How to Install Depression-Contour LED Lights in Your Kitchen

Transform your kitchen into a place y'all'll love to be with this innovative lighting project.

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Time

A half day

Complexity

Intermediate

Cost

$150 - $400

Introduction

Transform your kitchen into a identify you'll love to be with this innovative lighting projection.

Tools Required

I've tackled several kitchen projects over the years, just I've never fabricated such a major comeback with so little fourth dimension and money. I spent less than $350 and just four hours brightening our kitchen. My original intent was strictly practical: I merely wanted better light to make nutrient prep and cleanup easier. Merely replacing the single fixture with vivid LEDs transformed the room, surprising me and amazing our guests.

Low-PROFILE LEDs Made Information technology EASY

Initially, I idea I'd install recessed tin lights for a sleek expect and lots of light. So, I ran across these ultra-slim Halo LEDs past Eaton. These LED lights are super bright (900 lumens) and have such a low profile (less than i/2 in.) that you can fifty-fifty locate them directly nether a joist if needed. They're rated for insulation contact and moisture locations, so you can use them in a shower or even outdoors. A switch on the side of the box lets you adapt the color temperature. They're also dimmable.

All you lot need is a power supply, a means to cut round holes, fourteen-two NM-B cable, bones electric tools and a drill. The transformer box converts 120V to low voltage, and information technology'southward UL-listed as a junction box with room for power in and ability out. That lets you take power from the first box and string together as many lights as you want. You might demand to fish wire, just aside from that, installation is easy. Several companies brand a like product, only this was in stock at the local home centre.

PLANNING THE Task

If you have an attic above, you can access the joists from at that place instead of working from below as I did. That simplifies angling wires, but you'll still take to dig through insulation. Earlier starting the chore, remove the ceiling fixture and look inside the junction box. My box had just i incoming cablevision. If your box contains more cables, wiring volition be a scrap more than complicated. You lot may need to install a 2nd junction box because the box for these LED fixtures tin can house simply two xiv-ii cables. I replaced the existing fixture with an LED like all the others.

If you lot want a standard fixture in the center of your ceiling, you'll all the same have to remove the existing junction box (Photo 2) to admission the joists. And so, after installing the new lights, install a remodeling box in the same hole. I institute everything I needed at a home center. Ii special tools made the project much easier: an adjustable drywall circle cutter and a 54-in. flexible drill bit.

Projection step-by-step (12)

Footstep 1

Lay out the new lite locations

Mark

Mark all the joists involved in the installation using strips of record. And so mark the location for each new light with record. The lights tin can go anywhere, but I kept them close to the joists to go amend access for attaching the transformer boxes to the joists.

Stride two

Remove the quondam ceiling box

Remove

Close off power to the fixture at the breaker panel. Utilize a noncontact voltage detector to verify that in that location's no current, and then pull out the one-time ceiling box. Depending on how the box is attached and what information technology's made of, this may entail different methods. For case, you could break a fiberglass box to remove it. Ours was a plastic box, nailed to the joists, so I was able to pry it out.

Step iii

Cut new holes

holes

Cut all the holes for the new lights. This adjustable drywall circumvolve cutter (above) slices out perfect holes, saving lots of time. Information technology includes a pan to catch the dust. But information technology can't be used to overstate the existing hole that held the old box. For that, trace the provided template and cut it out using a transmission drywall saw. Now information technology'due south time to fish wires.

Footstep 4

Drill through the kickoff joist

Drill

Drill through the joist at least two in. from its lesser edge. I drilled a 
ane-in.-diameter hole here to make it easier to maneuver the long, flexible fleck in the side by side footstep. If you're just going through one joist, y'all won't need the flexible bit.

Step five

Drill through the next joist

joist

Pass a flexible bit through the hole you just drilled until it hits the side by side joist. Flex the chip downward to get shut to the center of the joist. Unless you have access from above, this is guesswork. Drill through the joist, and then loosen the drill's chuck and set the drill aside, leaving the bit in the hole.

Step 6

Fasten cable 
to the drill scrap

cable

Run 1 of the wires from a new cable through the hole in the bit's tip and bend it over. Twist the other wires together and wrap everything with electric tape.

Step 7

Pull in the new cablevision

Pull

Pull the bit back through the hole forth with your new cablevision, and then unwrap the tape. Each light cutout (except the last one in the chain) requires 2 cables: ability in and ability out. As you're running wire from hole to hole, leave plenty of extra length. It'll be much easier to make the connections.

Stride eight

Connect power to the transformer

Connect

Connect the power source to the first transformer box. Connect your "downstream" cable to power the next box in line. These lights are outfitted with button connectors, which are far simpler to apply than wire nuts and take up less space. Secure the cables using cable clamps in the knockouts or the built-in cablevision traps. In this state of affairs, code doesn't require the cablevision to be secured to the joists.

Step 9

Hang the transformer

Hang

Concur the transformer box confronting the joist and marker the keyholes. Set the box aside and install the two screws. Hang the box, and and so tighten the screws with a screwdriver. Working infinite is limited, so hang the box straight above the hole.

Step 10

Connect 
all the transformers

Connect

Connect ability to each box and hang all the transformers. Each box has power in and power out except for the last 1.

Pace 11

Connect 
the lights

Plug

Plug the low-voltage cables from the lights into the cables from each transformer box. Fix the desired colour temperature using the switch on the side of each transformer box.

Footstep 12

Snap in 
the lights

Snap

Printing the retaining springs upward and pop each light into identify, and so switch the ability back on at the breaker panel. If you want to modify the colour temperature later the lights are installed, carefully pull downward on the light's flange to remove it, keeping your fingers articulate of the mousetrap-similar 
retaining springs!

Originally Published: February 22, 2022