LED cabinet lighting with automatic switching on. Wardrobe lighting

Switches for lighting furniture and wardrobes according to the method of operation can be divided into:

mechanical
contactless (touch) switches.

Let's look at specific examples of wardrobe lighting devices, without focusing on the manufacturers, because in general they are similar.

Mechanical switches

Mechanical switches– here a mechanical action is required to turn the wardrobe lighting on and off.

There are options for swing doors and sliding doors.

Touch switches (non-contact)

Touch switch consists of three parts: a sensitive element, a semiconductor analysis and control circuit, and a switching power section.

When the object of influence approaches the control zone of the sensitive element, a certain signal is generated, which turns into an electrical signal of sufficient power to trigger the switching part. The last part performs closing or opening (or both operations) of a direct or alternating current circuit.

For example, infrared sensor turns on the lamps connected to it when you enter the sensor’s sensitivity zone (1-1.6 m cm in the figure), and leaves them on until you leave the zone.

The lamps turn off 10-180 seconds after leaving the sensor sensitivity zone. The sensor can be built into a cabinet hood, ceiling, wall, or decorative housing such as a lamp housing. In the latter case, the lamp and sensor will form a single module.


Rice. 4.

In general touch switch is a semiconductor device that, depending on the position of an observation object remotely removed from it, controls the state of an external electrical circuit connected to it using a built-in switching element. In the case of household touch switches, the object of observation is a person or his hand.

In furniture and wardrobes, touch switches are used, the operation of which is based on three types.

Capacitive switches

Capacitive switches– do not necessarily require pressing a button. This is how this touch switch works. You bring your hand to the so-called active surface of the touch switch (the surface under which the sensitive element is hidden - this is, as a rule, the front side of the switch) at a distance of 40-50 mm, and the device turns on or turns off the light. Some models require you to at least lightly touch the active surface.

Optical switches

Optical switches– work in both conventional and infrared radiation spectrums. The former work as light sensors, the latter as infrared sensors.

The basis of the second version of the optical switch is the sensitive element - a thermal radiation receiver. This is a semiconductor device that responds to infrared radiation. To help the sensitive element detect this radiation, it is surrounded by a collecting plastic lens, which may take the form of a hemispherical cap.

There are two main options for infrared sensors for furniture.

The first option is triggered by a wave of the hand; they brought the hand to the sensitive surface at a distance of 2-3 cm from it - the sensor turned on, brought it again, the sensor turned off.

The second option is triggering as a result of the appearance or disappearance of an obstacle, for example, a closet door from the sensor’s field of view. The sensitive area of the sensor itself can be located either on the side or front surface of the sensor body, or on a wire.

High frequency switches

High frequency switches– volume sensors or active type sensors. These sensors are based on modern high-frequency sensor technology.

Sending a signal at 5.8 GHz, the sensors record changes in the reflected signal that occur as a result of the slightest movements of people or objects. With any movement, they are triggered almost instantly and regardless of temperature or direction of movement.

Dimmers for furniture

Dimmers- These are devices for adjusting the brightness of a light source. To adjust the brightness of low-voltage halogen lamps (12 V), that is, those used in furniture, there are special dimmers.

If an induction transformer is used as power supply, then an R type dimmer is used. When using an electronic impulse unit with dimming capabilities, special dimmers are recommended. Control in such dimmers occurs due to the difference in the phases of the current and voltage at the output of the unit. In this case, the letter designation of the dimmer and transformer is L and C, and the designation of both devices must match.

The lighting is controlled by a button. A short press on the button turns the light on or off; Long press changes brightness.

For the LED strip, special controllers are used that are connected between the power supply and the strip. The brightness changes by changing the duration of the voltage pulses.

The term “controller” is understood as an electronic device designed to issue control signals to controlled objects. Control signals are issued in accordance with the program.

This article will discuss how to install lighting in a closet. Sometimes we don't think about the fact that we may need a light in the closet when we buy a cabinet. But over time, it is difficult to do without additional lighting in the closet.

You constantly have to rearrange, put away, reconsider just to find the right thing. I think the situation is familiar to everyone.

