LED lighting for kitchen cabinets: what happens and how to choose?

LED lighting for cabinets is a very popular solution in the arrangement of kitchens. Properly designed lighting contributes to the creation of comfortable conditions for the cook and effectively emphasizes the design of the room.

Illumination under wall cabinets is an important part of kitchen lighting and allows for zoning of the kitchen. With the help of light, you can not only tastefully design the kitchen space, but also make the workplace as convenient and functional as possible. You can mount lighting using various types of lamps, however, The most popular today are LEDs.

An LED is a semiconductor that emits light as electricity passes through it. Diode models are available in a wide color range, perfectly illuminate small spaces and consume a minimum amount of electricity.

In most cases, they use an LED light source LED strip. It is placed under the lower tier of wooden kitchen cabinets or inside glass models. The lower position of the LEDs gives the furniture a soaring look and visually facilitates bulky kitchen units.

In addition, the variety of colors of modern LED elements allows you to choose the lighting depending on its functional purpose. So, if the space under the cabinets is highlighted solely for decorative purposes, then An excellent solution is a colored LED strip. If only the working area is highlighted, then it is better to opt for white light. It does not distort the shade of the products and perfectly illuminates the cutting table.

The demand and high popularity of LED backlighting are due to a number of undeniable advantages of this type of lighting.

• The ease of installation of LEDs allows you to mount the lighting yourself, without resorting to the services of specialists.
• The long term of operation allows the use of LEDs for 2 decades and not be spent on their replacement. This is one of the main advantages of diodes over incandescent lamps, which you have to change quite often.
• The minimum power consumption makes LEDs a leader in cost-effectiveness and can significantly save the budget.
• Regardless of the form of release, the LEDs begin to glow at full power from the first second after turning on. They do not need time to warm up, and the number of on / off in no way affects the duration of their operation.
• Unlike incandescent lamps, LED light sources do not heat themselves and do not heat the air in the room. This is especially important in a kitchen, where the air from a working stove is already very hot.
• LED backlighting is fireproof: it does not explode from accidental ingress of water drops on it and can work in high humidity conditions.
• A wide range of products allows you to choose a lighting element for any type of kitchen cabinets, regardless of their configuration and design. Moreover, there are tons of battery-powered cordless luminaires for which you do not need to pull wires to the nearest power source.

Classification of LED fixtures for the kitchen is made on such grounds as the form of release and the degree of moisture protection. According to the first criterion, 3 types of products are distinguished: these are linear and point models, as well as LED strip.

• Linear lights They are sold in whole sets, which include several ready-made modules at once, and look like fluorescent lamps. Such kits are equipped with everything necessary for independent connection, including fasteners and adapters. During installation, it is enough to connect them together in a single circuit and get a rather long light source as a result. Linear models are very convenient for lighting both the entire working area and one cutting table: they give uniform light and do not blind your eyes. By their design, linear luminaires are overhead, pendant, recessed and angled, which allows you to choose the option of any type of installation.

• Ready-made LED spotlights by the principle of operation, they are not much different from linear models, with the only difference being that they are small independent products of a round, square or triangular shape, and are not assembled into a general design. Such diodes are mortise or surface mounted, very small thickness and long life. Mortise ones require the formation of a niche or hole and are built into the bottom panel of the cabinet. They are flush with its outer surface and look very organic. Installation of embedded models requires some experience and accuracy, so it is better to entrust it to professionals. Overheads are mounted on top of the cabinet wall and do not require niches to be cut.

• LED Strip Light is the most popular option for kitchen lighting and has a wide range of colors, ease of installation and reasonable cost. Multi-colored ribbons are used not only to illuminate the working area, but also as a decorating element. Their soft and beautiful light is able to make the kitchen cozy and give it a romantic look.

The next classification criterion for LED light sources is the moisture protection class. It is always indicated on the marking and must be taken into account when choosing a kitchen lighting.

• Products marked IP 20 absolutely not suitable for wet rooms, to which the kitchen belongs, and are not recommended as a lighting device for work areas.
• Models with protection class IP 41-65 well protected from moisture inside and suitable for use in kitchens.
• The most powerful and safe are LEDs marked IP 68. They have an absolute level of protection and can be installed at least at the bottom of the pool.

When choosing LED lighting for kitchen cabinets, a number of important points must be taken into account. So, if you decide to purchase an LED strip, then you should decide on its size. The modern market for lighting equipment offers LEDs in a wide range with a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Therefore, the choice of the desired option depends on the functions that will be assigned to the backlight.

If the tape is purchased as additional illumination of the working area, where a uniform and fairly bright light is required, it is better to purchase wide monochrome products that can illuminate the cutting table well and will not distort the color of the products.

Suitable for such purposes. single row tape in a closed case 13 mm wide. As for the height of the product, it all depends on the type of protection. So, the minimum thickness of the tape in the open case is 2.2 mm, while closed models can have a thickness of 5.5 or more mm. therefore the choice of thickness depends on the safety requirements for a particular section of the kitchen, and remains at the discretion of the owners.

