Garage Lighting

[ericbuggeln]

My electricians wife wants the fence by her pool painted. I had talked to him about upgrading the shop lights and so he just asked me about a trade? He proposes that I do three eight foot T8 Flourescent lights in a 20x23 two car garage. With my wifes car out, I use every square inch during builds.

Is this enough lighting? I will have two "nicer" HD models and two that came with the house to use if needed that are leftover. These will be hardwired into the new circuit breaker next year. Any help on the particular question or if you have recommendations on a better set up, I would love to hear it. This one is in my price range as I will just send my assistant whos the real pro with the sprayer to do the fence. Thanks Eric

 

[peter halle]

Eric,

Are the fixtures 1 tube, 2 tube, 3 tube, or 4 tube?  What is the mounting height of the fixtures?

Peter

 

[Sparktrician]

Have you considered sun tubes?  OK, they work in daytime only, but they generate less heat and bring in a tremendous quantity of light.  When I renovate my garage, i'll be using 2 - 4 of them, supplemented by fluorescent lighting.  

[smile]

 

[jmarkflesher]

I use two tube 8' long high output fluorescent fixtures. Keeping walls and ceilings white helps. My workbench area is apx 12' by 20' and I have 5 fixtures. I also have two 500 watt halogens mounted on the ceiling pointing down and slightly at each other. These give a whole new look at a finish when you shut off the fluorescent. Don't go with the watt savers. You just get less light. MARK

 

[Scott B.]

Eric

I upgraded to T8's in my new shop and am half converted in the spray shop. Better light, and also importanly, they are goddam quiet. I have three units 28 feet up in a cathedral in our new shop and they are dynamite. I would be happy to shoot you some vid of them, as long as you agree to watch the syslite vid I want to shoot comparing it to a 30 bulb led unit of unrevealed mfr.

Deal?

 

[erock]

About a month ago I removed 6 two tube 4' fluorescent light fixtures from my garage and replaced them with 12  6inch can recessed light fixtures.

I also used the reflective insert with them and 65 watt bulbs. 

The only thing I want to do now is add  a couple more fixtures and install  75 watt bulbs.  I have 10 foot ceilings in my garage.  I had the fluorescent

lights hanging from the ceiling about a foot or so.  I really like not having anything hanging from the ceiling.  Makes the shop seem a little bigger.

Eric

 

[ericbuggeln]

Peter, they are gonna be four bulb and the ceiling joists are at 9'6". After staring at the ceiling for awhile it looks like if you broke the space into thirds that three lights would do quite nicely. I think I am gonna use one of the remaining HD specials to put over the soon to be Kapex cart, which will live up against a wall.

Scott, thats a great deal. I love the Syslite, just not the pricepoint, but if you can sell me you can sell anyone right? Eric

 

[tjbnwi]

Eric,

The fixtures 4 bulb, 32 wat, is less than 1 watt per square foot. 1 watt is the minimum recommended.

Use 32W- CRI-85-5000K bulbs. They will give you good light. You could spring for T-8 LED tubes.

I don't think there are enough lights, take another look, look for shadow problems.

I would use 6 of these fixtures in your space.

Tom

 

[ericbuggeln]

Tom, your response is interesting and the reason why i asked it here even though my electrician is second generation and been in the business 30 years. He says i will be happy with the proposed set up. I could see how your set up would really cover every square foot. Have to decide if the perimeter areas are even being used. Like lumber storage, ply, and cutting table storage, etc. Most of the work is actually being done in middle. Now I have no idea what to do??? Your post has me thinking I should chat with him before he starts, thanks Eric

 

[Kevcoleman]

I have a three car garage and I put three rows of t8 lights across the garage.  That would be 9 eight foot lights. It might be a bit overkill but I think you would want t double your light fixtures so you could have three rows or six fixtures

 

[Kevin Stricker]

Don't know if this will help but my 21'x21' garage is split in half by a dropped beam.  Half is lit by two 4 bulb 4' fixtures, the other half by four two bulb 4' fixtures.  The side with the four fixtures is significantly brighter with fewer shadows and is where my workbenches are and where I always end up working at night.  My ceiling is only 8' so that may help, but if I was to do it over I would add a few more fixtures. Oh yea, make sure you consider how much of your light is blocked when your garage door is up.

