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—What you are noticing

The under-cabinet lights will not come on

Under-cabinet lights usually fail at the driver or a connection, not at every light at once.

Under-cabinet lights are often a run of low-voltage fittings fed from a driver, switched from a fused spur. When they all go out together, the cause is usually the switch or the driver; when only part of the run is out, it is usually a connection between fittings.

This guide describes what people notice and what is safe to do. It does not diagnose your installation; only someone who has seen it can.

The safe check is the switch and the spur. Confirm the spur is on and its fuse has not gone, and note whether all the lights are out or only part of the run. The driver and the connections behind the cabinets are left to someone who works on electrics.

01In short

The points that matter most

  • All out or part out

    All out points at the switch or driver; part out points at a connection.

  • Check the spur

    The fused spur feeding the lights can be off or its fuse gone.

  • The driver

    A failed driver takes out the whole run it feeds.

02Detail

What the cause usually is

  • Switch or fuse

    The spur is off or its fuse has gone, so the run receives no power.

  • Failed driver

    The driver that converts the supply for the fittings has failed.

  • A loose connection

    One connection between fittings has come apart, taking out the rest of the run.

03Checklist

Before calling

  • Check the switch

    Whether the spur or switch feeding the lights is on.

  • Note how much is out

    All the lights, or only part of the run.

  • Check the fuse

    Whether the spur fuse has gone, if you can check it safely.

—In practice

Putting it into practice

Note whether all the lights are out or only part of the run, because that points at the switch or driver against a connection. Check the fused spur and its fuse, then leave the driver and the connections behind the cabinets to someone who works on electrics.

Common mistakes

Replacing fittings before the driver
A failed driver takes out the whole run of lights, so replacing the fittings one by one fixes nothing.
Opening the driver or junction
The driver and the connections are checked by someone who works on electrics, not opened by hand.

04Questions

Questions people ask

Why have all the under-cabinet lights gone out?
Usually the switch or the driver feeding the whole run. When only part is out, it is usually a connection between fittings.
What is the driver?
The unit that converts the supply to the low voltage the fittings need. A failed driver takes out every light on its run.
Can I replace the fittings myself?
No. The driver, the connections and the supply behind the cabinets should be checked by someone who works on electrics.

05Related

Related guides

This guide sits under troubleshooting. All topics are on the guides page.

—NEXT

Under-cabinet lights out?

Tell us whether all the lights are out or just part. We will check the spur, the driver and the connections.

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