As a rule, apartments have poor lighting, so very little light gets into the closet. To solve this problem, designers use many solutions.

These can be canopies in which lamps with or without motion sensors will be installed.

Lamps with built-in motion sensors are installed so that the light turns on automatically when the cabinet doors are opened. Why bother turning the lamp on and off?

By the way, you can buy and install such lamps yourself, which will allow you to save money. Solutions and forms of lighting can be very different, depending on the needs.

Types of lighting:

Mortise lamps, they save space and are quite economical. Such lamps are most often used in Shatura cabinets;
Fluorescent lamps, they are used in large closets and dressing rooms;
LED strips, such lamps are always easy to use, economical and will easily fit into any interior and cabinet shape;
Also, in some cases, special control panels are used to control the light.

Before purchasing a cabinet, be sure to consider all possible light connection options.

Any type of lamps requires electricity, so first of all it is necessary to install the wiring to install the lamps.

If you decide to make lighting after purchasing and installing the cabinet, then the problem can be quite easily solved with the help of a cable channel.

It’s very easy to make lighting in a closet; for this you will need: a cord, a cable channel, insulating tape, a lamp. Before buying all the necessary materials, calculate the required length of wires; it is best to make small marks on the ceiling.

In order to make such lighting, run the cable to the required length, then secure the wires, and close the cover of the cable channel. After these manipulations, install the lamp.

When installing the lamp, be sure to follow safety rules. Before starting installation, check the wires for absence of electricity.

There are a lot of ways to install lamps in a closet and you can choose any one. It is advisable to watch a video of how professionals do it before installing the lighting yourself.

Also watch a video on how to make LED cabinet lighting with your own hands:

The lighting can be installed in any type of cabinet: traditional, wardrobe, kitchen furniture, bathroom cabinets and even shoe racks.

Types of cabinet lighting

The modern furniture market offers a variety of types of cabinet lighting. This makes it possible to choose the option that seems most acceptable to the furniture owner.

There are four main types of cabinet lighting:

halogen lamps;
LED lamps;
fluorescent lamps;
LED strip.

Halogen cabinet lighting

Halogen lamps are the most common way to organize lighting in a closet. They are designs based on halogen lamps.

A halogen lamp is an incandescent lamp filled with a special gas (iodine or bromine vapor). It allows you to extend the service life of the product and significantly increase the heating temperature of the coil - up to 500.

Despite their brightness, halogen lamps have a number of significant disadvantages:

high heating temperatures can melt the material from which the cabinet is made, as well as cause the evaporation of harmful substances. Therefore, halogen lamps are rarely built-in;
they should not be touched with hands, otherwise greasy marks may remain on the lamp that cannot be erased;
The halogen cabinet light is sensitive to even small power surges.

The best option for halogen lighting for a cabinet is several overhead lamps placed on its visor.

LED cabinet lighting

LED lighting combines several advantages: efficiency, durability, safety and high quality lighting.

LEDs are semiconductor devices with an electron-hole junction that generate light by passing electricity through it. This is the safest and most environmentally friendly lighting option.

LED lamps can be made in the form of a set of three or more individual light bulbs, as well as in the form of a line - a long lamp with several diodes arranged in a row.

Unlike halogen and fluorescent lamps, LEDs do not tend to get very hot. Therefore, they are ideal for organizing built-in lighting in cabinets made of any material (including chipboard), since they do not cause melting of the material and do not lead to the evaporation of phenol and other harmful substances.

Fluorescent backlight

Fluorescent lighting is used quite rarely. As a rule, it is used to illuminate the space in front of mirrors or as part of a trampoline rod.

Fluorescent lamps are gas-discharge light sources. The principle of their operation is to generate ultraviolet radiation by discharging current in mercury vapor. They are converted into light radiation using a special substance - phosphor. As a rule, it is a mixture of calcium halophosphate with other elements.

The main disadvantage of such lamps is the mercury content, which can cause serious harm to human health if the product breaks.

Mercury is classified as a class 1 toxic substance, so disposal of burnt-out fluorescent lamps in the usual way is unacceptable, as this causes damage to the environment.

