Best Garage Lighting

[texasjohn]

Everything I have learned about this topic is covered, including photos, exact fixtures obtained, which lights and why and a candlepower calculator is in this thread:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/91587-shop-light-decision-thanks.html#post1030584

 

[Mace Canute]

Awhile back I helped a friend do lighting in his shop, 32' X 28'. He had bought a bunch of salvaged four foot tube fixtures, 4 tubes per fixture. He didn't want to use as many as we ended up using but since he had a plethora of them, I convinced him there was no better place to store them than on the ceiling! All it took was a few more screws to attach them...same amount of wire and less 1/2" conduit. (All wiring surface mount). We divided the lights up on four switches fed from two separate breakers. We ended up with four rows of fixtures with the fixtures in each row butted end to end. Total of 96 four foot tubes. Very nice light!

It's like I told him...most people are so used to crappy lighting, they don't realize they have crappy lighting!

 

[roamerr]

I use screw-in CFL bulbs (100 watt equivalents) in my 36 x 40 garage. I have 9 of them and they are plenty bright after 45 seconds of warm-up. I built the garage a year ago and went with screw-in for ease. I was tired of the tube flourescents after fighting them for years in my previous garages. I can dispose of these easy, keep spares, and no longer have to worry about ballasts. The screw-in CFL's are a win-win in my opinion...

 

[3Bladz]

I used the T5 HO's in my shop. Its 36x42 and lined with white metal. I put 6 fixtures up that have 6 bulbs each and have chrome reflectors. They are called T5HO specular lights and I bought them for $125 each with a cord and plug end installed, and a twist lock recepticle included. I got them from econolite.com shipped free.
It is absolutly plenty of light, but I am sure the white walls help. I have a friend that used them in his shop which is bigger. He has OSB on the walls and ceiling, and it is well lit, I can't remember how many lights he used though. My lights come on full bright within 1 second of flipping the switch. I keep it at least 50 in there in the winter. You can see them in this pic.

 

[Ed Love]

I built my shop as a 26 X 30 space in a 30 X 50 bldg. Ceiling is 8' and I painted walls and ceiling in white semi gloss. Considering I was 44 when I built it I knew I wanted lots of light when I was older and could'nt see as well. My re-search showed a 4' 2 bulb fixtures provided move candle power (light) than an 8' light. I designed "labratory lighting" that when the bulb finally got dirty would still provide 135 (not sure about the term) lums or candle power. Now 19 years later I have just painted the inside of the shop and it's great again. I used 4' fixtures end to end and spaced about 5' apart and switched to provide light to 3 specific areas I wanted lit. No complaints in lighting. It's great for painting or what ever I'm doing. As for energy costs, I'm not sure but did'nt care because I felt the lighting was too important to skimp on.
Ed

 

[rvaitor]

I put 6 fixtures up that have 6 bulbs each and have chrome reflectors. They are called T5HO specular lights and I bought them for $125 each with a cord and plug end installed, and a twist lock recepticle included. I got them from econolite.com shipped free.

Couldn't find these guys at that link, do you have a better link?

Thanks,

 

[MikeInMaine]

From all the responses you are getting, this is a great and complicated question. The mounting height for your lights may actually determine what choice you eventually make. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

The many previous posters are mostly steering you towards linear fluorescent lights -- T8s and T5s. These are a great choice.

The most economical linear fluorescent to install will be T8 fixtures. Many come with electronic ballasts that are rated to start at 0ｰF. Be sure to buy "800 series" lamps for the best quality light, such as 835 or 841.

T5 fixtures will be the most economical to operate, but will be more costly up front. Remember that these are "high bay". Definitions vary, but it usually means they should be mounted around 18' or higher because they are so intensely bright.

If you divide the lighting between two switches, make them be unequal, like 30/70. That way, your lighting will be like a 3-way bulb: 30/70/100. If the lights are divided equally, you only get 50/100.

 

[MikeInMaine]

It's --

e-conolight.com

 

[ecoslik]

Thanks for the explanation and clarification. I appreciate.

