Phantom Lighting System

Many home builders install rope lights for kitchen under cabinet lighting whenever a cost effective, indirect lighting source is needed in the kitchen. Generally speaking, this light is adequate for complimentary illumination of small, simple kitchens, but it does not provide the type of high-end low voltage lighting or lighting control necessary to light today’s more sophisticated, larger kitchen frequently found in a custom home. Most rope lights do not feature the specification grade required to truly optimize color rendering and light distribution over counter tops. Consequently, they not only burn out more quickly than linear lighting sources, in larger kitchens, they often create striations and accentuate wall variances, reflecting an uneven distribution of light.

Installing linear lighting strips under kitchen cabinets will correct this problem, provided that the fixture used resides under the front end of the cabinet and directs the forward throw light back and away from the eyes. This creates reflection off both the surface of the posterior wall beneath the cabinet and the surface of the counter top itself. When the under cabinet lights or inside cabinet lights installed are also dimmable, and the correct lamps are fitted to the fixture, the reflection diffuses as a “wash” of light that evenly covers visible surfaces without creating “white spots” or glare.

It is very important to consider overall aesthetic when replacing rope lights or fluorescent under cabinet lights and installing task lights in your kitchen. Larger linear light strips may be clearly visible to people seated at a nearby table who are looking into the kitchen from an angle. Install under cabinet lights in these places that will seamlessly blend into the under surface of the cabinet, or even better, completely hide themselves from open view.

Lamping options should be chosen next, and should be oriented toward complimenting the color and texture of the kitchen counter top. Custom kitchens in today’s larger homes frequently have marble or granite countertops, both of which can be enhanced with a near 3-dimensional appearance when illuminated with a linear light source installed underneath kitchen cabinets. The choice of lamps that you fit to these fixtures will depend upon the color of the cabinet itself. Cooler colors like white and off white look much better under an incandescent undercabinet kitchen light installed with a dimmable control. Phantom linear strips are ideal for this form of kitchen under cabinet lighting because feature smaller, concealed transformers that allow for end users to set the light at whatever level necessary.

Likewise, darker counter tops such as deep red granites and dark blue marble/white finishes look superb under a linear light source that produces a slightly warmer colour temperature. If the counter top you are lighting features dark reds or blue, or an almost “purple” look to the coloring, install kitchen fixtures that are fitted with xenon under cabinet lighting. This will generate a luxurious, slightly golden aura of light that gently penetrates the lighter colored areas of granite and marble and enriches the darker swirls of blue and deep red with an ornate touch.

Although both xenon and incandescent light sources consume a great deal of electricity, this can be offset by using Phantom low voltage lighting strips that minimize electrical consumption. Further savings can be generated by investing now in LED under cabinet kitchen lights. As new legislation requires that incandescent technology be replaced no later than 2010, it might be best to invest now instead of later in the world’s newest and most promising source of LED energy saving lighting or environmentally friendly LED custom cabinet lights.

Call a Phantom Agent for more information on all of these options. We invite you to call toll free 800-863-1184 to request literature online or visit our lighting blog to learn more about Phantom custom low voltage lighting products.

Our lighting manufacturing facility is located in Houston, Texas with professional lighting sales agents located throughout the United States that enable us to service all of Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America and the United States including Washington DC, Nashville Tennessee, Las Vegas Nevada. Portland Oregon, Oklahoma City Oklahoma, Tucson Arizona, Los Angeles California, Atlanta Georgia, Dallas Texas and Sacramento California.

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.

Why do so many under cabinet lights produce so much glare?

Lower grade commercial linear strip lights are usually manufactured with insufficient glare shielding. Many use frosted lenses intended to soften the intensity of the light and minimize excessive. While they do a good job in keeping the light below levels that would actually blind a person, they do not provide sufficient shielding to completely eliminate the indirect glare that that can reflect off of granite, marble, or metal surfaces. Phantom strip lighting, on the other hand manufactures under cabinet lights that eliminate both direct and indirect glare altogether. Unlike some puck lights that are partly visible, Phantom strips are so compact they lie completely hidden from view. We do not use frosted lenses on our lamps because they create too much of a “fuzzy” look to the light. Instead, we use glare shields specifically engineered to anticipate the wise variety of counter tops in custom homes and commercial environments. This completely eliminates glare while maintaining optimal clarity. As a commercial under cabinet lighting manufacturer, we take hiding the light source very seriously.

Why do some under cabinet lights actually shine light into your eyes?

