How to upgrade your kitchen with undercabinet lighting and power
In short: Transforming your kitchen workspace often requires more than just new appliances. By installing LED undercabinet lights and integrated electrical outlets, you can significantly improve both visibility and convenience. This project involves managing electrical cables, junction boxes, and specialized switches to create a seamless, modern lighting solution.
Upgrading kitchen illumination and power involves a series of precise electrical steps. The process begins at the main electrical panel, where power to existing undercabinet lights and outlets must be turned off to ensure safety. Once the power is secured, old light fixtures are removed to make way for modern LED replacements. To house the new wiring, holes must be cut into both the back of the cabinets and the wall directly above them using a jigsaw and a drywall saw.
The core of the installation relies on nonmetallic electrical cable. This cable is threaded through the holes in the wall and into the cabinet space. To manage the connections, an old-work junction box is installed inside the cabinet, which is then covered with a blank plate once the wiring is secured with twist-on connectors. For the control mechanism, a dimmer switch is installed in a wall-mounted switch box. It is critical that this dimmer is specifically designed for use with LED lights to ensure proper functionality.
Beyond lighting, adding power to the workspace involves installing 120-volt outlet strips. This requires running a new cable to the wall beneath the cabinets and completing the final connections at the strips. Throughout the process, tools such as a torpedo level are essential for marking plumb cutlines, while fish tape helps pull cables through the wall. Once all connections are made in the fixtures and the outlet strips, the system can be tested to ensure the upgrade is fully operational.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: How to Install Undercabinet Lighting and Power | All About Lights | Ask This Old House
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