Help with elecrical kitchen circuit
#1
09-15-05, 10:27 PM
Help with elecrical kitchen circuit
Ok...can you wire low-volatge halogen as the load from a GFCI? I have tried LV halogen and now regular incandescent from this GFCI for the purpose of under cabinet lighting. I wired the LV halogen to an LV dimmer switch. The transformer came pre-wired before the lights on the feed wire. It worked when power was back on, but as soon as I moved the slider down (should dim) it sparked and tripped the breaker. This repeated twice...so I figured something must be wrong. 
I tried a cheap incandescent light strip (regular 120V) wired to the GFCI with a 120V dimmer. Again, it lit, but this time, it would not dim at all. I next tried pulling the electric from an outlet at the end of this circuit. And again, it lit, but would not dim at all. I have tried multiple dimmer switches (all new) and none of them worked. All I would like to do is install some under-cabinet accent lighting before I install a ceramic tile backsplash. I want to hardwire it as opposed to just plugging it in.
Help!
I tried a cheap incandescent light strip (regular 120V) wired to the GFCI with a 120V dimmer. Again, it lit, but this time, it would not dim at all. I next tried pulling the electric from an outlet at the end of this circuit. And again, it lit, but would not dim at all. I have tried multiple dimmer switches (all new) and none of them worked. All I would like to do is install some under-cabinet accent lighting before I install a ceramic tile backsplash. I want to hardwire it as opposed to just plugging it in.Help!
#2
09-16-05, 09:08 AM
Member
First of all, why would you want to put your lighting downstream from a GFCI?
Second, it is a code violation to put lighting on the circuit serving countertop receptacles.
You need to put this on a different circuit.
Second, it is a code violation to put lighting on the circuit serving countertop receptacles.
You need to put this on a different circuit.
#4
09-17-05, 08:10 PM
Member
Is this a gas range? What else does that circuit serve?
Why not just use the circuit serving the kitchen lighting?
Why not just use the circuit serving the kitchen lighting?
#5
09-18-05, 02:54 PM
I think I have settled on running a new circuit from the breaker box. It will be connected to a 300W LV transformer and the LV cable fished up the wall from the basement. LV transformer with two circuits. One for 5x20 LV halogen lights wired to LV dimmer. One for 3x20 watt halogen lights also wired to dimmer on via circuit #2. I figure the total will be, at most, 160 W. This is only 53% of max...which makes it expandable for future use. Is there still a 2% voltage drop expected from an LV circuit? I plan on using 12 gauge LV cable. Is this cable to fat? Should I go with 14 or 16?
Thanks
Thanks
#6
11-11-05, 04:55 PM
Originally Posted by John Nelson
Second, it is a code violation to put lighting on the circuit serving countertop receptacles. You need to put this on a different circuit.
Is that a US code violation, or a Canadian code violation, or both?
Just out of curiosity, can you tell me why either code would prohibit it?
#8
11-11-05, 08:18 PM
Member
... and a U.S. code violation. The idea is to save sufficient power for small kitchen appliances, and thus reduce the changes of people doing something stupid (like running an extension cord in from another room).
