Build Thread: LED Light Strip with Automatic Door Switch for Kitchen Pantry or Closet

nealtw said:

That is a threeway switch, the power is going to the light or the other switch, so no you can not get power from there.

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Literally impossible? Unsafe? Against code? All of the above?

If you could be more specific that'd be great.

trogdor said:

Whether there'll be enough light is the very last of my worries. There's already enough light to see what we need as it is. This is 25% practical and 75% fun project/wow factor.

And then you account for the fact there are 300 LEDs on that strip. Too dim? Yeah, right.

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With your reasoning on this project I give you less than 50-50 on the 25% practical that it will work as planned. But you might get lucky. :2cents:

Also, the new 25/75 split seems like
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_the_goalposts

This makes four cents, total.

trogdor said:

Literally impossible? Unsafe? Against code? All of the above?

If you could be more specific that'd be great.

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Never mind, I thought about it more. Makes sense now.

I have done LED in kitchens. The usual setup is to install a receptacle inside the upper protion of a cabinet and plug the transformer into it. All feed wires feed from that point.

EMBEDDED SWITCH
In your case, I would tap into the receptacle across the hall and install a receptacle high up, to the hinge side of the closet. Since the feed wires (you need a power leg and a switch leg) are low volt, you can drop them down from there along the hinge side of the door jamb inside the wall (you are OK with some drywall damage, yes?). Install the switch in the hinge side by drilling through the framing (jamb + jack stud + kind stud). Run the feed wires to the switch, connect them, install the switch.

Now you need to run the switch leg to your first LED light strip, then any others, sequentially.

MOTION SENSOR
An alternative would be tu use a motion sensor instead of an embedded switch. I have done this in walk-in closets. If you REALLY want to have a WOW factor, try this ... Run the power from your source receptacle to the closet ceiling. Install a switch box with a motion sensor. Run the switch leg over to another receptacle mounted high and behind the wall with the door. The receptacle will be activated when the motion sensor turns it on. Plug your transformer into this receptacle.

Now, you can run your LED hookup wires inside the wall for a clean installation. The picture shows this arrangement on the sidewall ... you could also do it this way if you like.

Awesome info! Thank you.

Trogdor, I enjoyed my answer so much I am going to "Like" myself.

trogdor said:

Never mind, I thought about it more. Makes sense now.

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It just won't work.:banana:

nealtw said:

It just won't work.:banana:

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So what's the fallback position?

Wuzzat? said:

So what's the fallback position?

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He was asking about the switch, the fall back is the outlet he wanted to use when he started.

Trogdor, listen to Neal about the switch. It is a 3-way switch, so the power leg is interrupted by a separate switch. What you want (and what I thought you were going to do) is to take power from an outlet which is always hot.

Stop messing with that switch!

Take your lumps by accessing the outlet and looping your romex to the inside of the closet. You can then tie the power into a motion sensor which feeds power to a receptacle where your LED transformer is plugged.

Do it that way and it is both possible and meets code.

Everytime I see one of these pantry doors with an eched glass in it I ask what the glass is for. The quick answer comes just before the dumb smile and answer is always the same.
( To let the light in )

Did some test fitting tonight, and I am very excited about what the preliminary results are showing. The photos are just slightly darker than real life. The light is a touch cool for my tastes, but I also purchased a strand of lights that were called warm white, so maybe those will be more my style. Haven't plugged them in yet.

Before and After





Picking the wrong libation can be devastating. This requires good lighting!

So did 24 watts worth of LED light work out for a closet of this size?

I like it, looks great, have you found a switch yet? I think this kind of thing would be great for storage like under the stairs.

I would suggest you run the light strips under each level. You can use this for the connections:

here's you switch

Can someone confirm the wiring if I am going to go this route? I'm using a Lutron motion sensor. It has 4 wires: two black, one green, and one unshielded. Based on the instructions, I believe the green and unshielded are both grounds.

I have the lights on and running. Just need to make sure y'all concur with my set-up.

No and No
The outlet you are starting from has white on one side and black on the other side. Black to brass screw and white to the silver screw. Do not add more wires to the screws, use pigtails instead.
1. remove the outlet and make a short white and black pigtail about 6" long. Twist the 3 blacks together and add a wire nut, twist the 3 whites together and add a wire nut tape the nuts and re-install the outlet using the pigtails and don't forget to join all the grounds and the box and the outlet..
2. in the switch box, join the 2 white wires together with a wire nut. Each black wire from the switch gets a black, one from the other outlet and one to the new outlet, don't forget the grounds, green and bear.
3 in the new outlet, white to the silver side black to the brass side.

This unit will not work if the grounds are not hooked up.

I'm sorry, but I'm having a hard time following those directions. Could you sketch it out?

Try this ..................