Electrical and Lighting Systems for Kitchens
Name: ________________________________
The kitchen designer needs to have a "working vocabulary" of electrical terms
in order to communicate with clients, suppliers and installers. Questions 1-3
are about common electrical terms.
1. Select the best definition for "Ampere”
1. A measure of the amount of electrical energy "consumed" or used.
2. Unit by which electrical usage is metered.
3. Unit of measure for the flow of electrical current.
4. Unit of measure for electrical pressure.
2. Select the best definition for "volt."
1. Unit of measure for the rate of electrical flow.
2. Unit of measure for electrical pressure.
3. A measure of the amount of electrical energy "consumed" or used.
4. A device for breaking the flow of electric current.
3. Select the best definition for "watts."
1. A measure of the amount of electrical power.
2. Unit of measure for the electrical rate of flow of current.
3. A type of electrical outlet.
4. Unit of measure for electrical pressure.
4. In a kitchen addition, the wiring is carried in a three-wire cable. The wires are
color coded. The electrician says the black wire is "hot" and the white wire is
"neutral." What does this mean?
1. The hot wire is electrically live and carries current, while the neutral wire is
used to ground the circuit.
2. The hot wire carries current to the receptacle and the neutral wire carries
current back from the receptacle to the service panel to complete the circuit.
3. The hot wire is electrically live and carries 120 volt current, while the neutral
wire is only used when a 240 volt or "double circuit" is needed.
4. The neutral wire carries current to the receptacle, the hot wire carries current back
from the receptacle to the service panel, to complete the circuit.
5. As part of her job site inspection for a kitchen addition, Designer P checks the
service panel in the house. What will she be looking for to help her with planning
the addition?
1. The total amperage of the electrical service.
2. The location of the service panel in relation to planned changes in the existing
walls.
3. The number of additional branch circuits that could be added to the service
panel.
4. All of the above.
6. Each circuit in a house's wiring system has a maximum capacity, which is typically
20 amperes. The number of circuits needed is determined by the total electrical
requirements of the household. The following factors are used to determine the
electrical capacity needed except:
1. the total number of receptacles in the kitchen.
2. the total wattage of lighting planned.
3. the total power demand of small appliances that might be used at the same
time, such as a coffee maker, toaster and electric fry pan.
4. the size wiring to be used in the branch circuits.
7. Conduit, non-metallic sheathed cable (Romex) and armored cable are different
types of electrical wire. The choice of these wires is related to the local code
requirements and the preference of the electrician. It is not of concern to the
designer. Do you agree?
1. Yes, it is a moot point because armored cable is the only type of wiring used in high
electrical demand areas such as kitchens.
2. Yes, there really are no differences in the use of these wires.
3. No, differences in the flexibility, cost and ease of installation can affect both the time
schedule and cost of a project that requires new wiring.*
4. No, because the designer should always specify conduit because it is safer and less
expensive to install.
8. Designer W is working on a kitchen remodeling in an older home. The kitchen
design will add the following new appliances, which require additional wiring:
dishwasher, food waste disposer, microwave oven and an under cabinet radio. In
addition, Designer W is recommending the addition of two new appliance circuits
for use with portable appliances, such as the coffee maker or food processor.
What is the total number of new appliance circuits that will be required in the
kitchen?
1. 5
2. 4
3. 3
4. 2
9. Designer P is planning a new kitchen that is part of a "great room" that includes
eating and family living areas. One request of the client is an am/fm stereo system
in the kitchen. Designer P carefully checks the lighting and electrical plan for the
whole "great room" area. Why?
1. Designer P wants to be sure to specify only incandescent rheostat switches
designed to reduce static in radio reception.* page 13
2. Designer P wants to know if one of the lighting circuits has extra electrical
capacity to power the stereo system.
3. The stereo system will require a dedicated circuit and this must be shown on
the service panel.
4. If there is any low-voltage lighting planned, it could interfere with radio
reception.
10. Select the best definition for "GFCI."
1. Common trade name for electrical wire.
2. A safety device which breaks the flow of electricity whenever the circuit
becomes overloaded.
3. Connection between the electrical system and earth.
4. A safety device which opens the circuit in case of an imbalance, cutting off the
electricity.
11. Refer to Figure 4.1 which is a basic kitchen layout. How many receptacles would
you place along the backsplash for use with small appliances?
1. 6
2. 4
3. 2
4. 1
12. The output of a light bulb is measured in:
1. lumens.
2. footcandles.
3. candelas.
4. kilowatt hours.
13. Designer P has clients that cannot decide on specific wall finishes, flooring or
countertop materials. As a result, Designer P cannot finish planning the lighting
system. Why?