Cabinet lighting with LED strip

An LED strip is a flexible board with contacts on which small diodes are located in a row. It is one of the most convenient lighting options and is often used for decorative purposes.

LED strip is sold in skeins of 5 meters or by meter. It is recommended to take accurate measurements before purchasing a backlight.

There are different options for LED strips that allow you to implement almost any idea in organizing furniture lighting:

self-adhesive - it can be independently attached to various surfaces;
waterproof - ideal for cabinets installed in rooms with high humidity, for example, in bathrooms;
multi-colored RGB tape is an interesting option for decoration. In such a tape, you can change the color of the light bulbs using a controller.

Methods for installing lighting devices in a cabinet

The process of installing cabinet lighting requires care. It is advisable to think through its scheme in advance.

If lighting is installed from the mains, the cable can be routed in two ways:

open - directly on the ceiling and wall;
closed - using a cable channel.

Depending on the installation method, the following types of cabinet lighting are distinguished:

mortise - built into pre-cut holes. Most often they are placed in canopies and separate sections of furniture. For a decorative function, lighting can be installed on the facade of the product;
overhead – attached in those places where it is necessary. They can be of various shapes - square, round, oval, triangular and rectangular.

If bright lighting is required, it is advisable to use overhead lamps - they are more powerful than recessed ones.

Mortise structures are good to use for decorative purposes, but they are much more difficult to install.

Installation locations of lamps in the closet

It is important to decide on the location where the lighting will be located. There are many options for its installation, depending on the purpose of the installation:

on the doors. Such lighting performs more of a decorative function than a practical one. It can be used not only in a new cabinet - installing lighting on the doors of old furniture can significantly refresh it. As a rule, an LED strip is installed along the contour of the door;
on the shelves of the closet. Lamps on the shelves illuminate their contents. These can be lamps of any type, except halogen ones - they get very hot and can damage things stored on the shelf;
on the tramp rod. This solution allows you to illuminate the most spacious and deep compartment of the cabinet. It is made in the form of one long fluorescent lamp or LED strip;
on the cornice of the cabinet - the protruding upper part of the product. This is a universal option, in which both the space in front of the cabinet and its internal contents are moderately illuminated. Traditionally, cornice lighting is done using several spotlights;
in the lower base of the cabinet - used to illuminate the lower compartments, such lighting is especially relevant for shoe racks.

Illumination installed along the inner contour of the cabinet is gaining popularity - it allows you to illuminate almost the entire depth of the furniture.

Cabinet lighting controls

When choosing a backlight, pay attention to the control method.

Recently, in modern interiors of any premises, people have been trying to emphasize certain design elements with the help of additional lighting. With this design step you can give the room romance, sophistication and unusualness. Often LED strips are used for these purposes.

By installing such lighting in the kitchen, living room or bedroom, you can achieve a visual change in the internal perception of the room. Especially often such lighting is placed on cabinets. This article will help you not only understand how to install LED strip on cabinets, but also what its options are.

Lighting requirements

Any closet, be it kitchen or for clothes, must be sufficiently lit. This will not only increase the ease of use, but also make the space around it safer. How many times have people hit the corners of closets in the dark? And this is due to the fact that cabinets are quite large furniture and usually do not occupy the most illuminated space in the room. At the same time, there is not enough lighting near the cabinet, since it simply blocks the main source of lighting in the room with its size.

Cabinet lighting

Additional lighting, properly installed in the closet, can easily solve this problem and make any space more practical and functional. In this situation, an LED strip will be an excellent solution that will allow you to 100% illuminate such furniture.

Why is this so?

