New Barn: Lights--8' fixtures vs shop floods (50x50)

[astrohip]

I have a new 50x50 tractor barn/workshop that is almost finished. Time to put lights in it. This is a metal bldg, 50x50. About 12' high walls, rising to ~17" in the center.

I figure I can put one of two main types of lighting: Either fluorescent type fixtures (4' or 8'), or those round shop-type lights. Either way, they will be LED.

What have y'all found to be better lighting? Or something totally different? Also, any suggestions on spacing?

 

[junkjunkie]

I used 6 of the 4' LED fixtures in a 28 x 42 garage (2 in each bay). they're just about like daylight and draw next to nothing for amps.

My pole barn has 10 of the 8' T-8 fluorescent fixtures.

For both projects, I found online lighting calculators and rounded off to the nearest number of fixtures I could use evenly (for instance, in the barn, it suggested 11 fixtures. No way to space 11 fixtures over 5 frame bays; 2 in each bay worked perfect). Depending on what your interior of the shop is, there's resources online to tell you the values for the lighting calculation. The correct amount of light makes a big difference, you can see very well but it's not too intense. The calculators will tell you the number of lumens to shoot for, then you compare it to the fixtures you want and space them evenly (remember from outside wall to the first row of fixtures should be half the distance between rows of fixtures).

Hope that helps!

 

[astrohip]

I used 6 of the 4' LED fixtures in a 28 x 42 garage (2 in each bay). they're just about like daylight and draw next to nothing for amps.

My pole barn has 10 of the 8' T-8 fluorescent fixtures.

For both projects, I found online lighting calculators and rounded off to the nearest number of fixtures I could use evenly (for instance, in the barn, it suggested 11 fixtures. No way to space 11 fixtures over 5 frame bays; 2 in each bay worked perfect). Depending on what your interior of the shop is, there's resources online to tell you the values for the lighting calculation. The correct amount of light makes a big difference, you can see very well but it's not too intense. The calculators will tell you the number of lumens to shoot for, then you compare it to the fixtures you want and space them evenly (remember from outside wall to the first row of fixtures should be half the distance between rows of fixtures).

Hope that helps!

Very helpful! Off to find an online lighting calc...

 

[EddieWalker]

I put in 8 foot fluorescent lights in my shop and I hate them. When they all work, they are fine, but there is always a bulb that is flickering, burnt out or the entire fixture just doesn't come on. While it's not all the time, over the last ten years, it's become very annoying climbing up the ladder to get to them. My ceiling is also 12 feet up, so that means getting out the big, heavy ladder to mess with them. My goal is to take them down, put up a metal ceiling, and then install LED lights. I will never buy fluorescent shop lights again.

 

[newbury]

I put in 8 foot fluorescent lights in my shop and I hate them. When they all work, they are fine, but there is always a bulb that is flickering, burnt out or the entire fixture just doesn't come on. While it's not all the time, over the last ten years, it's become very annoying climbing up the ladder to get to them. My ceiling is also 12 feet up, so that means getting out the big, heavy ladder to mess with them. My goal is to take them down, put up a metal ceiling, and then install LED lights. I will never buy fluorescent shop lights again.

Eddie I feel your pain. But there is a quick solution - 8' LED tubes. They are essentially a tube with an LED strip inside.

To the OP - make sure you figure out some switching arrangement. Often with a decent sized one man shop you don't need ALL the lights on most of the time.

 

[astrohip]

I put in 8 foot fluorescent lights in my shop and I hate them. When they all work, they are fine, but there is always a bulb that is flickering, burnt out or the entire fixture just doesn't come on. While it's not all the time, over the last ten years, it's become very annoying climbing up the ladder to get to them. My ceiling is also 12 feet up, so that means getting out the big, heavy ladder to mess with them. My goal is to take them down, put up a metal ceiling, and then install LED lights. I will never buy fluorescent shop lights again.

I know what you mean. One of the first things I did when we moved into this house was replace all the fluorescent lights with LEDs.

To the OP - make sure you figure out some switching arrangement. Often with a decent sized one man shop you don't need ALL the lights on most of the time.

Excellent point. Thanks.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I still have not put lighting in my 72 foot drive shed build four years ago. I guess I just don't go in there much after dark. The thing is, I have zero confidence in the longevity of LED lighting based on bad experience. I just installed another Home Depot LED outdoor (LV) floodlight, that I never installed when I put in two others. The new one is three times brighter then the othre ones, two years in service. NOT impressed! Stupid me. I thought I was buying all these over priced (More Chinese Junk) LED lights for life! Like all my LED X-MAs lights that went dim.


I would wire it, go on the black market, and find some Edison bulbs with pig tails. Then when the LEDs come down in price and become better, put them in.

We put a bunch of TSC (on sale) florescent lights in a friends shop. The 5 hp compressor came on and most of the cheap ballasts failed! Many ballasts also make a ton of RF!

 

[junkjunkie]

Good points, all.

In my pole barn, I used the 8' fixtures that use 4 each 4' fluorescent tubes. I was told at the time that while the initial investment was slightly higher, the bulbs and ballasts would last longer than longer tubes. In 3 years, I haven't had a problem. I figure when the bulbs start failing, I'll pick a day to re-lamp the whole garage (I was told by a lighting shop that the T8 bulbs last about twice as long as the old T12 bulbs, and the T5's are even better. Just make sure that if you go with LED they'll tolerate the environment they're installed in.

We used LEDs inside the new garage/apartment, as it is all conditioned space (long story... I had to insulate and condition the garage as right now we use it for living space). One of the biggest issues with LEDs is the electronics that support them. The cost of LED fixtures that would tolerate the variations in temperatures/humidity/moisture in the barn was way more than I was willing to spend.

I know one other guy that tried the same 4' LEDs we used in the garage in his unconditioned shop, and they failed during the fall when the temperature and humidity swings caused them to draw condensation. Note that these were not high-end LEDs, just the ones from the big blue box home improvement store.

-Dan

 

[mddorange]

I have a new 50x50 tractor barn/workshop that is almost finished. Time to put lights in it. This is a metal bldg, 50x50. About 12' high walls, rising to ~17" in the center.

I figure I can put one of two main types of lighting: Either fluorescent type fixtures (4' or 8'), or those round shop-type lights. Either way, they will be LED.

What have y'all found to be better lighting? Or something totally different? Also, any suggestions on spacing?

I recently put LED fixtures in my 100' x 36' horse barn with 12' walls and a center of 18'. I found 12,00 lumens, 120 watt fixtures for $129.99 each including 6 LED bulbs that are guaranteed for 5 years. With 5000K daylight bulbs and no ballast to hum or go out means a lot less maintenance. I replaced 10 x 1,000 watt bulbs with 3 fixtures and it is much brighter now. What a big savings in electric use.

 

[astrohip]

I recently put LED fixtures in my 100' x 36' horse barn with 12' walls and a center of 18'. I found 12,00 lumens, 120 watt fixtures for $129.99 each including 6 LED bulbs that are guaranteed for 5 years. With 5000K daylight bulbs and no ballast to hum or go out means a lot less maintenance. I replaced 10 x 1,000 watt bulbs with 3 fixtures and it is much brighter now. What a big savings in electric use.

Thanks. You only have three fixtures for the entire barn?