 

[grsthegreat]

I have 4-qty 6-bulb T5 fixtures set at 15' in my 40'x60' shop. I love the bright white lighting this produces; there is plenty of light. Each 6-bulb fixture draws 54 watts. I paid $240 per fixture plus my time and materials to install.

It is amazingly efficient since I'd swear the 54 watts was equivalent to 400-1000 watts of incandescent depending on reflectors.

I highly recommend that if you use 4 or 6 bulb fixtures to dual switch them so that you can turn on 2 (switch 1 by itself), 4 (switch 2 by itself), or 6 bulbs (switch 1 and 2 together) at a time which is easy to do with these fixtures. The versatilty of awesome even if it does require an extra circuit (cost of conductor).

the fixtures you are describing are what stores like Lowes and home depot are using to replace the high bay fixtures. there very bright, and very energy efficient....Pay now or pay later with higher electrical costs.

i have the older style High output florescent 8 foot lights in my shop. have 11 foot ceilings, and they work great, but i have 8 fixtures and each take 220 watts to operate. so it is a power guzzling monster. Since i only use the lights a few hours a week, im in no hurry to swap them out yet. when i fully retire, i may swap them, but by then maybe there will be a magical 1 watt led that puts out 500 watts of light. HEHE. and yes, t5 are generally meant for high bay use 18 ft up, t8 are good for low bay installations.....according to my supply houses.

In the good old days (when i built my shop) high output (HO) florescents were used because of there extreme low temp start ratings (-40F). but they BUZZ to get the band....drive me nuts. The new t5 & t8's will afford good low temp startup (not as low as HO florescents, but still good) and dont hum. Since i built my shop, ive added heat, so it really doesnt matter anymore.

by the way...thats a GREAT looking shop your building there......put heat in it incase the wifes throws you out of the house :laughing: :thumbsup:

 

[crbr]

Plenty of lighting in this thread.

 

[WilliamTO-35]

I tried my first T-8 two lamp 4 foot fixture last year. I bought it from Wally World ( under $20) and it's marked Lights America ( and made in USA). It started well in cold temperatures, and the 32 watt bulbs gave off a nice amount of light. Sadly, the electronic ballast soon started acting up , and the light went out after about 20 minutes. If I unplugged the fixture and plugged it back in, the light would work for another 20 minutes, and then go out again. I got tired of that, and replaced the fixture with an older T-12 fixture. I've seen some other complaints about that brand fixture, and I hope the problem has been solved by now. I've also found that, whether it's tube style or compact fluorescent bulbs, the color temperature is just as important as the wattage in providing the lighting that appeals to you. Exact color temperatures, such as 3000K, are being replaced lately by descriptions such as " soft" or "daylight" , which makes selecting bulbs more confusing. I've heard the government is to blame. There are other factors such as color rendering ability that can make a difference. Incidently, the terms T-12 and T-8 and T-5 refer to the diameter of the tube in eighths of an inch. Hence, a T-8 tube is nominally one inch in diameter, and the older T-12 is an inch and a half in diameter.

 

[grsthegreat]

I tried my first T-8 two lamp 4 foot fixture last year. I bought it from Wally World ( under $20) and it's marked Lights America ( and made in USA). It started well in cold temperatures, and the 32 watt bulbs gave off a nice amount of light. Sadly, the electronic ballast soon started acting up , and the light went out after about 20 minutes. If I unplugged the fixture and plugged it back in, the light would work for another 20 minutes, and then go out again. I got tired of that, and replaced the fixture with an older T-12 fixture. I've seen some other complaints about that brand fixture, and I hope the problem has been solved by now. I've also found that, whether it's tube style or compact fluorescent bulbs, the color temperature is just as important as the wattage in providing the lighting that appeals to you. Exact color temperatures, such as 3000K, are being replaced lately by descriptions such as " soft" or "daylight" , which makes selecting bulbs more confusing. I've heard the government is to blame. There are other factors such as color rendering ability that can make a difference. Incidently, the terms T-12 and T-8 and T-5 refer to the diameter of the tube in eighths of an inch. Hence, a T-8 tube is nominally one inch in diameter, and the older T-12 is an inch and a half in diameter.

you get what you pay for.......a $20.00 t8 fixture cant be good. i pay over $50.00 wholesale for a good lithonia light fixture. have been installing them for years, and i cant remember a single call back about the fixture failing.

