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I have three Kichler 18W 12.8V under cabinet lights and the transformers have gone bad on two. Kirchler will not sell replacements but will sell me new lights for $100 each. I can replace these with 18W fluorescent fixtures for $15 each and plan to do so. I have three questions:

1) Can I use the low voltage wire in place (I assume they are better than standard romex) or do I need to replace it?

2) Can I leave a still working Kichler LV light at the end of the run and then replace it when it craps out?

3) Is there any reason I can't connect three standard fluorescent fixtures inline when they were not manufactured to be connected that way?

Low voltage wire can NOT be used to carry standard 110V house current. The insulation is not rated for the higher voltage. Why not replace the three fixtures with standard flourescent fixtures and run new wire while you are at it.
As an alternative would a 12.8 VAC transformer from Radio Shack be sufficient to power the 18 watt fixtures? 12.8 VDC times 2 amps is about 25 watts so a reasonable sized wall wart transformer might work. Some of the wall transformers output 12 VAC and some have 12 VDC outputs. Look at the original to see what the output is.

I do not follow your remark about "concreted". Do you mean that the lights are some how mounted in concrete?

Bill V

PS one more thought would be to get a 12.8 VDC power supply from Radio Shack and run all three lights from the one power supply. The supply could be mounted above the cabinets (if AC is nearby) and the low voltage wire used to carry the voltage to each of the fixtures. All three fixtures would wired in parallel and powered by the common transformer. A transformer with about 6 amps current capability should work.

I assume "concreted" was meant to be "connected" (?). If you are asking if three fluorescent fixtures can be connected in series (ie one after another, daisy-chained on the same circuit), yes, they definitely can. But as noted above, all such fixtures need to be wired together with romex cable.

db5 wrote:I have three Kirchler 18W 12.8V under cabinet lights and the transformers have gone bad on two. Kirchler will not sell replacements but will sell me new lights for $100 each. I can replace these with 18W fluorescent fixtures for $15 each and plan to do so. I have three questions:

1) Can I use the low voltage wire in place (I assume they are better than standard romex) or do I need to replace it?

2) Can I leave a still working Kirchler LV light at the end of the run and then replace it when it craps out?

3) Is there any reason I can't connect three standard fluorescent fixtures inline when they were not manufactured to be concreted that way?

Kirchler model????

JPG40504 wrote:Kirchler model????

I assume he meant Kichler Lighting:
http://www.kichler.com

db5 wrote:3) Is there any reason I can't connect three standard fluorescent fixtures inline when they were not manufactured to be concreted that way?

If the fixtures have plug-in cords, they should NOT be daisy-chained, if that is what you're asking. The internal wiring for a corded fixture is sized for a single fixture. When daisy-chained, each fixture needs to carry the current for all fixtures in the chain.

Ken

dgale wrote:I assume he meant Kichler Lighting:
http://www.kichler.com

Yes, but what MODEL????

JPG40504 wrote:Yes, but what MODEL????

Model # K10580 and K10581 http://www.kichler.com/consumer/products/detail/10580WH

http://www.kichler.com/consumer/products/detail/10581WH
I edited the original message. Re. connecting in series: the fluorescent fixtures are made to be hard wired (no plug in cord) but don't have a knock-out for linking them. I can't think of a reason I can't link them but wanted some expert advise. Thank you all for replies. I look forward to getting this fixed soon.

I probably could ask how to perform brain surgery on myself and would get a qualified person here who would either tell me how or that it was above my pay grade.

I see no reason that fluorescent fixtures made to be hardwired to 110VAC can't be daisy-chained. It is odd there are no knockouts but I can't see any reason you can't do it anyway. When you run the romex into the first fixture, attach each wire to both the same fixture wire (ie black to black, white to white, ground to ground) and also the romex wire that will head to the next fixture. This way you're never having the fixture wiring itself carrying the load for the subsequent fixtures but rather it's always carried in the romex.

Use good quality, properly sized wire nuts (I'm a fan of "Gorilla Nuts" FWIW) and I'd probably wrap each connection in some electrical tape as well to keep everything together. Normally a fixture like this would have clamps in the knockouts to clamp the incoming and outgoing romex so things don't get accidentally tugged apart.

OK here's where I get myself in trouble. The Kircher website is a bit confusing.
In one section it states that the fixture voltage is 12.5 V. It also states in one section that the fixture is 18.5 watts and in another it states that the fixture uses three xenon bulbs with with a dissipation of 18.5 watts each and this would put the fixture at 56 watts each. I am assuming that the fixture consumes 18.5 watts total which I would consider to be reasonable. Where is the voltage dropping circuit located, in the fixture or in the line cord?
I will also make the assumption from the website that the voltage dropping device is delivering low voltage AC to the fixture because of the hi/low setting on the switch. Most of these type of devices insert a diode in the voltage path to achieve the "low" setting by clipping one half of the AC waveform.
Bill