Phantom Lighting System

What is xenon under cabinet lighting?
Xenon under cabinet lights is technically a form of incandescent lighting, although they are classified separately because they utilize a specific type of gas—xenon—to produce a superior level of light.

Xenon under cabinet lights have an uncanny ability to render color with exquisite detail. They bring out the richness and depth of warm colors, and they make for an ideal lamping option for any under cabinet lighting application that requires a blend of task and decorative appeal.

Xenon in cabinet lighting has become very popular due to the increasingly sophisticated detail we find in rooms that feature cabinets. The custom home industry has enlarged traditionally smaller and exclusively functional rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms into spacious, more heavily decorated areas.

Marble and granite counter tops have consequently become very popular, and nothing renders the depths of dark blues and reds underneath a cabinet quite like xenon light.

Are incandescent lights equally effective?
In some settings, they are. The key is the “warmth” of the color scheme.

Incandescents produce a steady distribution of very whit light and work very well when lighting cool color schemes such as white or off white counter tops. They are also very good for small kitchens and bathrooms

Don’t incandescents and xenons use a lot of electricity?
Not if they are configured on a low voltage strip lighting fixture.

Incandescent technology became very cost effective when low voltage transformers replaced the magnetic ballasts of previous fluorescent housings, rendering a 120V lamp a 12V power saving device.

Low voltage lighting systems can also help extend incandescent bulb type up to 7,500 hours, minimizing replacement costs as well as electrical costs.

Is halogen under cabinet lighting better than xenon?
It is not a question of better so much as it is a matter of what is appropriate to the environment. Halogens under cabinet lights, like xenon, are very powerful and produce very good color rendering.

They burn extremely hot, however, and they have a much shorter bulb life—only 2,000 hours maximum.

They work best in small, ornately decorated kitchens and bathrooms because they produce excellent decorative lighting that is also very bright. The lights are never on for very long, but when they are, they make wallpaper and decorations stand out and provide clear visibility for guests.

Do under cabinet lighting manufacturers still make fluorescent fixtures along with xenon, incandescent, and halogen?
Yes. Fluorescents will probably never completely disappear. They still have their place in the industrial world today, but over the years, newer and more efficient technologies have replaced them in more aesthetically conscious environments.

The greatest contribution fluorescents have made to under has been in terms of physical design. The original fluorescent task lights served as the prototype for today’s linear strip lights.

However, physically housing a transformer within the unit itself resulted in a bulkier unit that could only fit under the back of the cabinet and throw the light forward

The Latest and Greatest is found at Phantom
Over the years, low voltage strip lighting manufacturers such as Phantom developed technology that allowed them to remove the low voltage transformer from the unit housing to a concealed, remote location.

Under cabinet xenon, incandescent, and led strip lights can now be installed at the front of the cabinet, throwing the light backward away from the eyes and creating an evenly distributed “wash” of light over counter tops and appliances.

Phantom engineering completely conceals all visible wiring and creates the appearance of sourceless light.

Xenon low voltage under cabinet lighting strips by Phantom are some of the most advanced and streamlined accent lighting tools on today’s market. Custom-manufactured to exact cabinet dimensions, Phantom linear strips remain hidden from normal viewing angles and provide superior light distribution and glare reduction through patented lamping designs and glare shields found nowhere else in the world.

Call an Agent now at 1-800-863-1184 to learn more about Phantom under cabinet lighting with xenon, led, and incandescent in 12V and 24V configurations.

Phantom Agents receive many calls from lighting designers and electrical contractors wanting to know how best to install our linear strips as low voltage under cabinet lights. Designers in North, Central, and South America encounter a wide range of commercial and residential environments that require not only custom fixtures, but a specialized understanding of magnetic transformers, lamping options, and bulb types to remain competitive in budgetary bidding situations.

Low voltage under cabinet lights manufactured by Phantom are ideal for cost-conscious clients because they are innately power saving in nature and aesthetically superior due to their ease of concealment.

The following are some frequently asked questions our Agents normally receive in regards to 12v under cabinet lights.

We have a lot of clients who request low voltage puck lights or fluorescent under cabinet lights specifically. How can we propose Phantom as an alternative?

The key selling point would be the angle of lighting incident and the ease of concealment. Fluorescent lights shine forward and often send light straight into the eyes. Phantom lighting strips direct the light backward.

Our smaller magnetic transformers also make for easy installation and concealment, so they are much less visible than obtrusive puck lighting fixtures.

If concerns over quality are raised, please refer to any number of technical documents that indicate how low voltage LED festoon replacement lamps are equivalent in energy consciousness to fluorescents and just as effective, if not superior, sources of light.

What do you recommend as low voltage under cabinet lights in residential kitchens?
That depends on the warmth of the color scheme. As a general rule, it is best to light cooler colors with cooler colour temperatures, and to light warmer colors with warmer colour temperatures.

Incandescent light works best with cooler colors, whereas xenon works ideally with bright and/or warm colors.

You can really impress your prospective clients with custom marble and granite counter tops with a low voltage under cabinet lighting strip fitted with xenon festoons.

