Help with undercabinet lighting

[rmelo99]

I am doing the planning for my new undercabinet lighting system. The kitchen is gutted so I have access to all places.

The lighting I purchased is incandescent 18" strips. My question is how what is typically done for turning the lights on & off and as far as wiring.

I would like to have either 1 or 2 switches to turn all of the lights on/off.

How is the connection typically made where the cabinets are? Where do I put the box? Where the cabinets go, backsplash? I was thinking back splash so that once the cabinets are installed I can splice the fixture to the romex, but then what do I do with the box? I know I can't cover it, but don't want a dead plate in the middle of my backsplash!

I hope I am explaning where my confusion is. I know how to do electrical but just not sure of the "common practices" of wiring undercabinet lighting. I was thinking I can perhaps make the splices inside of a outlet box. Will this be ok if I get deeper boxes?

[ampz]

You can either have switches on a wall wall with other switches or use a switch for each strip,mounted in the fixture itself.A 3rd option is to have a switch on a wall adjacent to the fixture.

[ampz]

You dont need a box for fixtures that are to be hardwired. You can run the wires directly into the fixture. There are knockouts for connectors on the back,sides & top of the fixtures

[John Nelson]

incandescent 18" stripsAre you sure you don't mean fluorescent?

[rmelo99]

The lights are incandescent..just a bunch of little ones on a strip. I don't like the color of flourescent.

My predicament is that there is not room in the fixture to make the splice. There is just the small thin strip.

I found out that they are interconnectable. SO now I just have to worry about wiring one. The rest will simple connect to each other down the row of cabinets.

I will just make sure the first one can be wired where I want the switch and I can make the splice in the switch box.

[ampz]

I read right past incandescent & only read 18" strip,sorry

[LightmanE300]

I'd suggest getting some real undercabinet fixtures, incandescent is about the least favorable of them all. If you don't like flourescents, go for the real deal - slimline xenon fixtures. The Kichler variants are the slimmest/easiest to connect, with only a 1" height. I installed these in my house about a year ago and they are fantastic. Incandescent simply won't last as long, won't give the same quality of light, and puts out WAY too much heat. You're gonna cook whatever's in the lowest shelf of the cabinet.

[ampz]

Have you looked at different types of fluorescent bulbs? Depending upon the fixture you can get a bulb that has a different color. Besides the most popular coolwhite there is also warmwhite & designer {also called delux I belive}.You may want to try them before giving up on fluorescents.

[rmelo99]

These strips have teenie little bulbs in them. They are undercabinet lighting, not something I am hacking to make work under there. I'll have to double check and make sure the bulbs aren't actually halogens.