Built in Bar lights suggestions

Devices & Integrations
1

HI Everyone,
Were building a built in bar and want to get some lights in, so probably want to use Puck lights for the glass doors but also want some LED colorful light strips Like Hue or something. Does anyone have any ideas on what products that I can use with Smartthings? I want to get the wiring in before I start, Zwave switch/plugs? anything that i can use with ST. Thanks everyone, any ideas would be great.

2

I have simple incandescent AC puck lights for underneath and on top of my kitchen cabinets that I got from Lowes. I control these lights using a GE Z-wave outlet. Let me know if you want me to post any pictures, which I can do tonight.

http://m.lowes.com/product?langId=-1&storeId=10702&catalogId=10051&productId=3531604&store=0758&view=detail&nValue=4294690586

The bulbs do burn out frequently, but we prefer the yellow light color as opposed to the bluish LED bulbs.

3

The hue strip lights will also work with SmartThings when used with the hue hub.

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4

Thanks Nick, yes can you send some pictures please. Also, did you hard wire the lights to the GE Z-Wave outlet? is there a dimmer or on/off physical switch or just using the app to turn it off and on. Thank you.

5

Thanks Ben, im trying not to go that route because its expensive but I might have to. lol.

6

If you have any SmartApp know-how you can easily control off the shelf LED strip lights like these with the Auduino & ThingShield
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ASHQQKI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00ASHQQKI&linkCode=as2&tag=santcruzsurv-20&linkId=QEAWASOSKKNJG7FJ

ThingShield ($35) + Arudino Uno ($23) +16 foot LED Strips ($25) + N Channel Mosfets ($5)= $88

Friends of Hue 2x 6 foot = $199

Granted…setting “scenes” and “moods” is much more complicated, but sliders for each RGB color is relatively simple.

7

Will do.

[quote=“artworx, post:4, topic:3989”]
Also, did you hard wire the lights to the GE Z-Wave outlet? is there a dimmer or on/off physical switch or just using the app to turn it off and on.[/quote]

Originally I had the lights plug directly into the Z-Wave outlet. I do not have a typical wall switch to control it, but the GE outlet does come with a button on the outlet itself to locally turn it on and off.

Another cool option is if you already have another Z-Wave wall switch controlling a different outlet, you can always use the Double Tap smart app to trigger the cabinet lights.

8

Thanks Brian, that is really cool idea but looks pretty complicated to figure out, but that is a great price. I might just go the expensive route with the hue strips, that will be the easiest way to go.

Nick, really would like to see how you hard wired your cabinet lights to the z-wave outlet. Also, that Double tap is a great idea! I didnt even know you can do that? is the within SmartThings?

9

+ 8 hrs of labor @ $150 per hr = $1288 :smile:

10

Damn, I need a better job! I wish my time was worth that.

11

Take into account that the hue strips are only rgb (no white). If you want “normal” color, they may not be the way to go.

They’re also fairly dim at 150 or so lumens.

I had the same idea for under cabinet lighting and I was a bit disappointed with the hue strips for that purpose.

I repurposed them elsewhere and am looking for another solution.

12

The cabinets have a lip in front and the wires are hidden behind it. All puck lights are wired in parallel and the wires come down to an outlet right next to the fridge so it’s somewhat hidden. I am also running the a branch of the wires between the top cabinets to get to the top lights.

Here’s a video of the setup.

Z-Wave Outlet & Kitchen Cabinet Lights:


The Double Tap SmartApp can be found by clicking the plus button in the ST mobile app and searching for Double Tap.

13

Haha Brian, not saying i am, just dont know how to connect all those boards together I might give it a go if there were only instructions on how to hook it all up… LOL. Thanks Nick for the video, you did a good job. Im trying to gather all these ideas and see which route to go with. Thanks everyone! Really appreciate it.!!

14

Hi, so me doing so much research, (LOL) what do you all think about doing this to work with Hue?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwun-3_eh8k#t=100

Looking towards the bottom of this page he explains how he added RGB LED light strips to work with HUE. Let me know what you think.
http://www.everyhue.com/vanilla/discussion/1108/connecting-two-or-more-lightstrips-/p2

or this is what he said:

So, I desoldered the original lightstrip from the hue controller and simply plugged the leads into an rgb amplifier.

Then I connected a 100w power supply http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/power-supplies/12vdc-enclosed-power-supply/70/

to the rgb amplifier http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/rgb-led-amplifiers/rgb-a4-rgb-amplifier/115/524/

and am using it to drive the two 5 meter strips of the following:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/rgb-bars-and-strips/nfls-rgbx2-series-high-power-rgb-led-flexible-light-strips/1470/.

It all works surprisingly well. Just some wirestripping required to put
the leads in the amplifier and some extra 18 gauge wire to run power to
the amplifier from the somewhat bulky extra power supply. But the good
thing is the new lightstrips are much longer, seem to have just as good a
color range, and are literally 12 times brighter per foot! Luckily
they are much more efficient than the hue lightstrip as well.

Bottom line is that the hue controller makes an excellent generic rgb
controller once desoldered, and can be used to control much brighter and
longer lengths of lightstrips.

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