LED lighting in the kitchen under the cupboards: types and advantages of LED lamps, advice on selection and installation

Proper lighting is an important part of any design project. The LED lighting under the cupboards in the kitchen is an innovation that allows you to create a comfortable and safe cooking environment. LEDs illuminate the floor, walls, ceiling, shelves, kitchen cabinets, work area, space above the hob or stove. Convenient location and economy of LED backlighting are its main advantages.

Types of kitchen lamps

To illuminate the work surface, it is best to choose devices that give neutral white light. They do not distort the appearance of food and ready meals. There are different designs of lamps, which differ in the way they are mounted:

1. Overhead. The most popular types of lamps for kitchen furniture are battery operated. Versatile and easy to use, easily fixed on the surface of furniture. Their installation can be done by any owner. Such lamps are installed on the bottom of the hanging cabinets. Most often, spotlights in a metal case or elongated structures in a protective plastic case that protects the bulbs from moisture and steam are chosen for the kitchen. There are models that have swivel arms. Hostesses like such lamps very much due to the ability to turn the devices in any direction.
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2. Built-in. These are low-voltage spotlights mounted in pendant cabinets, characterized by a bright directional light. Recessed luminaires are more difficult to install than overhead models. To do this, you need to make a hole in the bottom of the cabinet and bring the wiring to it. For those who have no experience in installing electrical appliances, it is better to contact specialists.
3. LED Strip Light. These are several LEDs located in the same plane on an adhesive tape. The tape has a self-adhesive backing. Before installing LED lighting for the kitchen, you must wipe the cabinet from dirt and degrease it well. Then it is necessary to remove the protective layer from the tape and attach it to the surface. Do not immediately turn on the device until the base is firmly adhered. For the kitchen, you should choose moisture-resistant models in a silicone shell.

Advantages and disadvantages

Being below eye level, such lamps do not dazzle, but evenly illuminate the work surface. Other advantages of LEDs:

1. Illumination of the working area in the kitchen with LED strip complements the main light source.
2. All devices are durable, they are not afraid of mechanical damage, power surges, temperature drops.
3. They economically consume electrical energy and reduce costs.
4. Lamps and ribbons do not heat up, do not create noise.
5. LED products are durable, service life - more than 20 years with 10-hour daily work.
6. No warm-up time required.
7. There is a choice of shades of the supplied light (green, yellow, blue, red, white).
8. Installation can be done by hand.
9. The backlight can be installed at any angle.
10. It is possible to adjust the brightness.

But the device also has several disadvantages. Fortunately, there are far fewer of them than advantages:

1. A high-quality LED strip for the kitchen is expensive.
2. With prolonged operation, the crystals fade, lamps and ribbons begin to emit less light.
3. Lighting is mounted through a special stabilizer, it excludes overheating and breakdown, but it must be purchased separately.

Lighting can only complement the main one (not used independently).

Selection and installation tips

LED (eng. light-emitting diode, LED) is a semiconductor crystal structure that emits light when an electric current passes through it. The backlight has different brightness and shades.

Before installing the backlight, you need to think over the lighting scheme, decide on the required power of the device, the shade of light. Additionally, you need to purchase a power supply and a switch.

In the store, you need to carefully study the technical characteristics of the product. LED lighting for the kitchen under the cabinets must have a high degree of protection against water. It is better to choose a model with IP 65 protection (withstands even a jet hit). The most suitable and safe voltage - 12 W. The light should be as close to natural light as possible. It is better to choose a three-crystal strip with 30 diodes.

It is also important to choose the right power supply capacity so that there are no malfunctions in the operation of the device. It should have a small power reserve - about 25% more than the tape. It is recommended to buy models with compact units as they are easier to hide.

It is necessary to select a switch. It happens:

• push-button;
• touch (reacts to touch);
• infrared (turns on from a wave of the hand);
• dimmer (allows you to adjust the light intensity).

Flexible lighting for the kitchen is assembled according to certain rules: the tape is cut into pieces only according to special markings. Multiple tapes can be connected to one power supply.

The power supply cable with the tape is connected by soldering. The contacts of the LED backlight must be insulated. Tape illumination is attached to double-sided tape.

If there is not enough knowledge to carry out work with your own hands, it is better to contact a specialist electrician.

Diode lighting for the kitchen (20 photos)