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(More customer reviews)I'm crazy about these lights GE 10184 Xenon 3 Light Fixture, Plug-Inch With Off/Low Switch Plastic. My solid countertops, tile backsplash and wood cabinets combined to make food prep literally a stab in the dark. I slice and dice a lot, and an occasional culinary delight has been found to contain filet of fingertip.
So, I bought three of these 3-light kits to shed a little light on the subject. They flood the counters with a warm color light that is more natural looking than the cooler colored halogens, and far better than the blue light produced by most LEDs and fluorescent lights. Also, the two position in-line switches allow either ambient mood lighting, or serious working light. Their glass covers do get pretty hot, but the plastic housings stay cool due to vents in the shells and nibs on the backs that hold the lights slightly away from the cabinet bottoms.
They were relatively easy to mount. Two screws hold each light to the underside of the cabinets. Gotta be careful, though, not to drill the pilot holes through the other side of the cabinet bottom. I did on a couple, but they're tiny and unnoticeable. Some day I'll get around to filling them, but that's a low-priority item for now.
Positioning the lights was a bit of a challenge. I wanted one light centered under each cabinet door. That seemed easy enough, until I realized that the two mounting holes in the back of each light were slightly offset from center, rather than being evenly spaced. So, I put a strip of masking tape on the lower front edge of the cabinet and used a Sharpie to mark the center point of the door. I centered the light on that, then marked the screw hole positions. I put another strip of tape on the bottom of the cabinet, wrapped it to the back side and extended the marks underneath so I could see where the holes were to be drilled while lying on my back on the counter with my feet in the sink. That all may sound kinda tedious, but it's necessary if you want a nice finished job.
Note that these lights are plug-in, not hard wired. That makes the install simpler, but you have to accept and plan for cord drops to wall outlets. Up to eight lights can be linked on one power connection. However, due to the positioning of my cabinets and the short linking cables supplied, I had to have three cord drops - one for five lights, one for two, and a single. I didn't want the cords just dangling from the cabinets, so I bought a length of plastic Wiremold Cordmate locally, Wiremold C110 White Cordmate Kit, cut three 12 inch sections and sprayed them silver to sorta match my stainless appliances. I added a "connector" fitting to each end for a more finished appearance, peeled off the paper backing and stuck 'em to the backsplash. Problem Solved!
Oh, and those linking cords and switches . . . didn't want them dangling either. So, I picked up a dozen or so plastic stick-on wire clips at the little electronics store we all know, and used them to keep everyting up and outa sight.
CAUTION #1:
Be very careful when wiring the switches, because it's necessary to cut one of the two wires of the power cord. DO NOT cut the "ribbed" wire - the "smoothie" is the correct one to sever. Naturally, I botched the first one I worked on, and you can't just buy another one off the shelf somewhere. Fortunately, Jasco (the manufacturer/distributor) was kind enough to send me a replacement.
My major gripe about these things is that the plugs on the supplied power cords stick straight out from the wall. I fixed that by cutting off the plugs (and the unneeded cord length) and replacing them with these angle plugs Leviton 101AN-W 15 Amp, 125 Volt 2-Pole 2-Wire, Non-Polarized Angle Plug, White from one of the big-box stores. The flush fit is much, much nicer. Although the wires are standard 18-gauge, they're larger than normal due to their beefy insulation. My point? Not all plugs you may come across will work. Trial and error, my friends.
CAUTION #2:
These lights are polarized. The angled plugs are not. So, when wiring the new plugs, be sure to connect the "ribbed" wire to the blade that will be inserted into the wide-blade hole of the outlet receptacle. Then, mark that blade in some way to avoid plugging it in the wrong way. A dot with a Sharpie will do the trick.
I posted four photos of the finished install just to show the improvement it made in my kitchen. Yeah, the light housings are slightly visible below the cabinets, but I honestly don't find it strongly objectionable. I can live with it considering how well they do their job.
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GE 10184 Xenon 3 Light Fixture, Plug-Inch With Off/Low Switch PlasticThis 3-Pack of GE 10184 Puck-Style Premium Linkable Xenon Under Cabinet Fixtures feature a hassle free installation with superior lighting technology. The long-life xenon lamps combine with an integral high/low switch to control illumination levels. Aside
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