a female cord end on the romex coming out of the wall, then plug the rope male end into it?

 

[Fulthrotl]

Customer is renovating a bathroom and is suggesting I put rope lighting in a space created by crown moulding near the ceiling. I have done this for kitchen cabinets where I have installed a receptacle above the upper cabinets. There, there is plenty of space to plug in a bulky cord. I put the receptacle on a switch.

In this bathroom, where the walls are stripped down to studs, I'm not sure how to do it. There doesn't seem like there will be enough space for the connection. Is there a rope light that I can connect directly to a piece of romex stubbed out the wall near the ceiling?

I'm also wondering if the rope can be cut to an exact length? I can't imagine being able to get a rope light the exact length to match the perimeter of the room.

Thanks, Mike

here's a thought, unmarred by any research whatsoever..... it'll probably get
me flayed, but here goes....

i've seen LV rope light that has it's own power supply attached. let's say the
bath has 30' of crown... buy 40' of rope light, make a lap around the room,
and run the product thru a piece of 1" steel flex as a channel up into the
attic, where the LV power supply will be located.

another option would be to use 12mm neon tube, supplied by a LV power and
current limited 12v power source. neon tube is prohibited by the code in
residential occupancies, when supplied by a conventional neon power supply,
but 12v power and current limited power sources are not covered by the
code.... there is a source of those transformers made in san diego, and they
are reliable.... extremely long life, fully dimmable, non lethal current and
potential on the secondaries... they are about an inch and a half square,
and half an inch thick.

of course, then you've gotta bend, pump and backfill tube.... or get a tube
bender to bend some stuff up for you......

you can do some cool stuff with it... here's a neon coffee table i built a
while ago......

randy

 

[badabing]

We've installed Clock outlets where the crown molding is going, it's recessed enough to allow for the cord end to plug into it.

 

[ishium 80439]

As others have said you can't cut rope yourself anymore but can still get it ordered in custom lengths. The restriction is that it generally needs to be cut in multiples of 18".

As far as the power the only thing that comes to my mind is shortening the supply cord, installing your own cap and using a clock outlet.

 

[George Stolz]

We are going to be installing some impossibly skinny neon rope-light-esque stuff in an odd application today; it's pricey, but it might be something that you might sell the customer on. This stuff is akin to a fly-fishing line.

I'll get the specs and report back, but it'll be a couple days.

 

[ishium 80439]

I am waiting for someone to come up w/ a good compromise for cove lighting. The first option is rope lighting which is really inexpensive. It works OK for accent light but does nothing for general illumination. The next step is an LV system which is really pricey and can be used as an additional light layer as it can provide a fair amount of general illumination (there are several ways to go w/ this approach).

The thing that vexes me is that there is no middle ground (at least not that I know of). There is such a huge jump price wise between the two options it seems that there is plenty of room for a product in the middle of these extremes.

No real point, just an observation/ gripe.