I'm looking to add some LED lighting to a bookcase (8 shelves), so I wanted to see what kinds of low-profile lighting people might have used on projects.

Wireless options would be great if they have good battery life and all 8 can be controlled with a single remote or app. The current location of the shelves makes plugging in wired lights an easy option too. I was considering the below set of puck lights since they are thin and have relatively long wires. I've also been looking at the varieties that come in a roll and can be cut to various lengths. Shelves aren't built in, so the lights won't be permanently wired in either.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MDOU9W2/ref=sspa_mw_detail_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&th=1

I'm getting ready to put some of the rolled type in my new bookshelves once I'm finished with them. These folks had some pretty good tips.

https://www.viewalongtheway.com/2012/01/let-there-be-fancy-low-watt-high-tech-light/

Used those LED strips for my under cabinet lights and they are awesome. Couldn't recommend them highly enough. I went with the Ustellar from Amazon. Let me know if you have any questions and I would be happy to help. I've installed a few sets myself, between my own kitchen and some friends.

Any tips on soldiering wires to the strips? I've got a number of turns/bends & the standard clamp connections wouldn't do the trick

It's possible, I actually prefer that over the using the connectors. I found that they stopped making a secure connection, causing the lights to flicker. I removed them all and direct soldered the connections instead. It requires a steady hand because the 'pads' on the strip are very small and easy to burn through and close together, so a big bead of solder will cause it to short. After learning those two things it wasn't hard to do.

I've had success tinning both the pad and the wire, then melting the two together. I also used heat shrink tubing around the wire to strip connection to help with strain relief.

Has anyone wired LED accent lights to a switch? I have several lights that I want to install and use the existing electrical and switch. The issue I've had so far is if I wire the switch to an outlet and then plug the LED lights into the outlet, they "reset" whenever you turn them back on. Guess they want constant power to retain settings.

I'd rather not have dummy switches around the house.

Thoughts?

I'll be looking at installing RGB strips above/below kitchen cabinets that can be tied into a 'smart' system. Phillips has the Hue strips, but they are darn pricey.

https://char.gd/blog/2018/building-better-cheaper-philips-hue-led-strips
https://www.howtogeek.com/361560/how-to-make-your-own-philips-hue-lightstrips-for-cheap/

Mine are plugged into a Wemo switch, so I can toggle on/off using the app or use the Echo Dot for voice commands.

tmas said:

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Has anyone wired LED accent lights to a switch? I have several lights that I want to install and use the existing electrical and switch. The issue I've had so far is if I wire the switch to an outlet and then plug the LED lights into the outlet, they "reset" whenever you turn them back on. Guess they want constant power to retain settings.

I'd rather not have dummy switches around the house.

Thoughts?

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Can you find a new power supply that doesn't reset when you take the power away? If it's just a single color, you generally only need the 12V power. Get a cheap PWM dimmer that will work in line and you'll be set if you don't want them on full blast. Connect them to a wifi outlet and boom, you've got smart LED accent lights.