After nearly 11 years the toe kick light under the bathroom sink cabinet has finally burned out. It appears to be a string of 5 or 6 small 12V bulbs inside of a clear plastic tube. Some questions:
1. Where can I get replacement bulbs?
2. I assume that I have to remove the floor of the sink cabinet to facilitate making the replacement?
3. Has anyone done this who can offer suggestions?
Thank you.
Looks like a great opportunity for LED lights :)
Yes, at least in ours, the bottom of the bath cabinet has to be removed (our toe kick light came loose last year and that's what Steve had to do to secure it properly).
Michelle
We replaced ours with LEDs that we got from our local auto parts store. Both the one under the kitchen sink & the bathroom sink were surface mounted and we were able to use the existing holes with the bracket that was supplied. The wires had enough slack to be able to splice the old to the new without pulling the floor of the cabnets.
I've been looking on the web for a suitable replacement and found this. 6 Inch LED Tube Light Low Voltage 12 Volt DC - Low Voltage LED Lights - LEDLight (http://www.ledlight.com/led-tube-light-12-volt-dc.aspx)
6 Inch LED Tube Light Low Voltage 12 Volt DC
Product Code: 34563
Price: $18.99
Volume Price
Qty:
The specs (see below) seem to suggest a transformer. Is this really necessary for this application?
70 Lumen output. Comparable to a 10 Watt fluorescent tube. Uses on;y 3 Watts. Available in white 6000K, warm white 3000K, red (630nm-780nm), green (500nm-570nm), blue(420nm-470nm), amber/yellow (570-600nm) and color changing RGB. RGB sequence cycles in 22 seconds. Available in 6" with 12 LEDs. Long life up to 60,000 hours. Tube Diameter approximately 15/16 Inch. Operating voltage 12V DC. Back side is flat. 12 inches of wire with molded connector. The tube is rigid. The use of our power transformer # 65987 is recommended. This transformer is designed for these tube lights and will help prevent premature LED burnout
George,
The transformer mentioned looks like it's used to power 12Vdc lights from a 120Vac source. You would not need it for a 12V-powered source.
LEDs are designed for constant current operation. If the voltage varies (which it does in our coach operation), the current will vary and that shortens the life of the LED.
Look for an LED solution with a voltage range (usually 8-20 Vdc) rather than one with a specific 12V rating. These will actually have constant current circuitry and will last much longer in an RV or marine application.
Michelle
Hey George,
We replaced the bottom lights in the bathroom with P/N NFLS-WW30 available through LED Lights & Accessories - SUPER BRIGHT LEDS (http://www.superbrightleds.com/)
Ours are mounted in the corner top. The LED's are on a flexible strip with adhesive backing. Cut the old lamp wires and solder to the provided leads. I seem to remember the the LED's are polarity sensitive, so twist the leads together and test before soldering.
I bought a 100 ft roll of clear rope light from Welcome to Action Lighting- Your one stop lighting shop! (http://www.actionlighting.com) and have replaced a few of the sections of rope light inside and out. It can be cut every 4 inches (and still makes a complete circuit) and it is 12 volts. Action lighting has all the connection pieces you need, and I would be happy to send a small length of the actual rope light to you. It just needs to be fed with 2 wires and you can either cap the other end or just maybe put a little silicon on the end. The little lights are .24 watts each.
I only paid about $100 for the whole roll in order to replace my curb/patio lighting strips. I think the 2 pieces I needed (about 18' and 3') were about $120 from FT at the time, so I have gotten my money's worth already and been able to send out a few lengths to others.
As much as I've gotten from this group, I'm happy to share a little light back.
Brad,
How long have you had that roll of rope light. Wasn't it three years ago that you sent me a foot long piece to help me out?
LOL...probably has been that long, Brett. The rest of mine just won't seem to burn out...since I have the replacement stuff on hand. I think I bought the roll shortly after I bought the U270...so it might be 6 years. We're heading out on Friday towards Oregon, and the lighting will be unavailable after that (until I get back in August).
Hi Brad;
Stopping-by Kanab for the SW Motorcade rally? Almost on the way!
Well. Wonder of wonders. Yesterday in looking at the toe kick fixture, measuring it and in general handling it -- last night it came on with the other toe kick lights. That probably indicates a loose connection somewhere. I will check under the cabinet floor.
I found a suitable incandescent replacement for my burned out toe kick light. I found a small interior automobile courtesy lamp and put that in. $6.00. Done.
I did have to remove the floor of the cabinet.