Phantom Lighting System

Phantom TL series xenon linear strip lights are the ideal choice for low voltage undercounter lighting. Equipped with both low voltage transformers and dimmer controls, they can operate at the most minimal of power levels without compromising aesthetic. Phantom TL series linear strips can also be fitted with any number of lamp choices in order to make low voltage kitchen undercounter lighting a true source of luxury lighting. The builder has the option of incandescent, xenon, and a patented new form of LED festoon.

These new LED festoons are the most remarkable development in recent low voltage undercounter lighting technology. Very different from previous generations of low-output and flat color LED bulbs, these new festoon lamps can operate at only 1.7 watts and output the same amount of light as a 5 watt xenon lamp. This represents a power savings in and of itself, on top of the very nature of LED as a luminaire that only requires 40% of the power as incandescent technology. Phantom cabinet lighting fixture technology has also overcome the color temperature limitations of previous technology by adding warm tones to a historically cooler tone lighting source. We have three different selections that can be chosen by architects, builders, and designers. Custom kitchen designers often opt for the warm 2800K LED festoon lamp, which produces xenon-quality luminance and is ideal for granite and marble counters. The cooler color temperatures of 2950K and 5000K are also available.

These LED, low voltage undercounter lights also feature some rather unique technologies in heat reduction. Unlike incandescent bulbs, our festoons are actually a proprietary lamp designed with three led bulbs inside. A special heat sink is built into the festoon that draws the heat of the bulbs backward while light is directed from the lamp forward and downward onto the countertop below. This eliminates practically all forward throw heat, and it allows the homeowner the option of leaving their low voltage kitchen undercabinet lights on indefinitely without the risk of overheating kitchen task areas. In most instances where this is done, however, homeowners prefer to dim the lights at night in order to create a more subdued and elegant effect.

This generates another cost savings when one considers that heat of any kind, and in any amount, will rise to the top of the room. Even something as small as an industry-standard, low-voltage undercounter light can generate enough heat to raise room temperature by several degrees. This will ultimately increase home cooling costs for a room (the kitchen) that is already typically one of the hottest rooms in the house. The dimmability of Phantom low-voltage custom cabinet lights proves an invaluable counteragent to accumulated forward throw heat. This is of particular value to the designer who feels that incandescent and xenon sourcing is still the best choice for his or her decorative scheme. A 5 or even 7 watt xenon bulb can be dimmed to a luminance level that is luxuriously decorative and simultaneously minimal in heat output compared to fluorescent undercabinet lighting.

Lamp life can also be extended by Phantom low voltage undercounter lighting technology. While the lifespan of LED is typically 40,000 lamp hours regardless of the manufacturer or mounting configuration, the noticeable difference that Phantom engineering makes on the lifespan of incandescent and xenon lamps is remarkable. Simply by dimming the cabinet lights, people can expect for their bulbs to last for the maximum anticipated life expectancy, and, in some cases, even a bit longer.

Our undercabinet lighting manufacturing facility is located in Houston, Texas. Feel free to contact us toll free at 800-863-1184 for assistance.

We have a network of nationwide distributorships and Phantom lighting sales reps than fan out throughout all 50 states into cities like Scottsdale, Arizona, Seattle, Washington (SEA), Los Angeles, CA, (LAX) Boston, Massachusetts (BOS), Princeton, NJ (EWR), Philadelphia, PA, Dallas, Texas (DWF), Pasadena, California, Chicago, IL (ORD), Baltimore, MD (BWI), and Minneapolis, MN (MSP).

Phantom TM linear strip lights are the best choice for architects and builders to use in countertop lighting applications. Particularly in custom homes where the kitchen plays a significant role in home value, it is imperative to use the very best fixtures that can be customized to any cabinet design and countertop surface for maximum aesthetic and functionality. Kitchens in these homes almost always feature a high level of customized interior architecture and a deliberately emphasis on the ornamental. This is because the kitchen in today’s custom home has become much more than a place to cook a meal. It has become the hub of entertainment and home society, where everything from family gatherings to neighborhood dinner parties require the very best kitchen cabinet lighting possible.

