Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

[Skimball11]

Hey everyone,
I just got a question that I hoped you could help me with. An architect wanted to use some cabinet lighting (http://www.luciferlighting.com/_LuciPDFs/Puklight/PuklightLensed.pdf) in a home they are designing. He said he had heard that some states don't allow this type of installation. Has anyone heard of this and better yet is it legal in vermont...I haven't found anything as of yet.

Thanks for the help,

Scott

 

[LarryFine]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

I dislike halogen under cabinets for one main reason: heat.

Fluorescents are the way to go. Cool and energy-efficient.

 

[straps]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

Go to Lowes and buy 8 inch long florescents andd use them far superior to Hockey Pucks they eat bulbs even if you throw away the glass lense they still eat bulbs had them above our personal kitchen wired off a switched outlet. Took them and threw them thru the garbadge can and in the new kitchen we are useing 8 inch flor. off a wall switch above the top of the cabinets and under the top cabinets better lights easier to install and maintain and they have a hi and low setting

Awesome

By

 

[jwelectric]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

Originally posted by LarryFine:
I dislike halogen under cabinets for one main reason: heat.

Fluorescents are the way to go. Cool and energy-efficient.

Ditto

 

[sparky_magoo]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

I am doing a house right now where I will install MR-16 puck lights in each kitchen cabinet.
they will be switched with the under cabinet 12 volt track lights. We do this all the time. What is the big deal? The heat doesn't affect anything and the customers love them.

 

[WMitch]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

I recently ripped out under cabinet halogen lights. I agree with others - heat is a problem. For me it was long term. The high heat eats bulbs and embrittles the plastic fixtures.
I went with switched rope lites under cabinet and under the toe kicks.

 

[pierre]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

Magoo
I am curious what type of wiring method you are using to supply the fixtures from the transformer?

 

[sparky_magoo]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

Malibu 12/2

 

[jeff43222]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

I avoid halogen because of the heat issue, and I (and most of my customers) hate fluorescents because the quality of the light leaves much to be desired.

Lately I've been putting in a lot of undercabinet xenon lights. They don't burn nearly as hot as halogen, so they last longer, and they give off a nice, clear light. Everyone I've installed them for has really liked them.

[ October 06, 2005, 12:39 AM: Message edited by: jeff43222 ]

 

[peter d]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

Hockey puck lights are great for hitting with a hockey stick, in fact, that's about all they're good for!

[commercial]
I won't use anything but NSL's Xenon strip lights now.
[/commercial]

 

[electricmanscott]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

I too use NSL Xenon undercabinet lights with no problems or complaints. As quality goes I have used hundreds of these over the last few years and have had 0 callbacks. Fluorescent light is cold, and ugly. Xenon has a nicer light output and is dimmable. Puck lights are generally junk and a pain in the rear to install.

Magoo are you saying you use Malibu 12/2 landscape wire for your lighting? Also I have never seen an MR 16 puck light. What brand? I don see how an MR 16 lamp would fit in a puck.

 

[plate]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

I have used the xenon's. They seem to produce much more light than the Fluorescent lights. They may consume more energy, but you can really see what's on the countertop. You can dim them as well. I haven't run across any heat issues. By the way, most lenses (halogen and xenon) are necessary to reduce the UV exposure.

[ October 06, 2005, 10:54 AM: Message edited by: plate ]

 

[peter d]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

Originally posted by electricmanscott:
I too use NSL Xenon undercabinet lights

Yeah Scott, those NSL undercounter lights sure are easy to install.

 

[electricmanscott]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

Originally posted by peter d:
:
those NSL undercounter lights sure are easy to install.

Easy to install maybe but getting my body into the cabinet is a ***** .

 

[sparky_magoo]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

The puck lights are made by ELCO. Perhaps I am confusing something. Wouldn't be the first time. I'll chech it out and get back to you.

 

[George Stolz]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

Originally posted by electricmanscott:

Originally posted by peter d:
:
those NSL undercounter lights sure are easy to install.

 

[gettingstarted]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

We always use xenon puck lights for undercabinet lighting. On some higher end custom homes we will use 14-2 and loop from one to the next. then take a 14-2 to the cabinet under the sink bring it into a box, and in another box next to it place a receptacle(seperate of the DW/Disp. rec.) The 14-2 swith leg for the undercabinet lights can then be tied into a low voltage transformer, and the bare copper wire spliced onto a touch dimmer kit. Then at each cabinet where there's a xenon puck light the cabinet make will make a false bottom so all you see is the rim of the puck, and the connections can be made and left out of sight, the bare touch switch wire is then wrapped around a brass bolt and stratigically placed under the cabinet, giving the HO control of the undercabinet lighting from anywhere in the kitchen. looks kick *** when its done!

 

[electricmanscott]

Re: Puck Lights...under cabinet lighting

Getting started, sound like a nice installation. BUT....The pucks that I have seen, and I'll admit I have not seen them all, are not allowed to be recessed into an enclosed space such as a false bottom cabinet.