Over Cabinet Lighting

Over Cabinet Lighting

Over Cabinet Lighting FAQ

EASIEST to INSTALL
Q) Which over cabinet light fixtures are the easiest to install?

A) The Rope Light and the linkable Microfluorescent T4 Fixtures, the linkable Fluorescent T5 Low-Profile Fixtures, and the linkable Fluorescent T5 SlimLite XL Fixtures are probably the easiest to install. The Xenon Light Strip is probably the most difficult to install.

FLICKERING
Q) Which fluorescent over cabinet light fixture turns on instantly with no flickering?

A) The Microfluorescent T4 Fixtures, the Fluorescent T5 Low-Profile Fixtures, and the Fluorescent T5 SlimLite XL Fixtures all turn on without flickering because they all have instant start electronic ballasts whereas the Fluorescent T12 Side-Mount Fixtures will flicker before turning on.

TYPE of LIGHT
Q) Which over cabinet fixture produces light that is similar to incandescent light?

A) The Incandescent Rope Light and the Xenon Light Strip produce light that is virtually identical to that of incandescent light. In fact, the Xenon Light Strip uses xenon lamps (light bulbs), which are incandescent light sources with a little bit of xenon gas introduced into the glass envelope to help lengthen the life of the lamp.  Therefore, their Color Temperature is very similar to that of a traditional incandescent lamp.  However, a fluorescent lamp with a good Color Rendering Index (80+) and a low Color Temperature (3000K) looks very similar to an incandescent lamp.

THE MOST LIGHT
Q) Which type of over cabinet fixtures provide the greatest amount of indirect lighting?

A) The Fluorescent Side-Mount Fixtures will provide the greatest amount of indirect light.  In fact, under certain circumstances good use of the side-mount fixtures could produce most, if not all, of the general lighting needed for a room. The Rope Light will provide the least amount of indirect light.

DIRECT LIGHT vs. INDIRECT LIGHT
Q) Which fixture provides direct light on the counter top?

A) Only the MR11 Halogen Arm Lights provide direct lighting on the counter top. All of the other fixtures provide indirect lighting for the room, a type of light that can be very attractive and very effective.

CONTROLLED by ONE SWITCH
Q) Which grouping of over cabinet light fixtures can be installed so that they all can be controlled by one light switch?

A) If they are wired correctly, all of the over cabinet light fixtures seen above can be installed so that they can be controlled by one light switch.

DIMMABLE
Q) Which over cabinet light fixture is dimmable?

A) The Xenon Light Strip is fully dimmable. Because the Incandescent Rope Light and the MR11 Halogen Arm Lights use a cord & plug they can be dimmed only when using a special dimmer that is designed to be used with plug-in light fixtures. The LED Rope Light and none of the fluorescent light fixtures can be dimmed.

COOLEST
Q) Which over cabinet light fixture is the coolest?

A) The Rope Light and all of the fluorescent over cabinet light fixtures give off very little heat.

MOST ENERGY EFFICIENT
Q) Which over cabinet light fixture is the most energy efficient?

A) The LED Rope Light and all of the fluorescent fixtures are the most energy efficient to operate.  LED and fluorescent fixtures are always more efficient than incandescent, xenon, or halogen fixtures.

Valuable Information about Over Cabinet Lighting

Our Over Cabinet Lights

Our over cabinet lights come in a variety of sizes, lamp wattages, and with two types of light sources - xenon and fluorescent.

The Functionality of Over Cabinet Lighting

Over cabinet lights can be quite functional by providing very good and sometimes outstanding general lighting in a given situation such as a den, family room, game room, great room, kitchen, or office.  Over cabinet lighting can provide a little, some, or all of the general lighting that a space might need.  The indirect lighting created by over cabinet light fixtures can be especially pleasing because it creates a warm, shadowless lighting effect.

The Aesthetics of Over Cabinet Lighting

Over cabinet lighting has the ability to give both a professional look and the look of warmth by providing a very important “layer of light” to the entire space. When over cabinet lighting is used properly it can give the space a look as though a professional may have been involved with the lighting design.

Compare Over Cabinet Lights

FIXTURE IMAGE
FIXTURE NAME	Over Cabinet Microfluorescent Light Fixtures (13 fixture types)	Over Cabinet MR11 Halogen Arm Lights	Over Cabinet Side-Mount Fixtures	Over Cabinet Xenon Light Strip	Over Cabinet Rope Light
FIXTURE MODEL #	Varies with fixture type	PSTL20-LA- NI-SW	PSM-RS	PNDSC	PLED-DL
Lengths	Varies from 9.5in to 59.0in over 13 different fixture types	14.0 in	4 Lengths	Custom lengths available	7 Lengths
Light Source	T4 T5 T5HO	20W, 12V MR11 lamp	T12 Fluorescent lamps or T8 Fluorescent lamps	Xenon festoon lamps	LEDs
Linkable	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Dimmable	No	No	No	Yes	No
Pricing	Starts at $21.90 All Microfluorescent Fixtures	$54.90 Buy this Item	Starts at $39.90 Buy this Item	About $27.50/ft Buy this Item	Starts at $22.30 Buy this Item