And all for a tiny little strip of light.
‘Way back in January my older brother sent me some 12v LED lamps, including this diminutive strip for the kitchen. For winter use if nothing else it has proven wise to retrofit the cabin with 12 volt lighting, for times when photons are scarce and it makes sense to turn the inverter right off at night – or, as happened last summer, when the inverter goes tits up and leaves me high and dry.
I already have 12v lights in the reading corner and the sleeping loft, and I recently put one in the powershed, but this one for the kitchen corner was going to take some doing. Stringing the wire inconspicuously wasn’t easy, and brought me into contact with parts of the cabin that haven’t been cleaned since I moved in, so it made a mess I still haven’t entirely cleaned up. But alternatives are good – this ongoing project has frequently caused me to regret not listening to the people who suggested from the beginning that I needed more 12v lighting. It would have been easier to incorporate the wiring into the structure while I was already doing that than to go through all this retrofitting.
ETA: Nice.
Running my 12v lighting in sections as I panel walls. Most of the wire is laid in and sticking out holes in the panel for when I actually get the lamps. LOL. Makes for an interesting look but then, I am hermit too, so not to many visitors. (Actually, zero, but who’s counting. ) I am really loving the newer LED auto replacement bulbs as they work perfectly with the old RV fixtures. Great for the utility closet and actual closet. (Probably a mistake, but my battery room is in my utility closet. ).
Dontcha just love it when you can stay up reading until your eyes are dripping down your cheeks and know that you might have only pulled the batteries down a tenth of a volt.
Dio, your utility closet is outside your living area? Because outgassing batteries and eyes dripping down cheeks…
Not sure just what kind of system you have installed but I’ll relate an experience I had with LED lights. Wife and I have a 5th wheel trailer that has a lot of lights in it. Last summer I bought a pack of two dozen LED light bulbs and went through the trailer changing out the incandescents to the LED types. I ran out of bulbs but still managed to change out 24 of the incandescents. After I’d made the change, I turned on every single fixture that had the LED installed and hooked my multimeter up to the battery. The digital read out dropped .01 volts about every ninety seconds. I left all the lights on for probably eight hours and still dropped only about .5 volts. I use a pair of 6 volt golf cart batteries purchased at Costco. The fixture cover stays at room temp and the light is really bright. Before the season starts, I’m going to get another pack and change out the last few incandescents and be done with it as they are supposed to last about forever. The dual bulb fixtures on amazon aren’t cheap-something like $15 per but they give off lots of light, no heat, and practically no drain on the battery.
Joel, perhaps a short primer on 12 volt lighting, or a link to a reference for it? Looking at a major remodel for summer, and if it’s feasible adding circuitry for 12V LEDs I think I’d like to include it as an adjunct to the existing 115V romex. I see value in things like strategically located very low amperage wall sconces driven by the solar-fed batteries planned to support the new 12V SunDanzer freezer and fridge.
Dio, if your batteries are in your living space please please please right this minute get them outside into a ventilated enclosure of their own far enough away that an explosion won’t damage your dwelling. And get yourself full battery acid rated PPE including boots.
Your paper towel roll throws a huge shadow! On the other hand, you will have no trouble finding it as long as that light is on.
True and true. In fact it’s uncomfortably bright with the light on. I can’t really relocate it, but am thinking of moving it back a bit.