Today, the lighting market is represented by a wide variety of items that can be used to illuminate any cabinet. But the leader in sales is the LED strip, which has a number of advantages that make it a leader among lighting devices. Such lighting is quite common today, especially on cabinets in the kitchen or living room.
Illumination of the interior of the cabinet with LED strip has the following advantages:

availability according to pricing policy. Despite the somewhat high price, the service life and quality of lighting compared to other lighting devices completely outweigh and make this lighting the most popular in the world and in our country;
low power consumption;
long service period. LED backlight will last over sixty thousand hours;
high resistance to frequent switching off and on;
compactness;
high resistance to vibrations and shocks;
huge variety of species;
it is possible to adjust the intensity of the backlight;
low operating voltage;
no heating of the tape elements, which complies with fire safety regulations;
environmental friendliness - no mercury or other toxic substances are used in the production of the lighting device.

The LED strip will serve you for more than seven years. Moreover, her work will be impeccable.
Using an LED strip will allow you to diversify and refresh the interior of the room, as well as advantageously illuminate the interior of the cabinet.

Design solutions

Cabinet selection

Since the cabinets found in our homes come in a wide variety of designs, their lighting also varies. In the interior of the premises, you can use the following additional lighting options:

combination lighting used to highlight cabinets in the house as separate zones. In this situation, you can select all the shelves of the cabinet or just the outline of the product. Used to illuminate kitchen cabinets;
overhead lighting, which allows you to illuminate furniture from above. This solution will be an excellent solution for tall wardrobes in the living room or bedroom;

bottom lighting. It is used very often in the kitchen, when it is necessary to illuminate the workspace above the countertop or work surface located under the wall-mounted kitchen unit.

Bottom lighting

Each of the above interior solutions has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, combining lighting across an entire cabinet means the light is quite strong, which will not be very pleasing to the eye. Here you should choose a low lighting intensity. The overhead lighting is more of a decorative nature. But the lower lighting will not illuminate the entire interior of the cabinet.
Of course, you can easily modify each type to better suit your needs. For example, you can combine lighting with LED strip and spotlights. In addition, you can install the tape on the doors or under the shelves inside the kitchen unit. This will make it possible to illuminate the contents of the cabinet and not waste time searching for the items you need in the kitchen: spices, seasonings, kitchen devices, etc.
In the kitchen, LED lighting is often used in floor cabinets for the pull-out elements of the set, where knives, spoons, forks, etc. are stored.

As you can see, any cabinet or wardrobe can be illuminated using an LED strip and make it more convenient to use.
It should be remembered that there is a fairly wide variety of such lighting. Therefore, for each interior you need to make careful choices to highlight the design, and not make it worse.

Now about the tape

Before you begin installing LED lighting on a cabinet, you need to understand what such a lighting device is. The LED strip is a plastic flexible strip on which LEDs are placed throughout, assembled into a single electrical circuit. It is already ready for use and all you have to do is connect it to the power supply and install it in the right place.

LED strip

In terms of its operational capabilities, such lighting differs in the following parameters:

by color;
by the number of electrical circuits;
by glow intensity;
by the number of LEDs, etc.

Therefore, the choice of such products should be made carefully so that the tape meets your needs and lighting parameters.
To carry out installation correctly and quickly, you must have the following tools:

soldering iron;
double-sided tape;
drill;
scissors.

You will also need the following materials:

the tape itself;
electrical cable having a cross-section of 0.74 mm square;
12W power supply;
a dimmer with a remote control to control lighting parameters (if you want to make the backlight controllable);
solder with rosin;
insulating tape;
aluminum profile. Instead, you can take a PVC corner;
staples.

If you have this set of tools and materials, you can begin installing the lighting yourself.

Installation and its principles

We will not focus on a specific installation example, for example, at the bottom of a cabinet. Let's look at the basic principles of installation, which will give you the opportunity to fix the tape anywhere with your own hands.
LED lighting in its installation contains three main stages:

power supply;
installation of tape;
connection.

Each stage has its own nuances.
At the power supply stage, the following actions must be taken:

power unit

determine the location of the power supply;

Pay attention! The power supply must be freely accessible so that it can be repaired or replaced.

cable installation. Since in this place the power will be minimal, the cross-section should be used at 0.75 square.

