Linking 2 sets of kitchen cabinet lights
Linking 2 sets of kitchen cabinet lights
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thebraketester

Original Poster:

15,063 posts

154 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
What’s the easiest way to link 2 sets of led cabinet lights so they are on 1 switch. At the moment they are separate and hardwiring them would have meant either chopping the full length of the ceiling or a lot of wall chasing. They don’t have to be smart linked.

Thanks
TBT

Baldchap

9,162 posts

108 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
Can you access the 'ceiling rose' (probably a lump of choccy block or a junction box in reality) for each set of lights in the loft or floor above?

Chuck a picture of what you have and we might have a better idea...

Are the switches in the same back box and is there a neutral in there (not a switched live)?

Edited by Baldchap on Thursday 20th March 10:14

98elise

29,934 posts

177 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
If hard wiring is too difficult then smart relays could be the answer, assuming you're happy with smart stuff.

I have a floodlight down the side of my house thats switched from the kitchen. I also wanted the garden lights to come on but they are switched from the living room.

I stuck a no neutral Sonoff smart relay behind each switch, and set the garden light to sync to the side light. The modules use zigbee though so you'll need a zigbee hub.

The only fly in the ointment is I used the Google Home YAML code to do it. You might be able to do it with the normal point and click set up though.


Edited by 98elise on Thursday 20th March 12:53

Mr Pointy

12,558 posts

175 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
Have a look at Quinetic switches & receivers:

https://www.quinetic.co.uk/#products

You don't need a physical connection from the switch to the receivers/lights being controlled & you can pair more than one RX to a switch. They seem to have expanded the range of switches & receivers, including one for LED tape lighting.

Origin Unknown

2,420 posts

185 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
Something like this OP?

One of these for each lighting run https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/QUR305.html?...

And then the switch https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/QUWS1W.html

thebraketester

Original Poster:

15,063 posts

154 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
Thanks for the replies. Looks like two of those quinetic boxes and a switch should do the job. I presume you can pair two boxes to one switch?

I have LightwaveRF around the house but 2 relays are £140 which is silly

Baldchap

9,162 posts

108 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
Shelley also do a lot of stuff that would do this but whatever you use, you need to know what you already have to plan how to achieve what you want.

Most of the smart kit needs a neutral in the back box, with exceptions of course, but what you have impacts what you need.

The Gauge

4,960 posts

29 months

OutInTheShed

11,527 posts

42 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
It may be cheaper and more effective to have the lights on timers, daylight sensors or just leave the damned things on permanently, than buy a lo of smartcrap.

Mr Pointy

12,558 posts

175 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
Baldchap said:
Shelley also do a lot of stuff that would do this but whatever you use, you need to know what you already have to plan how to achieve what you want.

Most of the smart kit needs a neutral in the back box, with exceptions of course, but what you have impacts what you need.
That's one of the advantages of the Quinetic switches, you literally don't need any wiring to the switches at all.

OutInTheShed

11,527 posts

42 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
The other thing is, cabinet lights are probably a few watts at 12V. A whole bunch of them may be less than an amp.
So you can wire them together with thin wire which can discreetly go around architraves or whatever.
You don't need fat copper or mains standards of insulation.

Baldchap

9,162 posts

108 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
Mr Pointy said:
Baldchap said:
Shelley also do a lot of stuff that would do this but whatever you use, you need to know what you already have to plan how to achieve what you want.

Most of the smart kit needs a neutral in the back box, with exceptions of course, but what you have impacts what you need.
That's one of the advantages of the Quinetic switches, you literally don't need any wiring to the switches at all.
Interesting...

Had a quick look online but it isn't clear to me how the receivers are powered and wired. Let's say like OP I have two separate lights and I want to replace two switches, what gets wired where?

Edited by Baldchap on Thursday 20th March 12:28

98elise

29,934 posts

177 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
thebraketester said:
Thanks for the replies. Looks like two of those quinetic boxes and a switch should do the job. I presume you can pair two boxes to one switch?

I have LightwaveRF around the house but 2 relays are £140 which is silly
Wow! My Sonoff no neutral relays were about £12 each!

Danm1les

941 posts

156 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
To jump in with a similar question.

We have under cabinet lights and I would like to add some to our island. The island has power running to it for sockets. Could an electrician use a transmitter to tell the island lights to come on when the undercabinet lights come on?

Mr Pointy

12,558 posts

175 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
Baldchap said:
Interesting...

Had a quick look online but it isn't clear to me how the receivers are powered and wired. Let's say like OP I have two separate lights and I want to replace two switches, what gets wired where?
You simply need the lighting circuit Live & Neutral connected to the input of the receiver & the light wired to the output. The action of clicking the switch generates a tiny amount of power, enough to send on/off data to the receiver which then turns the light on. You can hang either 1100W or 2200W of one receiver so you can have multiple lights on one. One switch can trigger unlimited receivers & one receiver can respond to up to 10 switches.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=quine...

The basic receiver is here & just needs L&N from the lighting circuit & gives out switched L & N:
https://www.quinetic.co.uk/products/rf-receiver/

They have expanded the range so now they have wi-fi receivers & apps, but the basic system uses purely passive switches.

98elise

29,934 posts

177 months

Thursday 20th March
quotequote all
Danm1les said:
To jump in with a similar question.

We have under cabinet lights and I would like to add some to our island. The island has power running to it for sockets. Could an electrician use a transmitter to tell the island lights to come on when the undercabinet lights come on?
Other than the options above, not without hard wiring.

If you use smart lights you can link the two with a simple automation via Google Home/Alexa/Home Assistant etc, or a scene within the smart lights own app.

How are they cabinet lights wired and controlled, and if they run from a normal light switch do you know if they have a neutral?

Edited by 98elise on Thursday 20th March 18:01