Hardwiring under cabinet lights

[Graham12]

Hi all, I want to add some under cabinet LED’s to the kitchen and hardwire them to a light switch.
We had our kitchen newly fitted out sometime back and the electrician has already wired to a spare switch we have and left the other end of the wire in a junction box on top of the cabinets. This because we couldn’t make our minds up what we wanted at the time!
My question is, all the LED’s I’ve seen for sale have a transformer leading to a plug on the end, can I take the plug off and simply wire in to the junction box? Also is there anything I need to be looking for in terms of what is compatible for what I want to do?
Thanks in advance.

 

[GeorgeCooke]

It's common to refer to them as transformers though. It isn't really a problem in most cases, and is better than trying to explain the difference between an electromagnetic device and a switch mode power supply to someone who doesn't really care.

But that sort of sloppiness is how these incorrect terms propagate.

 

[davesparks]

Putting a 13 amp socket on the lighting circuit is bad practice. Don't do it. Just remove the plug and wire it into a junction box.

Incidentally LEDs don't have a transformer which is an AC device and LEDs need DC. It will be an LED driver or power supply.

So you advocate cutting off the manufacturer fitted plug in this case, but berate anyone else who suggests it in other threads?

 

[Dustydazzler]

Why cut off the melded plug top when you can fit a 13a socket on a patress in about 5 minutes flat.
So much easier than faffing about cutting off plug tops and using JBs.
What happens when the led light fails?
The customer is faced having to unpick a Jb
If it were simply plugged in they could quickly and easily replace the light themselves

 

[DPG]

Spot on Dusty.

 

[westward10]

George can you keep this on topic please.
[automerge]1567413807[/automerge]
George if you care to look at Regulation 559.5.1 you will see a BS1363-2 socket-outlet is an accepted means for connecting a light fitting to the fixed wiring system.

 

[GeorgeCooke]

Why cut off the melded plug top when you can fit a 13a socket on a patress in about 5 minutes flat.
So much easier than faffing about cutting off plug tops and using JBs.
What happens when the led light fails?
The customer is faced having to unpick a Jb
If it were simply plugged in they could quickly and easily replace the light themselves

Simply because a 13a socket on the lighting circuit is bad practice. If you must have a plug and socket use a 2a or 5a one.

 

[DPG]

Simply because a 13a socket on the lighting circuit is bad practice. If you must have a plug and socket use a 2a or 5a one.

A 13A socket allows for LED lighting which is fitted with a plug top transformer.

 

[westward10]

Simply because a 13a socket on the lighting circuit is bad practice. If you must have a plug and socket use a 2a or 5a one.

See #20. It is recognised in BS7671 as being perfectly acceptable.

 

[telectrix]

It's common to refer to them as transformers though. It isn't really a problem in most cases, and is better than trying to explain the difference between an electromagnetic device and a switch mode power supply to someone who doesn't really care.

but what about LEDs that will run on a.c. as well as d.c?

 

[DPG]

but what about LEDs that will run on a.c. as well as d.c?

You complicating matters again Tel?

 

[telectrix]

You complicating matters again Tel?

somebody's got to put the cat in with the pigeons.

 

[littlespark]

AC/DC???? It all sounds like a highway to hell to me.




Seriously though... if there’s space down the back of the units, just drop the lights down there, driver on top of unit, hidden... and plugged in.
Most of these LED kits come with one driver with a number of outputs. If plugging in multiple lights into one, just make sure the total load on each driver doesn’t exceed the max stated output of the driver.

 

[Midwest]

I installed a double outdoor socket, in readiness to plug some Philips garden lights into. Forgot to tell the guy installing my decking; he plugged in his 110v chop saw into it, which tripped the lighting mcb, when he went to cut some decking.

He plugged his saw into something else, and I reset the mcb when I got home. But we survived.

 

[pirate]

Genuinely interested in the various answers here!
If it's a dedicated lighting circuit, why risk someone plugging in a big Hoover? Just put in a JB and then no-one can do that?
If it's a rfc or radial for sockets, just use a plug and connect the driver that way...I know my lights are plugged into one outlet of a double socket, the other socket powers the fridge/freezer.
Horses for courses?

 

[DPG]

Genuinely interested in the various answers here!
If it's a dedicated lighting circuit, why risk someone plugging in a big Hoover? Just put in a JB and then no-one can do that?
If it's a rfc or radial for sockets, just use a plug and connect the driver that way...I know my lights are plugged into one outlet of a double socket, the other socket powers the fridge/freezer.
Horses for courses?

Nobody is going to climb on top of the cupboard to plug the Hoover in