The parts of a permanent lighting system, and what each one is for

Why a parts list matters

Permanent lighting is sold as a finished look, a lit roofline in a render, and that is fair. But the look is produced by a handful of physical components, and the quality of the install lives in those components. Two quotes with the same render can be two very different systems.

What follows is the parts list for the system we install across Western Pennsylvania and the four neighboring states. Every item here is on the spec at thraxel.com/permanent/. Use it as a checklist against anything else you are considering.

Part one: the track

The track is an extruded aluminum channel, color-matched to your fascia or trim and mounted tight under the eave. It carries and protects everything else. It is the reason the system is effectively invisible by day and the reason it has passed every HOA we have installed in.

Spec to check: is it aluminum, is it color-matched, and does it mount to fascia rather than to shingles or gutters. A product that clips or adheres instead of tracking is a different, lesser category. Full detail at thraxel.com/blog/what-is-color-matched-track/.

Part two: the pixels

Pixels are the LEDs themselves. Ours are RGBWW, meaning red, green and blue diodes plus a dedicated 2700K warm-white diode, and every one is individually addressable. That gives 16 million colors, a true warm white, and the ability to diagnose one failed pixel on its own.

Spec to check: RGBWW rather than RGB, individually addressable rather than strip-wide, and a stated warm-white color temperature. Each pixel draws roughly 0.3 watts.

Part three: the housing and wire

The pixels and their connections sit in IP67 marine-grade silicone that has been salt-tested. IP67 means dust-tight and protected against temporary immersion in water. Salt testing matters for river towns where road brine gets thrown up onto lower runs and fence lines all winter.

The wire is 16-gauge, heavier than typical consumer lighting wire, so power reaches the end of a long run without dimming and the copper survives years of freezing, thawing and sun. All components are UL, ETL and CUL certified.

• IP67: dust-tight, survives temporary immersion
• Salt-tested silicone for Western PA winters
• 16-gauge wire for long runs and long life
• UL, ETL and CUL certified components

Part four: the controller and power supply

The controller is the brain. It stores your scenes and schedules, listens to the app, and sends per-pixel instructions down the line. The power supply converts household current to what the pixels need and is sized to the total pixel count so the run is evenly bright end to end.

Spec to check: does the controller keep schedules running without your phone present, and does it integrate with Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit and Control4. Ours does all four. We explain it fully at thraxel.com/blog/permanent-lighting-controller-explained/.

Part five: the app

The Thraxel Lighting app is the only part you touch. It holds Everyday Warm, Game Day, Christmas, July 4th, Halloween, Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day, plus any scene you build. It handles colors, warm-white level, schedules and music sync. For campers and RVs there is a Bluetooth version that skips Wi-Fi entirely.

Spec to check: is the app the installer's own, is it supported, and does it control every part of the system rather than one strip at a time. A system that needs three apps is not a system.

What ties the parts together

The parts are only as good as the install that connects them, which is why our crews hold the manufacturer-required certifications and why the whole package carries 3 years on parts and 1 year on labor. Most homes are installed in one to two days, the app works the first night, and we walk the property with you before we leave.

See all of it live: the free consult includes a demo hard case with four RGBWW strips and 128 LEDs, and a render of your house within 48 hours. Start at thraxel.com/quote/. Tyson runs every quote and answers 724-859-4390 himself.