I have a combination microwave/range hood installed above my range. It has a light on it, which shines down onto the range and is controlled by a button labeled "Surface Light" on the front of the microwave/hood:
I also have under cabinet lights in my kitchen, which I frequently use while cooking. They are on an occupancy sensor switch, so they turn on even when I'm cooking and my hands are full. But because the Surface Light on the hood is a separate control, I rarely bother to turn it on.
I'd like to have the hood's Surface Light turn on automatically whenever the under cabinet lights are on. Is that possible? Or is there some reasonable way to install a new light, wired with the other under cabinet lights, under the hood?
In case it matters, the microwave/hood is a GE JVM7195SFSS. The surface lights are housed under the microwave and are two small halogen bulbs (model WB36X10213). The under-cabinet lights are chainable LED units, hard-wired in 3 spots.
Best Answer
Electrically speaking there is no reason why you can't hook up those lights. But the reason I wouldn't has to do with the warranty of the microwave, and let's suppose you try and connect them up and something gets lost or broken or even worse now the microwave doesn't work. No manufacturer is going to take that microwave back and service it once it has been tampered with. You might be better off just installing a strip of lights attached to your existing under counter lights and be done with it.