Larger fixtures cannot support their own weight in many cases without the “back rest” of the wall, thus creating the forward throw of annoying, excessive light. Phantom is a lighting manufacturer of under cabinet lighting strips to more efficiently mount beneath the front end of the cabinet underbelly. Our engineers can design this feature into our strip lighting due to their extremely compact size. Our lights, by contrast, strategically angle the light from the front of the cabinet onto the workspace. Our unique lamping designs create a more ambient pattern of luminosity that cascades downward in an even layer of light that is clear but not blinding. This creates a preferred status for Phantom as an under cabinet lighting manufacturer in commercial, residential, and even industrial domains. Not only do we provide superior positioning and lighting, but we offer some of the most cost-effective lighting technology available anywhere in the world.

Phantom manufacturers under cabinet lighting fixtures with several lamping options that save clients on power costs.

Our entire linear low voltage strip light series are manufactured as either 24VAC or 12VAC products. In simple terms, this means higher-end lighting lamps such as xenon that normally consume greater amounts of electricity by design now use less power when installed on a Phantom transformer. Larger fixtures cannot support their own weight in many cases without the “back rest” of the wall, thus creating the forward throw of annoying, excessive linear strip. We also offer UC or task lights with incandescent bulbs for more standard kitchen and break room lighting, and we have recently introduced superb LED replacement lamps that can competitively match quality to industry mainstay light sources at only 80% of the power consumption rates of previous technology. This allows you to replace LED puck lights that often create an eyesore without sacrificing on power savings.

Lighting agents are available throughout United States, Canada, Central America and South America to consult personally with individuals and commercial entities on an infinite number of customization that make our team of under cabinet light manufacturers the most personable group of customization and design experts in lighting engineering.

We invite you to learn more about Phantom Lighting and our patented, proprietary cabinet and display lighting we manufacture.

What is Under Cabinet Lighting?

Under cabinet lighting is a form of illumination using fixture installed on the underside of the cabinet. Counter tops and food preparation need an evenly distributed field of light rather than hot spots of light that appear brighter than the rest of the work area. Ideally as well, the fixture(s) used in kitchen under cabinet lighting should minimize their physical presence and conceal physical wiring as much as possible

What are the most cost effective forms of under cabinet lighting?

Until recently, the most energy conscious under cabinet lighting was fluorescent lights. People never really preferred them to incandescents because of the glare and flicker. Today, better circuit designs and superior fixtures have since made it possible to use incandescent and LED bulbs in under cabinet lighting fixtures. Low voltage lighting technology can also make any bulb type less of a power hog.

The ultimate goal in choosing the right fixture has now moved toward producing optimal lighting levels for work areas and creating balance and comfort with surrounding layers of light.

What are the different types of cabinet lights available?

Under cabinet lights are categorized as either puck lights or linear strip light products. Puck lights are circular in shape and mount in the center of the cabinet’s under side.

Linear strips mount underneath either on the front end or the back end of the cabinet. Until recent years, linear strip lights contained fluorescent lamps designed to create an even spread of light and reduce energy costs at the same time. Both types of fixtures present certain drawbacks when it comes to optimal under cabinet lighting.

If a puck light is installed in the center of the cabinet underside, it will create a bright circle of light called a “hot spot” immediately beneath itself. By design, surface mount puck lights require exposed wires that may be appear unsightly to visitors. If sitting at tables, banquets or bar stools, one’s viewing angle changes and provides a clear view of these light sources. The only way to compensate for this is to install several of smaller puck lights in a series or consider using 12 volt home lighting.

Why do this if you can use a strip light?

In fact, with only rare exceptions, LED linear strip lights for under cabinet generally provide the best levels and distribution of light all around. Fluorescent under cabinet lighting will fit the bill in many respects, but they will also create glare and seldom come with dimmable functionality. Another drawback presents at the point of installation. Fluorescent strips are typically mounted near the back wall with the light thrown forward; putting too much illumination into a person’s eyes.

Phantom strips for under cabinet lighting offer a number of advantages over both fluorescent strips and puck lights?

For one, Phantom strips mount near the front of the cabinet and throw the light backward. This keeps the light from directly blinding the eyes works very well on surfaces such as granite and marble counter tops that are highly reflective by nature. Phantom linear Lighting strips hug the underside of the cabinet so closely that they are virtually invisible from every angle. Also, unlike halogen bulbs in puck lights that become easily damaged by the oil from human fingers, Phantom lamps of all varieties (incandescent, xenon, and LED) are designed to be handled and can be interchanged, replaced, and upgraded by the end user without hassle to the person or damage to equipment. Looking for a LED replacement festoon lamp?

Click here to learn more about cove lighting, under cabinet and cabinet lighting. You may also contact the factory for assistance at 800-863-1184 X 125 or one of our helpful lighting sales reps for information.