Sounds like you are going to end up with a fair amount of light ( more than me) but I wonder if you would be better served with six 2 bulb fixtures.  If I was in your shoes I would just let the electrician do his job and if you need more light add it yourself.  Fluorescents with flex wiring is a really easy DIY job, just have your assistant or 3rd hand handy to hold the fixture in place while you attach it.

 

[Alan m]

i think you should do what the electrition reconmends . then add another set of fixtures over all the work areas. chop saw, assembly table ect. then you can turn them on and off as needed. use the main lights as general lighting  .
i have something similar in my small shop just to give a boost in some areas.

while you are at it i would add some kind of safety light so incase the power fails you will still have some light to make your self safe in the middle of a cut etc. i presume they have a batery or something inside to store some power so that it is there for a short time after the power is cut

 

[tjbnwi]

Eric,

I just reread your original post, and now recall form your JLC post you do not have "finished" ceiling or walls, as of yet.

Due to the fact you have no reflective surfaces, this defiantly not enough light. The lights you are putting in are not directional. You may want to get some of the reflective baffles to add on the the fixture. They install in place of the stock cover, or wait on these. The new drywall and paint you claim will be nest year so............................

As others suggested, you can add more lights in the future. They can be switched separately from the primary lights.

Each of the fixtures with bulbs in this area is about $43.00. Not much of a cost increase. If your sparky is suppling the first three, you supply the other 3 and give him a hand with the install. The hardest part of this install will be the new circuit from the panel. Total draw if you use 6 fixtures will be 1.8 amps, so you can add more fixtures latter for task lights with no worries.

Tom

 

[lambeater]

Eric I would suggest you go with 2 fitting in 3 rows (six fittings total) at minimium. Not sure of your ceiling height but that also has a large impact. Take a look at the following picture when I first converted my garage. The main space is 24 x 12, ceiling 9.5ft  with 2 rows of fittings, any wider then I would have put in another row.

thx
Lambeater.

 

[ericbuggeln]

Thanks guys, I have decided in order to remain on the straight trade, that I am gonna go with the proposed three, just on one side of the garage, where most tools live and disperse the ones I already have to the other side, where I set up my table saw and cutting table. Once i get the real power running through there I will go with three more and remove the HDs or use them as task lighting. When I get the new lighting I will be able to give a review on the difference between three eight foot four bulbs T8 Flourescents vs three four foot two bulbs HD models. Probably wont even be close, thanks Eric

 

[tjbnwi]

Thanks guys, I have decided in order to remain on the straight trade, that I am gonna go with the proposed three, just on one side of the garage, where most tools live and disperse the ones I already have to the other side, where I set up my table saw and cutting table. Once i get the real power running through there I will go with three more and remove the HDs or use them as task lighting. When I get the new lighting I will be able to give a review on the difference between three eight foot four bulbs T8 Flourescents vs three four foot two bulbs HD models. Probably wont even be close, thanks Eric

It is not only the quantity of the bulbs, it is the CRI andy Kelvin of the light that matters, more/most.

Your old HD's are most probably T-12's with magnetic ballasts as opposed to the new T-8's with electronic ballasts. Not even the same game let alone the same league.

Again you want CRI of 85 and a Kelvin of 5000 for your new lamps.

Here are some LED's if you want to go that route;

http://earthled.com/flseries.html

Tom

 

[ericbuggeln]

Tom, my electrician said they would be $100 a light w/light bulbs and he actually said that they wouldnt be in the same league as the HDs. He also just told me that he would have recommended six lights, but he thought three was the cost of the fence. He was spot on actually. Eric

 

[tjbnwi]

My guess they will be Metalux or Lithonia fixtures with Slyvania or G.E. ballast. H.D. or supply house, same fixture.

Tom

 

[semenza]

Eric,

I think with that paint scheme you are using , black lights would be ideal !  [eek]  [big grin]

I am a little late to this but when you add more lights definetly go for one over each work station, and  around the perimeter. I have similar lighting and  area.  I found that I really needed light coming into what ever area I am in from all directions.

Seth

 

[peter halle]

Lots of great advice here. Honestly as someone who has had to adapt in his role as a contractor and also who has had to buy lighting for a big box retailer and also other electrical items that allow for flexible reconfigurations...

Mount switched receptacles on the ceiling.  Then you can add whatever after mounting the applicable cord ends.

Have separate circuits and switches installed.  Then you control your destiny.

Peter