I want to fit LEDs under the units in the kitchen. However I don’t want them plugged into a normal socket, that’s too messy for a permanent solution, and I don’t want to have to turn on easy one individually.

I was thinking of maybe wiring a hidden 13A socket for them to a switch at worktop level, but that would be tricky. I could maybe wire them up to the main lights but that’s dodgy. Does anyone make a light sensitive socket that I can set to come on when I switch the main lights on?

Ideas?

What I’ve done is use Home Easy remote sockets. They do a low profile wall switch which you can stick next to your normal switch (which is what I’ve done). They also do replacement switch fronts so the remote can control your normal lights. They do all kinds of other options.

Nothing wrong with wiring them as part of the light circuit but you would have to route cBling through ceiling and down the wall to the cabinets. Tbh how much do you want them as I’ve fitted loads and they are a bit of a gimmick and the LED ones are pretty as opposed to particularly functional.
I reckon you could get battery ones that kick out as much light and have no cabling and redecoration to concern your self with.

If you think leds are just pretty you’re using the wrong ones. A lot has changed in the last couple of years. All of my kitchen, my office and most of the rest of the house is now led.

Battery ones would need changing, and they would still have to be switched individually. Anyway, regardless of the lamp technology the challenge is the same.

5e ta, will check those out.

I’ve no issue with proper LED lights I’m just referring to under cabinet lights as these tend to be fairly mediocre and never get used in my experience. I’m installing a load tomorrow despite my efforts to convince the client otherwise. Still they are more use than the plinth lights they also want ?

Take a spur off a plug socket is the easiest and least messy solution. Hooking it into your lighting circuit is a nightmare in terms of routing cables and getting up into your ceiling, so taking a spur off a plug socket is easiest – only downside is the lights wouldn’t be switched on with the main light switch, it’ll be a switch on a wall mounted fused spur next to the socket. I believe you’re OK to do this yourself without infringing Part P rules – but you might want to check as these things have a habit of being reviewed and revised regularly.

I took a fused spur off a plug socked under my wall cabinets, was able to route the cable behind the plaster board a few inches and through a hole just under the units, so out of sight (a bit of a fiddly part and took a good few attempts, but patience is your friend here). then clipped the cable run to a 3 pin plug socket mounted under the cabinet and the lighting units plugged into that. The job looks nice and neat with all cables out of sight and works very well and are switched on via the wall mounted fused spur – though i’m using fluorescent tubes rather than LED’s. The fluorescent tube units also have switches on them so I can switch individual lights if I wanted to.

I actually use them more than the ceiling light as the ceiling light uses low energy bulbs which are useless to cast nice bright light onto the work surfaces.

Get an electrician in to do it properly – and legally.
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I won’t do anything illegal but I will not pay anyone to do something I can do myself. £20 in Ikea vs £300 or whatever of electrician fees, no contest.

Wobbliscott, that sounds like what I’ll end up doing. Except the wall is tiled…!

It is not illegal to do your own electrics!

I use a remote control 12v transformer from eBay for mine.

12v LED strips under the counter top. Transformer on top of the cupboard, Remote control nearby. click on off or dim.

My wall was tiled too so the fused spur does stand proud a bit relative to the socket next to it as I mounted it on a thin box, but its not noticeable as its obscured by my espresso machine. Luckily for me there is a gap of about half an inch or so where the tiles end under the units so I drilled a wide slot between the tiles and units and threaded the cable up through that. It was a fiddly job and a bit frustrating, but worked a treat in the end.

These jobs are so easy and with some care and a bit of research you can daily do them yourself for a few quid rather than pay an electrician to come in. Ultimately he’s got the same logistical problem of routing cables through walls which is the most difficult part of the job – but they’ll usually take the easiest route rather than taking a bit more time and effort to do a proper job of it.

Get an electrician in to do it properly – and legally.

No, no, let him do it. I want to see how this pans out…

Was going to post something about Part P of the buiding regs, but just having done a quick search it appears that the kitchen is now no longer a ‘special location’ and so it’s pretty much fair game there!

They seem to have relaxed things quite a bit with the changes, it looks like the only things which are notifiable now are adding new circuits, changing consumer units and work in special locations, which are now within a certain distance of a bath/shower, or a room with a swimming pool/sauna.

Looks like I learnt something today then!

But why would you ever notify building control for stuff like that? The suggestions for involving building control get ridiculous on here at times.

wrightyson… you mean because that is what the building regs required?

Pretty much any electrical work in a special location requires it, and up until April a kitchen was classed as a special location.

Okay, so plugging transformers into an existing socket does not, but some of the suggestions above involving sticking a spur onto an existing circuit would have been covered… just not anymore it seems!

Wait, you have to tell someone if you do work in certain locations in your house? Who? Who has a file on every dwelling?

Dammit. I’m sooooo 2012 these days!

And you live in Scotland scotroutes where they trust us no to be mongs

I just find it crazy!
You get a qualified spark in, get the work done properly then say no more about it. I would suggest this happens 90% of the time but the old building inspector gets mentioned more and more in various DIY posts.