Then we proceed to install the tape itself:

cut the tape into pieces of the required length;

Pay attention! Cutting should be done only in places specially designated for this purpose, which are marked on the tape. The marks look like white transverse stripes.

carefully separate approximately 1.5 cm of tape from the silicone coating;
solder 2 cables to the bare contacts;
we isolate contacts;
LED strip has an adhesive backing. Therefore, we simply separate it from the protective film;
Carefully attach the tape to the desired location on the cabinet. We carefully install it without pressing on the surface of the cabinet and, if necessary, trim it. Only after this do we press. You can attach it to a special profile or corner.

Installing the tape

The most responsible and important point here is connecting the tape to the electrical network. The main thing here is not to confuse the polarity of the wires, because this backlight will operate on direct current. Therefore, you need to keep an eye on the “+” and “-” marks. When connecting the wire to the power supply, remember that the “+” sign corresponds to the red wire.
Pay attention! Before connecting the tape, turn off the power in the house to avoid electric shock. It is better to entrust this stage to a specialist or a friend who understands wiring.
We connect the wires according to a parallel circuit. After this, you can connect the system to a dimmer and amplifier. This is necessary in order to be able to change the brightness of the lighting.

After this, your backlight will work as it should. To increase its service life, many experts recommend choosing products that have silicone protection.
Installing an LED strip in a cabinet, subject to the above recommendations and installation steps, will go smoothly and without problems. Good luck in this matter!

Lighting in the kitchen of a small apartment

Well-designed lighting makes our lives much more comfortable. However, there are still places in the house that are not covered by central lighting, such as closet shelves. The far walls always require additional lighting. To allow light to pass freely inside the cabinet, it is better to use glass to make shelves. Such shelves are good because they allow you to view all the contents, even things stored under the ceiling.

"Glowing" shelves

Small, battery-powered, stand-alone lamps are often used to illuminate the far corners of a closet. They are lightweight, and therefore can easily be attached to a piece of double-sided tape. This option is good for furniture with a closed front part or compartment doors.

Lamps

What can you come up with for open glass cabinet shelves? They usually store souvenirs, festive crystal dishes, and elite alcoholic drinks. And all this remains constantly in sight. Dotted “pills” glued to the sides will look out of place here.

We recommend paying attention to LEDs. There are many types of diode strips, they differ in the number and “frequency of landing” of diodes, glow strength, color, and, of course, price. If you do not take complex control systems for “smart” lighting, LED strips can be considered an economical option for lighting design.

LED strips

To illuminate glass shelves, it is best to use flat strips without a protective tube made of transparent silicone. They take up less space and are almost completely hidden behind glass of any thickness. The light from the bulbs passes through the end through the entire canvas and comes out at the other end. It seems that the glass glows on its own and the rays come out of it from all sides. And if there is also an ornament applied around the perimeter of the shelf, it’s absolutely beautiful.

The diodes are very durable - designed for decades of continuous operation, without loss of glow intensity. They consume a small amount of energy, while shining quite brightly and evenly. We are also pleased with the wide range of colors, the likes of which cannot be offered by any analogue lamp. And most importantly, with their help it’s easy to illuminate shelves (including glass ones) with your own hands. So the choice in their favor is obvious.

Installation steps

Well, are you inspired? Let's learn how to install such beauty in our furniture with our own hands. First of all, you need to measure the length of the glass shelves that will be illuminated. This will allow you to determine the meter of the LED strip and calculate the power of the power supply.

If you want the shelves to change color and use strips with colored diodes, you will need a special RGB controller to control this process. It is responsible for the intensity of the light bulbs, the smooth change of colors and allows you to choose the desired mode and glow settings.

LED strips

Edge lighting

It would be a good idea to provide automatic activation of the LEDs when the cabinet doors are opened. This could be a hidden toggle switch that is mechanically pressed when the door leaf is open (such systems are usually used in refrigerators). A short-range motion sensor can also be used. You can easily connect them into a circuit with your own hands.
Depending on where exactly you will mount the lighting, choose a tape covered with or without insulation. It is logical to use insulated diodes in a visible place; unclosed ones are also suitable for “dark walls”. The backlight can also be laid in a special profile with a channel for LEDs. It looks neat and stylish, and will also help greatly simplify assembly and installation.