If the LED backlight will be used exclusively for decorative purposes and is designed to maximize the design of the room, then in such cases you can stop on multi-colored single-row models with a width of 8 mm and a height of up to 3 mm. And vice versa - in cases where an increase in the illuminated area and the intensity of the backlight is required, it is better to use double-row models with a width of 15 mm or more with large LEDs.

As for the brightness of lighting, Each tape has a marking indicating how many LEDs are located on one running meter. For example, a mark of 120 led / m means that each meter of tape contains 120 LEDs.

In addition to the number of LEDs per meter, the size of the light also affects the light intensity. There are both very small diodes with a size of 3.5x2.8 mm, and fairly dimensional samples of 5.0x5.0 and 5.7x3.0 mm.

For convenience, the marking of such LEDs looks like SMD3528, SMD5050 and SMD5730 respectively. A wide variety of sizes of LED elements allows you to place them on a tape in an amount of 30 to 240 pieces. LED strip for kitchen lighting is available in coils up to 5 m long. This form of release is very convenient and allows you to purchase exactly as much tape as is required for cabinet design.

The next important point is the choice of power supply (transformer). The main thing is to choose such an option that its power is enough for the correct operation of the lamp, but at the same time it was not excessively high. It is very simple to calculate the optimal power, you just need to use the special formula. For example, for an LED strip 5 m long, 12 W power and 5 x 5 mm LED element size, the calculation will look like this: multiply 12 W by 5 m and get 60.

Then we provide some power reserve, multiplying this number by a factor of 1.25. As a result, we get the number 75, which will mean the power of the transformer. Thus, for a 5-meter tape with a power of 12 W with large LEDs measuring 5x5 mm, a transformer with a power of 75 W is required.

In addition to power, when choosing a transformer it is necessary to pay attention to its body. Power supplies are available today. in plastic, aluminum solid and aluminum perforated cases.

Plastic models are quite tight, have small dimensions and light weight. Solid aluminum options are noticeably more expensive than plastic and are characterized by resistance to external mechanical stress. Perforated cases are large and relatively inexpensive. Their significant disadvantage is the need for additional moisture protection, and the benefits include the ability to use one device for several lines of LED backlight.

The next criterion for choosing a backlight for a kitchen cabinet is selection of a switch that can be touch, infrared or push-button. The latter is a simple mechanical design and works with a button connected to a relay. The relay, in turn, closes or opens the circuit and is an old proven device.

Touch switches are equipped with especially sensitive sensors that instantly respond to the touch of fingers. Infrared models are equipped with a built-in motion detector and respond to a wave of the hand.

If the backlight is purchased for decorative purposes, then it is better to opt for models that have a dimmer and control unit. The first is a special switch designed to control the light flux, and the second is necessary to turn on various kinds of effects, such as blinking, flickering, transfusion, and the like.

In addition, when choosing a backlight It is necessary to focus on the products of well-known manufacturers who have a good reputation and produce high-quality goods.

The complexity of installing LED lighting under kitchen cabinets depends on the form of production of the LED lamp. So, the installation of overhead point models, powered by batteries, does not cause any difficulties, and any housewife can do it. A little more complicated is the situation with the installation of LED strip, before you install it, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with some of the subtleties of the process.

• You can cut the tape only in certain places. Typically, the manufacturer puts special marks on which an incision can be made. To do this, you can use simple scissors, since the substrate with copper tracks is not too thick and cut perfectly.
• If it is necessary to install several long tapes at once, then the connection is made to the common unit and performed in parallel with the polarity.
• It is advisable to connect the electric cable connecting the power supply to the LED strip by soldering, since it is much more reliable than connectors. Joints must be sealed by crimping with shrink tubes.The use of insulation tape is also allowed, however, such connections will look ugly.
• The installation of a key or button switch is done before the power supply, and a dimmer or RGB block after it. The touch switch can be installed directly in front of the tape.
• You can fasten the LED strip to the underside of the kitchen cabinet using double-sided adhesive tape. Before labeling the LED, it is necessary to thoroughly degrease the surface, using a composition that can not damage the furniture surface. First, it is recommended to lightly “bait” the tape in several places, make sure that it lies exactly according to the marking, and only then press it along the entire length. You can often find models equipped with an adhesive surface, which greatly simplifies installation and does not require the purchase of double-sided tape.
• In order for the LEDs located under the cabinet not to dazzle others, but to illuminate only the working area, it is recommended to use special boxes that direct the light flux down.
• To increase the life of the backlight, it is forbidden to twist or bend the tape.
• Sometimes the installation of LED lights requires niches and holes, which can be done with an ordinary electric jigsaw.
• To create the effect of light scattering and light spots, you can use an aluminum profile equipped with high sides or a light-scattering film.

LED lights not only illuminate the workspace well, but they are an effective tool to complete the image of the kitchen.

• Beautiful lighting on the corner headset is a stylish solution for a modern kitchen.

• The combination of the interior lighting of the cabinets with the lighting of the working area looks very impressive and original.

• The linear LED lamp in a closed housing does not blind your eyes and looks very neat.

• Built-in spotlights in a classic interior give the kitchen a romantic feel.

• Triangle overhead lights are ideal for cutting-edge interiors.

• Battery-mounted corner-mounted models are easy to install and perfect for minimalism.

See how to make your own lighting for a kitchen cabinet in the next video.