In commercial break room kitchens, you can install low voltage lights to replace the uncomfortable glare of fluorescents and maintain energy savings for your corporate clients. They will appreciate you greatly for making their in-house dining area more attractive to employees who are typically late getting back to work when they leave the building for lunch.

Does Phantom sell puck lights?
No, but we are willing to recommend some online sources. We also readily admit that there are times when puck lights do the job best. This is normally when are no reflective metal surfaces directly under the cabinet. Puck lights also work better under very large cabinets. This prevents the circle of light they create from appearing larger than the cabinet itself.

For smaller cabinets, or for cabinets that have metal appliances directly beneath them, consider low voltage kitchen cabinet lights by Phantom. As we have previously noted, our lamps point back toward the wall and direct the light away from any highly reflective, large appliance positioned directly beneath them.

Are Phantom strip lights dimmable?
Yes. Extremely cost-sensitive clients are often sold on this point alone. They like the fact that Phantom lighting used with Lutron dimmers give them direct control of how brightly the light shines and how much voltage it uses.

Does Phantom provide any special technology that can give our company a competitive edge against other firms?
We have the most sophisticated LED festoon lamps in the world, and we actually hold patents on their design. LED bulbs on any lighting system will require only 20% the electricity required by incandescent and xenon bulbs. When you subsequently install LED festoons on a low voltage, 12v under cabinet light fixture, the power savings are further multiplied to the client’s maximum advantage.

Our lamps output 50 lumens of light per unit—the highest output of any LED festoon on the market. We also can fit low voltage LED under cabinet lights with your client’s choice of five colour temperatures which range from white, functional light to specialty, colored lighting for decorative displays and showcases. This makes them equivalent to xenon in aesthetics at significantly less expense.

Click here to get in touch with a Lighting Agent with any additional questions that have come to mind. We will offer our best insight on a complimentary basis to all inquirers. You can also contact the factory at 800-863-1184.

In spite of the superior decorative appeal and lighting control that newer forms of under cabinet lights offer, fluorescent bulbs to this day remain the very best sources of light in work areas where very bright light is needed for maximum productivity and safety.

They offer a unique combination of high light output levels and relatively low electrical consumption. As such, they are very cost effective for industrial clients operating on a tight budget.

Most factories are very large and are lit by large overhead metal halide or fluorescent lights provided by commercial lighting manufacturers. The height of the ceiling and the cubic square footage of the facility (known as the vertical cube) have a tendency to diminishing even the brightest illumination as it comes down from the ceiling. The higher the ceiling, the dimmer the light tends to be. Also, higher ceilings also allow more opportunity for obstructions to block light altogether in certain parts of the room.

Any piece of equipment, rafter, or storage rack can cast shadows over assembly lines and highly skilled work areas. This creates more than an annoyance—it creates a work hazard and potential liability for the company.

Because these areas often contain storage cabinets above workspace, installing fluorescent under cabinet lights offsets diminished and blocked overhead lighting and allows workers to see clearly without hurting themselves or making mistakes.

Does Phantom Make Fluorescent Strip Lights?
No, but as a conscientious lighting manufacturer with a strong emphasis on consulting, we always seek to educate our clients in what their best options are. Generally, we tend to steer people away from using fluorescent under cabinet display lighting in kitchens within the home. Other types lamps provide a more aesthetically balanced and comfortable level of light that blends better with kitchen, living room, fine art, and bathroom lighting design.

However, homes are not the only places where you find kitchens and kitchenettes. Construction trailers, factories, warehouses, RV’s, camping trailers, and modular buildings often use food preparation areas to provide people in these facilities with the option of dining in and saving money. Many such kitchens, although in small buildings, have a high level of sunlight coming in through large windows that can cast shadows over counter tops. Fluorescent under cabinet lights are ideal for settings such as this because their higher lumens output overcomes shadows very effectively and also blends well with the natural brilliance of sunlight.

Are there any places residential environments where fluorescent under the cabinet lights still offer better lighting?
Yes. In tool sheds and work benches on porches where overhead cabinets contain tools or raw materials, placing a puck light, low voltage festoon light or linear fluorescent strip above the bench is the best way to clearly illuminate the surface of the work area…especially when working with power tools at dusk, in shaded areas, and especially after sunset.

Under cabinet fluorescent fixtures also work very well in laundry rooms and utility rooms where decorum is not an issue, and when activity within the room may occur at any hour of the day or night?

Is there any decorative use for fluorescent under the cabinet lighting?
Jewelry stores often use showcase lighting for diamonds and other gemstones in glass cases lit bit specialty under cabinet fluorescent lighting. This helps merchandise the jewelry more effectively by causing it to sparkle.

Too much sparkle, however, can create glare, which is why many stores are now choosing to use Phantom LED display lighting, which uses even less power than fluorescent lamps and creates a glare free sparkle that also can be “colored” for special effects with different types of LED light bulbs.

Visit our lighting blog to read more about other lamping technologies that offer cabinet lighting levels complimentary to both task and function in areas that do not require fluorescent as an absolute must for clear visibility and safe activity.