Countertop lighting in kitchen cabinets is a challenging task in any environment simply because cabinets always block overhead light to a certain degree. Shadows form and make it hard for people to see colors and safely work with knives and other tools. Under cabinet lights have been used for decades now to dispel these shadows and create safer, more attractive work environments. Some, like energy-saving fluorescent, mount underneath the back wall of the cabinet and shine the light forward across the countertop. Other fixtures, such as center-mounted puck lights, shine lights directly down onto the counter from the center of the cabinet above.

Puck lights and fluorescents were not developed for high-end markets, however. Their greatest value lies in energy-savings and utility in small to mid-sized homes in rural areas and suburban subdivisions. They have also found widespread use in many apartments and hotel kitchenettes that require basic countertop lighting. In these environments they often work very well because kitchen counters are usually white, non-reflective surfaces that absorb the majority of light that strikes their surface.

Custom low voltage countertop lighting, on the other hand, is an entirely different manner. Marble and granite surfaces absorb very little light, so anything used to illuminate their surfaces is going to throw out glare in some direction. Linear lighting strips that mount behind the forward lip of cabinets are preferable for this task for two reasons. First, they are concealed in this position and pose no threat to the aesthetic of cabinet design. Secondly, they can direct the light across the counter, sending reflective glare up the back splash. This of course, is provided they are built with the appropriate glare shields that will keep light from shining at a forward angle where it could then reflect back up into the eyes.

Another very important consideration to factor into countertop lighting design is the actual color of the stone work itself. The warmer reds of granite need a cool color temperature light source that will bring out the sharp sense of absolutism that granite has always symbolized. Marble has an even gentler appeal, with swirls and eddies of blue reminiscent of pools of water or even ocean waves. Warm color temperatures work better here because they help differentiate each shade of blue and add an extra golden touch to the white spaces. It helps if the builder can count on having total freedom of choice when it comes to choosing color temperatures.

Phantom TM series linear light strips have been engineered to meet all of the many concerns that architects and builders face when illuminating spaces under cabinets and fine custom stonework. Our TM series strip light is available in 5 different trim styles, with light distribution angles ranging from 88 degrees to 166 degrees. All linear strips have a special patented glare shield that directs illumination down and away from the eyes. Lamping options include incandescent, xenon, and LED festoons in color temperatures that range from the warm LED 2800K lamp to the cool LED or Xenon 5000K lamp.

All linear strips are custom-cut to precise cabinet dimensions, and they can even be painted to match cabinet color on cabinets that have no forward lip on their under surface. Furthermore, all countertop lighting with any of these fixture choices is 100 percent dimmable, allowing the homeowner to control heat output, power consumption, and aesthetics all with one simple control. An added benefit of LED festoon lamps is the patented heat sink that draws forward throw heat away from the lamp, eliminating the need to use the dimmer for heat control. Xenon festoons can be ordered in clear or frosted lenses depending on the sheen, color, and design of the counter top they are lighting.

We manufacture cabinet lighting fixtures in our Houston, Texas facility. A network of nationwide lighting supply sales representatives fans out throughout all 50 states into cities like Scottsdale, Arizona, Seattle, Washington (SEA), Los Angeles, CA (LAX) Boston, Massachusetts (BOS), Princeton, NJ (EWR), Philadelphia, PA (PHL), Dallas, Texas (DWF), Chicago, IL (ORD), Baltimore, MD (BWI), and Minneapolis, MN (MSP). We also service clients internationally, with lighting manufacturer representatives working out of Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America.

We invite you to call a Phantom Agent toll free 800-863-1184 to obtain more information on all of these options. You can also request literature on our Phantom Lighting website, visit our Phantom Lighting mobile website, or read through the many informative summaries and FAQs located on our cabinet lighting blog. All of these resources, including our online virtual lighting showroom contain a wealth of information about our custom; low-voltage lighting products that are the dream come true of art lighting designers and cabinet lighting builders on two major continents.