Bookcase- Switched Outlet System

This kitchen lighting setup is a plug and play system using plug-in power supplies, custom flexible Strips, and several Interconnect Cables. The power supplies are plugged into outlets behind the bookshelves that are controlled on and off through a wall switch.

Measure available space for flex:

Start by measuring out the entire length of the available area where the flex strips will be mounted. Once you have the full measurement, you will need to subtract 3” in order to make room for the cable connectors on each side. Before measuring the shelves, it is a good idea to know where you are planning on mounting the LEDs. For this application, the customer wanted to accomplish an accenting lighting feature. We used Normal Bright Flexible Strips, which features 9 LEDs per foot.

Mounting the flex strips:

Mount the flexible strip on the available front trim of the shelf with the LEDs facing towards the back of the unit. Mounting the flex this way will illuminate the area and help eliminate any spotting. Using the available trim in this way also serves as a great way to hide the flex strips.

Once you have decided on where you want to mount the LEDs, you will want to clean the areas where the flex will be installed. Use isopropyl alcohol or a cleaning solution to remove any dust or dirt that may be on the shelves.

Wiring cables:

In this setup, the customer has daisy chained all their flex strips in continuous runs for each shelf. Both runs start at the bottom of the cabinets, where the power supplies have been mounted, and then ran up to the first LED run. To pass cable through from the bottom cabinet, drill a 5/8” hole for the connector to fit through and connect to the female plug on the flex strip. Using the available trim on the vertical edges and shelves, the cables have been hidden and ran to connect the following three LED Strips. The customer used 1’ interconnect cables to tie the remaining flexible strips together, hiding each one along the vertical trim.

Provide Power:

After running the cables, you will want to plug the power supplies in to make sure the lights are all working properly. As mentioned before, the power supplies in this job are controlled through switched outlet, installed behind each shelving unit. This allows the customer to be able to turn their LEDs on and off from a wall switch.