Plinth LEDs

[Welderpaul]

My pal wants those fancy LED strip lights under his worktop plinths/skirts and because I owe him one I said I would sort it for him. He has an island unit, so a couple of 2m strips each side should sort it. There's electric under there somewhere as there are a couple of sockets in the cupboards.

Anyrecommendations for some decent ones? Just white ones, nothing fancy like the blue neons that were popular to stick under your car in the 90's

They have a driver unit - just connect to the socket ring with an FCU?

 

[brightspark]

take of a socket with 2.5mm cable to a convinient place and put a 13 amp fused switch spur in with a 3 amp fuse fitted then out to the driver. get the waterproof led strips there all much about the same quality wise

 

[mike os]

If they can stretch to it put the led in an extrusion with an opal cover, it looks better ant the less stay put

 

[eSCHEn]

I’ve done a few in this place: under my desk, the bathroom, under a bed and I’d echo what’s been said already Paul.

I like to route a channel to sink the strip into to give a flush finish. Like most LEDs they have a very narrow cone of illumination so are quite glare-y if you can see then head on. The aluminium channel and diffuser helps a lot if you can’t mount them low enough.

I’ve had the glue fail on some surfaces that were slightly porus. You can add mechanical fixings to stop this with a staple gun. The crown sits over the strip neatly.

 

[Welderpaul]

I love the forward-thinking spark that wired the place. The other end is in the switch and there is continuity between so at least the plinth lights can be linked to come on/off with the other feature lights.

He had already bought some B&Q LED lights I see what you mean about them being very glary. They are only 6" above highly polished floor tiles, so you see each individual LED rather than a 'strip' of light.
Fiddled with the remote(!) they come with for a while to get them to work properly. They need to be on the lowest setting otherwise they burn your eyes out. When they are turned off, then back on they default back to the burn-your-eyes setting, so if they are now being controlled from a switch, these will be no good.

Which ones have you used Mike/Darren?

 

[mike os]

Hafele mostly, but brightness is colour and wattage per m.

Sounds like a crapy dimmer

This really helps too

https://www.google.com/search?q=haf...-8#imgdii=lL2-qsHw9_kdHM&imgrc=lL2-qsHw9_kdHM

 

[eSCHEn]

Just eBay specials Paul. Don’t pick the very cheapest and I get enough quality for my purposes.

I’d say that about 10% or so have failed over the years by losing their colour, go very yellow the ones that fail.

I’d go with a more known brand like Mike if it wasn’t my lights. Wouldn’t want to be having to fix someone else’s kit if I could avoid it but I’m cheap for me

The waterproofing is layer of clear silicone. Very rubbery and helps reduce glare. Not much but a wee bit. The plastic diffuser should eliminate it altogether I would think.

 

[Dev]

Take a look at cob led strips - more uniform light & don’t need diffusers.

 

[LandRoverTom]

I've fitted these in my kitchen
https://www.wholesaleledlights.co.uk/led-strip-lights/led-tape.html

Cut to the length you want and easily joined to go round corners etc.
Fitted them in some of the aluminium profiles that they sell {45 degree for plinths) which made it simpler but slightly more costly. Gave a better end result though.

They used to have a good faq on drivers etc but can't see it anymore, on the mobile site at least

 

[Parm]

Did a similar sort of thing here. These are from amazon, come with a module pre wired to the strip. The glue on these is way better than anything I’ve used before

mine are colour changing but they do fixed white as well which will be cheaper

 

[angellonewolf]

my lights in the kitchen

there cheap ebay £9 a set bought 3 sets for £25 that inc leds controller and powersupply

been in 4 ish years only ever had to change the controller once

as can be seen there are lights in 3 different places i just looped a wire from one place to the other(under the flooring) striped off a bit of the copper after an led and soldered a thin wire to it and use a choc block to connect 1 to the next

 

[Welderpaul]

Thanks all. Tackle has turned up and its good quality.
Set a bit up tonight so his wife can pass comment. Very shiny tiles so it shows up but i don't think much can be done about that. I got the aluminium channel with the frosted cover but each individual LED is visible rather than a 'strip' of light.

Any ideas?

Could do with being dimmed a bit more. Its a leading edge transformer, and with a leading edge dimmer turned right down they are still bright.

 

[Dev]

That’s why cob LEDs are good any situation where they might be visible. Diffusion needs a little distance to be effective.

 

[mdr]

I may be looking to diffuse the light so they blend together. Maybe Mylar (for drafting) or trying a length of grease proof paper over a section (maybe just as a test or longer term) and compare what it does. Something translucent at least. I couple of layers may dim it too.

 

[Welderpaul]

Something translucent at least. I couple of layers may dim it too.

Maybe some sort of tape i can stick inside the frosted cover

 

[mdr]

There is this...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rust-Oleum-AE0010003E8-400ml-Frosted-Glass/dp/B001W03PO0/

...but I'd be inclined to test with some grease proof paper first - it will diffuse and kill some of the brightness. Cheap too. Pop a 1m length into the cover (trim as required) and compare. It may work nicely with no further effort or you if you don't like that (no one will know it's there but you) then you can seek out something else. Wide Scotch tape or similar.

 

[angellonewolf]

would dimmimg them help ?