You should not use diodes that are too powerful - they are usually used to illuminate shop windows and highlight advertising boxes. At home, they will blind you with cold, bright light, and there will be no talk about aesthetics or comfort.

Drill small holes behind each shelf in the back wall of the cabinet - 0.3-0.5 mm will be enough. All wires and plugs are hidden behind the wall or behind the bottom base of the cabinet, or in another convenient place hidden from public view. You can also build an inconspicuous mini-lever or control button into the side wall of the cabinet.

Food shelves

Wires are soldered to each strip, which are then assembled into a single circuit through special connectors (or simply twisted). The control unit and switch are installed. The resulting circuit is connected to a power source: a battery or directly to the network, through an adapter (usually a 12 V adapter is used, with a current of 1 A, but it is better to check with the seller for the technical requirements for specific LED strips).

Subtleties to consider

— It is important to choose the right power supply based on the power that the future LED chain will require. Otherwise, the backlight will be dim, and you will not achieve the desired effect.
First you need to find out the power consumption of the selected diode strip - it is indicated in watts per 1 m of strip. Determine what the total length of the LED segments on the shelves will be. It is imperative to provide at least 25% of the power “reserve” - in excess of the calculated consumption rate. Otherwise, the power supply, operating at maximum power, may quickly fail. Those. the result obtained must be multiplied by a factor of 1.25 (this is our 25%).
The formula looks like this:

Power supply power = tape length (in m) × its power (in W/m) × 1.25 reserve

The voltage of the power supply is selected simply - in accordance with the markings on the tape (12V, 24 V or 36V).
Proper cutting of the tapes is also important - it should not just be done to fit the dimensions of the shelves. Remember, LED strips need to be cut in increments of 3 diodes. If you break this rule, then the neighboring pair of diodes simply will not light up. And it often turns out that the length of the segment is either longer or shorter than the shelf itself, so be sure to take this point into account when choosing a model. Although nothing prevents you from hiding the extra “tail” behind the cabinet trim.
Since the diodes are in direct contact with wooden furniture, and the possibility of fire cannot be ruled out, we recommend covering the junctions between them and the power cable with electrical tape or heat-shrinkable tubing.
When soldering contacts with your own hands, be sure to observe polarity. On the tape, the “plus” is usually marked - we connect a red wire to it, the second contact is “minus”, not marked (and so it is clear), we solder a black wire to it (sometimes there is a blue one).

We draw attention to another important point - each individual diode section is soldered to a separate wire. Consistent connection of segments for all shelves on one wire is unacceptable.

Connecting tapes

All “pieces” going further along the chain will glow less intensely, and the structure itself will fail faster. You have 2 options: connect all the wires together - at the output of the power supply, or supplement the circuit with another block (separate for each tape). Schematically it will look like this:

Connecting strips of tape

As a result, you should end up with a design like this.

Connected tape

Finished goods

Furniture lighting can serve as an additional decorative element. Since the rays of the LED strip, refracting through the glass, create the effect of a shelf floating in space.

Spectacular lighting

Shelves illuminated with LED strip also look great in the kitchen. A romantic atmosphere is guaranteed.

Another model that deserves attention are autonomous spotlights that can be directed to the right place.

Cabinet lighting

Another option is to use two types of backlight simultaneously - LED strip and point diodes.

Combined option

By the way, diode strips can be installed even in refrigerators, where lighting is usually not provided. LED lamps are not susceptible to temperature changes.

Lighting in the refrigerator

Just choose for these purposes tapes in sealed silicone flasks, with a degree of protection not lower than IP67, IP68. The same models that are resistant to humidity and temperature should be chosen for illuminating shelves in the bathroom. You will also need sealed power supplies, although they are more expensive.

LED lighting is an ideal solution for decorating bathroom cabinets. Having filled your bath, you can turn off the central powerful lamp, and, leaving only the lighting of the shelves, relax to your heart’s content.

As you can see, lighting can significantly improve not only the appearance of the furniture, but also the entire room as a whole. And all this beauty can be made with your own hands. Try it, it's not difficult at all.