Under Cabinet Lighting 101:
Lighting effects, dimming, and powering your flex strips for under cabinet lighting
The most popular installation location for LED flexible strip lighting is under cabinets. These lights can give a modern polish to any kitchen, task area, or bathroom. The installation strategy for LED flex strips depends on the lighting effect desired.
1. Even distribution– If uniform and gap less distribution of light is the effect you are looking for, install a single uncut strip of LED flex strip under the entire length of the cabinet.
2. Spot Illumination – Cutting the LED flex strips into 3 inch sections, and connecting them with connector wires at the length of your choice, will give the appearance of puck lighting. The area directly under the cut strips will be brighter than the areas to the right or left of the strips.
However, you wish to install your LED flex strip is up to you. The majority of the new LED flex strips on the market are very bright, so it is highly recommended to install a dimmer between the power sources and flex strips for full customization of the brightness desired.
The size of the transformer needed is dependent upon the length of flex strip installed. For example, 9 feet of uncut flexible LED strip will draw 1.125 amps of current. It is always recommended to use a power supply greater than the actual currents drawn, so for this example, a 2 amp power supply is needed. You can easily hide the power supply in the cabinet itself. Please allow at least two inches of space between the power supply and the edges of the cabinet to insure proper heat distribution from the power source.