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| The kitchen is a unique room because it's a social gathering spot and a workplace. Unfortunately, the place where a lot of prep work is done -- the countertops -- may be shaded by overhanging cabinets, leaving them partially dark. |
This LED light fixture is five times more energy efficient than an incandescent light and it can burn continuously for 60,000 hours. Its low profile will make it virtually invisible under the cabinets. |
A light switch can be installed in place of this unused telephone jack. Step one is to remove the existing telephone jack by unscrewing the cover plate, then removing the screws that hold the jack itself in place. |
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The assembly can be pulled from the box in the wall. Clip the wires connecting to the phone jack.
NOTE: Do not work on your phone lines during an electrical storm. |
Remove the box from the wall. Be sure not to leave any exposed wires in the wall. Wrap the ends of the clipped telephone wires with electrical tape before pushing them into the wall. |
In this example, the wire that will supply power to the LED lights will need to run inside this wall from the basement. Remove the baseboard with a wide-handled wonderbar, or remove the shoe molding at the bottom of the baseboard.
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| Using a long-shaft drill bit, drill a hole into the base of the wall directly underneath the new switch. This hole should exit into the basement directly underneath the center of the wall cavity. |
Before removing the bit, head to the basement and mark the exit location for the drill bit, then go back upstairs and back out the bit. |
In the basement, drill a hole straight up into the wall cavity through the hole you marked, using a large-bore bit, such as this 3/4" bell hanger's bit. |
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| Push one end of a stiff wire called a fish tape into the hole you just drilled and push it straight up, far enough to reach the junction box in the wall upstairs. |
to the end of the fish tape that's in the basement, wrap one end of a Romex electrical wire. Lightly wrap electrical tape around the connection. |
Upstairs, reach into the hole in the wall and pull on the fish tape, drawing the attached cable from the basement up into the kitchen through the hole in the wall. |
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| Cut the tape and cable apart. In the basement, determine how much cable you will need to reach the nearest junction box. Cut the other end of the Romex electrical cable so that it will be long enough to reach. |
In this example, the cable will be run through 3/4" holes drilled in the ceiling joists to keep the wires out of the way. NOTE: If drilling holes larger than 3/4" into a framing member, or if the edge of the hole is 1.5" from the edge of a stud or joist, you must install nailing plates to the edge of the joist or stud that faces into the room to protect the wires.
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At the circuit box, turn off the power to the junction box in the basement that will be supplying power to the lights. In this case, it's the circuit for the garbage disposal. A voltage detector can help you be certain the power is off, if you are unsure. |
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