Prewiring suggestions for low voltage LED lights in kitchen

[gatorgrabber]

I'm totally overhauling the kitchen and looking to add LED task lighting under the upper cabinets and along the kick panels of the bases. What would be an appropriate wire size/type to add during the construction phase for this task? I've not chosen the light strips yet but they will be either 12 or 24v and the number of lights very modest since the kitchen counters are only 15' long. Any suggestions? 14/2 Romex sure seems like a candidate for the 'wretched excess' award! For that matter, if there's a good website/book on LV wiring, I'd like to hear about it. Almost everything I've found applies to structured wiring for CAT6 and cable runs. Thanks!

 

[txvwnut]

For mine I used 18ga zip cord which is a little overkill for what I used which was cut to fit LED strips.

 

[gatorgrabber]

I was looking at zip cord, along with speaker wire or something similar. I can also see going to LED lighting for most of my ceilings and hallways as I get things figured out.

 

[Terry D]

I use a jacketed in wall rated 16 gauge speaker wire. I usually have inspections on stuff like this and it will not pass unless it is in wall rated. your area may be different.

Southwire 500 ft. 16/2 Grey Stranded CU In-Wall CMR/CL3R Speaker Wire 56911445 - The Home Depot

Find the 500 ft. 16-Gauge In-Wall Speaker Cable 56911445, UL listed rated for in-wall use, this cable eliminates the need for extra wires around your speaker system from The Home Depot

www.homedepot.com

 

[gatorgrabber]

That's very similar to the wire I'm using for my Atmos ceiling/surround speakers in the living room. Good suggestion.

 

[gatorgrabber]

Additional question...are there transformers that allows multiple circuits (like a home structured wiring box) as opposed to units designed for landscape lighting? Having a central location, not unlike a fuse panel, would be a nice touch for my OC brain! ;-) I can imagine having a dozen or so circuits for different lighting projects in my home.

 

[Bert_]

I just run 18-2 stat wire. Run each section of cabinets back to the power supply. A really long run of cabinets might need (2) runs, voltage drop can be a problem with only 12v

 

[gatorgrabber]

I'm probably going with 16/2, similar to the wire Terry D suggested. Since this stuff is so cheap, I'll just run multiple cables to each location where I plan to have lighting. Not only is this simple (and cheap), it gives me a backup plan if I come up with a different idea further down the road for how I might utilize the LV wiring. To those of you who have done this install, did you use a central transformer or multiple units closer to where the power is required?

 

[Bert_]

One power supply. Usually put it under the sink, above the microwave, or in the basement

 

[BreeStephany]

When I rough in for LED cabinet lighting or low voltage LED fixtures, I generally 18-2 or 16-2 CMR jacketed cable for the LED fixtures / LED strips depending on the length of the runs. The longer the run, the larger gauge you will need to accommodate for voltage drop.

I generally leave a small service loop in the wall cavity and then leave about 2 feet to penetrate through the sheetrock at the height of the bottom of the cabinet so that the cable can penetrate the back of the cabinet in the space between the bottom lip of the cabinet and the bottom of the cabinet.

If you are installing low voltage LED wall or ceiling fixtures, just rough in with a nail-on box that works with the fixture or just penetrate the sheetrock with 2' of cable at the center of the fixture if it doesn't mount with a box.

Just my two cents.

 

[gatorgrabber]

Thanks for the advice! I've got the unusual circumstance of rebuilding a house that I've lived in for some time (hurricane/water damage), so I've got a good feel as to how I would like the place to look and operate. Not only did I replace all of the home's electrical system, I also went with a full structured wiring cabinet for cable/antenna/Internet access. This is what got me paying more attention to the LV lighting systems I wanted to add to the house. By the time I'm finished, 90% of the house will be LV lighting, so all of your advice is very helpful!