Shop Garage lighting

[Uncle Levi]

I use mercury vapor yard lights. I just taped over the sensors,mounted them from the ceiling and wired them to a wall switch. Just like daytime.

 

[wmonroe]

Subscribing as I am currently researching what lighting I want to put in my 40 x 60 pole building.

 

[tractchores]

I have a 30x 50 two story shop / 4 car garage and use 6' fluorescent fixtures, one over each bay and a line of them in the back and a line down the 2nd floor. I haven't changed a bulb in as long as I can remember (at least 5 years). I also have a couple of bare lightbulbs in motion sensing sockets, which are great because the light flicks on as soon as I walk in, so I don't have to go to the light switch if I'm just walking in for something quick or pulling a car in. As for bulbs going bad one thing I've seen (though rarely) is that if you get ballasts made for indoors and use them outdoors there can be issues. they're usually rated for a specific temperature range and have issues outside that range...

 

[grsthegreat]

i simply installed ten (10) 8' florescent fixtures in my 30x60 pole barn.....they provide tons of lighting. never an issue with these either. Switched them on 2 separate switches. front 4 on one, back 6 on other.

there set in rows of 2 fixtures , 10 feet in from each side and 10 feet apart. then the same setup in each bay.

 

[94BULLITT]

I am slowly switching over to T8's. I am getting the 8' lithonia fixtures at Home Depot. They take 4 4' bulbs. The 4' bulbs are a lot easier to handle and store. They are what brighter than the old t12s.

 

[Beltzington]

One of my old 8' garage fixture ballast went out and I replaced with new solid state T8 ballast and 8' T8 lights available at Lowes. Lights are much brighter, turn on faster, are less noisey and use less electricity. Only cost about $35 for two bulbs and ballast. Wiring the new ballast took some thinking as the wire colors are not the same. Just pay attention to the wiring diagram included with the ballast.

 

[JOE G]

I am using 8 8 ft fixtures in my 28X28 x10 Shop, They have 4 4 ft bulbs in each fixture and are the T8 type, I don;t have them in yet so I can't comment on the light out put.

 

[deathtoblackberries]

Joe you might need some sun block

 

[JOE G]

I am putting them on four switches, two lights per switch in a square pattern, if that makes sense.

 

[deathtoblackberries]

I added 2 more of these shop lights this weekend, if it was any brighter I'd need sun glasses. Look at the front porch flood lights, now look at the garage lights, they blast clear out into the yard. Lithonia Lighting Industrial 6 Light High Bay Hanging Fixture IB 632 MVH at Home Depot with Phillips Daylight Deluxe T8 bulbs.

 

[podagrower]

T5 54 watt HO high bay (or low bay) is the way to go. Way more light input than the 32 watt T8s, and anodized reflectors to keep the light going down, not just out.

Of course money being no object, go with LED.

 

[94BULLITT]

T5 54 watt HO high bay (or low bay) is the way to go. Way more light input than the 32 watt T8s, and anodized reflectors to keep the light going down, not just out.

Of course money being no object, go with LED.

T5HO's are expensive, like $75 for a fixture.

 

[grsthegreat]

T5HO's are expensive, like $75 for a fixture.

more like $130/fixture incl lamps.. and really HAVE to be installed greater than 15' above finished floor to give best light output and coverage.

I do have one 4 lamp t5HO over my welding bench... and it sure works great, even though its set at only 12'/ the light output is too concentrated..but thats ok on a work surface.

 

[3v0]

Keep in mind that the output from fluorescent bulbs drop over time.



By my experiance the above graph is optimistic.

 

[3v0]

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