 

[rmully]

I would put your light on 2 switches (more if needed) so that you can have good overall lighting in the shop but when you need to work flip on the other lights and have plenty. I did my shop like this and it has been so handy because I can leave some light on and see well but have 3-4 times the light when working.

 

[ultrarunner]

I have a hospital full of Lithonia T8 installed December 1995.

I would say they are quality fixtures... even then, I replace 6 to 8 ballasts a month.

Some fixtures have been on 24/7 since day one and others are seldom used... all depends on location.

Use only GE bulbs because they have the lighting contract... better bulbs for high profile areas and less expensive for storage closets and attic areas.

 

[crbr]

yes..

 

[rvaitor]

If you divide the lighting between two switches, make them be unequal, like 30/70. That way, your lighting will be like a 3-way bulb: 30/70/100. If the lights are divided equally, you only get 50/100.

Excellent suggestion.

 

[boggen]

*rubs chin*

to be honest. i end up 50% of the time near walls of the shed. either to store stuff or to work on something. while florescent lights are good. i have opted for regular metal box light fixtures with incandescent bulb plats that go right over the top of the metal eletrical box.

i will end up having 3 switches. one switch to control one side of lights down the wall. another switch for the other side going down the wall. then another switch for some middle lights.

while the electrical metal boxes and incandescent, i could of used florescent lights. but i tend to go into the shed. and grab something off of a shelf. say load up some tools in a couple 5 gallon bucket. then i am done ready to turn off lights and lock things up again. and weighting for florescent lights to be bright enough to see clearly was not an option.

i also find myself in situations. working up near the walls. say storing some lumber, or cleaning up push mower, wead eater, perhaps greasing something, or perhaps measuring some old lumber lengths to see if it will fit the job i had in mind. and in that shadows are a big thing for me. and not having to drag out some sort of corded clip on light or light on a stand to see what i am doing.

which brings me to looking at the 4 bulb or even 2 bulb florescent light fixtures. there just to much light concentration in a single spot. i prefer to have my lights spread out so i can get better usage out of the lights and help to remove shadows. regardless in what direction i am facing or getting myself into.

a single tube florescent light for me does a better job placed end to end to the next one. vs having 2 bulbs directly behind me and casting a large shadow on what i am trying to work on. granted for the central lights (see diagram). i have double bulbs. but for me these lights are clear up in the peak of the building. and i can get just enough clearance for light to get past rafters for aerial lighting.

 

[moe7404]

you may think this is strange but i check that the bulbs are easy to get. years ago my dad found some odd ball fixtures. now 15 years after hes gone i had to replace 8 fixtures, just so i can get bulbs.

 

[allen in texas]

Hmm, this thread is interesting in that I just finished lighting my barn.
I made my decision on fixtures based on the fact that I got the fixtures free.
All the conduit too and a lot of the boxes. About the only thing I bought were wire nuts and wire and of course bulbs
Because of a wreckout and rebuild of an old grocery store, I came up with about 50 eight foot fictures that took two t8 bulbs and had electronic ballasts. They were throwing them in the trash along with the conduit and everything else out of the store.

My barn is 40x84 (four 21 ft bays) with twelve foot walls. I only lit the two middle bays because one end is a built up room and the other end just doesn't need light.
I mounted two fixtures to each of the roof perlins in both bays for a total of 32 bulbs in each bay, in other words, I have 32 bulbs lighting 840square foot. I split each bay up on two switches for a total of 4 switches to turn them all on.
I wanted to have to put my shades on when I have them all lit up and I came pretty close. With 64 5000k bulbs, it's bright. :thumbsup:
I'l post some pics this afternoon when I get home.