1. Reflected light from the room's surfaces is related to the surface's color and
gloss, and affects the total amount of light needed in the room.
2. Designer P cannot tell whether to use incandescent or fluorescent light
without knowing the color scheme of the room.
3. If light, glossy colors are chosen, Designer P will need to increase the amount
of lighting to compensate for absorbed light.
4. All of the above.
14. All of the following statements are true about incandescent light sources except:
1. Incandescent lamps produce heat.
2. Incandescent lamps produce a Warm color light.
3. Incandescent lamps are very energy efficient light sources.
4. Most incandescent lamps have screw type bases.
15. Although R lamps often have a lower lumen per watt rating than comparable
standard A lamps, they can be a more energy-efficient choice. Why?
1. Once the R lamp is heated, it draws fewer watts and produces light more
efficiently.
2. The light is reflected or directed toward the front of the lamp and thus, a
smaller wattage bulb can usually be used.
3. R lamps are available with a ballast in the base of the bulb which will increase
the amount of light produced.
4. R lamps are fluorescent lights which do not use a filament to produce light.
16. Designer W is recommending low-voltage halogen light for a kitchen renovation.
All of the following statements are characteristic of low-voltage halogen lighting
except:
1. The halogen bulb is much smaller than comparable incandescent bulbs.
2. Low-voltage halogen lighting is more energy efficient than standard
incandescent lighting.
3. Halogen bulbs are long lasting.
4. Low-voltage halogen light fixtures can be operated by standard wall switches.
17. Designer W is unsuccessful in convincing his clients (discussed in question 16)
to choose low-voltage halogen light. So, now they are discussing fluorescent light
for the kitchen renovation. The client is afraid the light will look "institutional" and
limit the design possibilities. What can Designer W tell his clients to support his
recommendation?
A. Rapid start fluorescent lights come on immediately, just as incandescent
lights, and have no flicker.
B. Fluorescent lights come in a variety of shapes and sizes, some of which can
be adapted for use in screw-type incandescent fixtures.
C. Fluorescent fixtures are available with dimmer switches.
D. Fluorescent lamps are available which produce light with a color that is
flattering to skin tones.
E. Fluorescent lighting is more energy efficient than incandescent lighting.
1. A,B,E
2. C,D
3. A, B, D, E
4. all of the above
18. Designer P's clients came to her office to select colors for countertops and wall
paint to coordinate with the new plumbing fixtures in their remodeled kitchen. As
work on the job neared completion, Designer P was horrified to discover that the
colors of the countertops and wall paint appeared to "clash" with the sink.
What is a probable explanation?
1. The countertop material was exposed to sunlight during the construction
process and had faded.
2. The kitchen had fluorescent lighting, which has a lower color temperature and
distorts the apparent colors of materials.
3. Designer P's office had a different lighting system than the kitchen and the
Color Rendition Index of the two lighting systems was quite different.
4. Cannot offer an explanation with the information given.
19. Figure 4.2 is an example of:
1. accent lighting
2. task lighting
3. general lighting
4. ambient lighting
20. Designer W's first kitchen design (a remodeling) was well-lit with soft diffused
light - but was "dull." What important lighting principle did Designer W forget?
1. Areas of high contrast are needed in rooms to minimize eye fatigue.
2. Even levels of light will produce glare.
3. Some variation in brightness levels is needed to provide some sensory
stimulation to the room's occupants.*
4. All of the above.
21. In planning the brightness relationships in a kitchen lighting scheme, the designer
should think in terms of three zones:
1. Brightness, contrast, glare
2. Intellectual, escape and productivity zones
3. Task, surrounding area and general space*
4. Display area, architectural fixtures and decorative areas
23. Recessed lighting fixtures can sometimes create problems for designers and
their clients. All of the following are common, problems with recessed
incandescent lighting fixtures except:
1. The single direction of the light beam means that higher wattage lamps or
extra fixtures will be required to achieve needed light levels.
2. The Alzak-style fixtures, which are more energy efficient, cannot be used for,
recessed lighting.*
3. Heat in the attic can be a problem requiring special installation features.
4. Recessed fixtures should be located so that they would not be directly over the
head of a person seated at a table or, counter.
24. Lighting a kitchen countertop to the level of 50 footcandles is the result of the
interaction of a number of factors. Which of the following would be included?
A. The lumen output of the light sources.
B. The footlamberts of light that are reflected by the surfaces in the room.
C. The color temperature of the light sources.
D. The distance of the light source from the kitchen countertop.
E. The type of ballast used with the luminaire.
F. The CRI of the light source.
G. The type of light fixture selected.
1. A, B, C, F
3. A,B,D,G
2. A,C,G*
4. All of the above