Shop light upgrade..

[runeight]

Anyone here have a formula for how many fluorescent lights per square foot? Seems there should be a formula.

When the weather cools this is my next project. My lights now look like..
well..it's a mess. Five (5) two bulb fixtures hanging everywhere. Mikki says "that scares me" so I have her go ahead.  

(I think.)

I'll be going with T-12 high ballast bulbs and for now two (2) 4 bulb/48 inch fixtures from..you guessed it..Lowes!  

(they do this in Texas a lot.)

Going to flush mount the conduit to the ceiling and clean it up a little putting a box where the light box is now.

Now, my first instinct is to just keep adding till the fuse blows then back off one (1) fixture.  

(but we can't do that huh?)

Garage is around 530 square feet. Ideas?  

r8

 

[omslaw]

How bright do you want it to be?

In my woodshop, which is a little smaller than than your garage, I have 12, 2-light, 48" fixtures. But I wanted PLENTY of light! I wired them so I can kill 1/2 of the lights when I'm just casually working down there.

I'd also look into the T-8 fixtures. I put 2, 8' fixtures (each uses 4-48" bulbs) in my garage and may add a third one. They use less energy than the T-12's and also work at colder temps than the T-12s. Of course, in AZ, you don't need to worry about that LOL. But for me, it's nice to flip on the lights in the garage in the dead of winter and have them come on without the 'warm-up' that the T-12's.

 

[twotonevert]

Install 2 -- 8' fixtures and you will have all the light you need. 20 bucks per fixture not including bulbs. You wont need the HD's, only for cold weather climates where you want the ballast to light immeadiately in sub 32F temps.

 

[Mr Bogus]

I went with T5's (6 X 54W full spectrum lights) I have 1 fixture in 400sq ft.. I think that a pair of the four bulb units would work nicely in a standard 20X20.. I just had the 6 bulb unit left over from another project..

 

[300Busa]

I have 6 (8' units) in my garage. It gives enough light to light up my driveway if the door is open. There are no shadows inside the garage. They are wired to two switches to turn half of them on or off.

 

[bowwow]

I have four dual bulb fixtures in a 20'X20' with T8's. I never turn them off. I have a fixture in my basement over my washer and dryer that I wanted to test the lifespan of the T8's. It has been on continuously for 4 years now.

 

[Mr Bogus]

I have four dual bulb fixtures in a 20'X20' with T8's. I never turn them off. I have a fixture in my basement over my washer and dryer that I wanted to test the lifespan of the T8's. It has been on continuously for 4 years now.

only problem is that they start loosing light output from the first time they are turned on.. at 1 year I think the number is about 68% output from new (based on 365 eight hour days) I also have 100w cf lights for illumination and the T5's are for when I am working on projects.. (pretty much like daylight)

 

[runeight]

OK, web site froze up on me.

Here is the washer/dryer side.



And here is the shop side. The two bulb fixture above the garage door stays for lighting the back half of the garage on the shop side.



The circuit I want to use is on the washer/dryer side. Mikki's vision is not the best so when she needs something the lights come on then go off.

This might justify the T-8 fixtures.

r8

 

[runeight]

The center light comes down. Basicly getting rid of five (5) fixtures and going to two (2).

r8

 

[Mr Bogus]

wow that ceiling looks to "code" to me

here is the one fixture.. if there was another or just split this one, I think it would work pretty good... no flash here...

 

[Revolution]

have 6 "bulbs" for my 1/2 of a one car garage paint area.

i mixed up the bulbs with half natural "sunlight" and half "daylight". the sunlight is yellower and the daylight is bluer like on cloudy days. i found this to be more of a "full" spectrum since conditions outside "change".

 

[Mr Bogus]

 

[runeight]

Yeah, I just keep putting this on the back burner. This fall it will be my first project.

Really can't use the eight (8) foot fixtures unless you can tap the wires into the center of the fixture.

r8

 

[Mr Bogus]

this is 4' fixture with 6 bulbs... I would get 2 fixtures with 4 bulbs each if I was buying new... (no room for 8' bulbs either..

 

[runeight]

http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/t5_high_bay_111_prd1.htm

Is this what you are talking about Randy?

Just one of these?

r8

 

[Mr Bogus]

that is the 4 bulb.. I have the 6 bulb left over from a "marine coral" tank I built..

I would rather have 2 four bulb fixtures I think so I could run one or both.. I would put one over the hood of one car and over the trunk lid of the other car in a 2 car garage..

The T5 is one of the most efficient bulbs (why we use them on marine tanks) due mostly to the small diameter and the ability to use a single full wrap reflector.. We also use a lot of HID lights (metal halide) but they are not very practical for home garage lighting.. There is a direct replacement T6 bulb that is supposed to be a bit better (and fits the T5 housing) but I have not tried them yet..

 

[Bird Hunter]

wow that ceiling looks to "code" to me

here is the one fixture.. if there was another or just split this one, I think it would work pretty good... no flash here...

Man, that system puts out some light.. I am going to upgrade my lighting as well and think the 1 light over the hood and 1 over the trunk would be pretty nice...

Right now I just have 2- 4' fixtures with 2 lights each and you have to strain to really see anything unless you are right under them...

 

[runeight]

http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/commerc....ctg.htm

By going this route I could get rid of six (6) fixtures and have more light. I would also save the expense of conduit, copper wire, electrical boxes and a day's work.

One (1) fixture located in the center of garage.

Thoughts?

r8

 

[Mr Bogus]

wow that ceiling looks to "code" to me

here is the one fixture.. if there was another or just split this one, I think it would work pretty good... no flash here...

<!--endemo-->

Right now I just have 2- 4' fixtures with 2 lights each and you have to strain to really see anything unless you are right under them...</a>

I think what I like is that the light "color" is really close to that of sunlight.. I spent a lot of years in poorly lit garages and so when I found these lights, I was "WOW"...

The downside is that they are a lot more costly than most fixtures but they really are worth it to me... They are sold as "highbay" lights and I used them on the "coral" tank.. When I sold out the livestock from that tank, the new stuff did not need as much light... but my garage did

 

[Mr Bogus]

http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/commerc....ctg.htm

By going this route I could get rid of six (6) fixtures and have more light. I would also save the expense of conduit, copper wire, electrical boxes and a day's work.

One (1) fixture located in the center of garage.

Thoughts?

r8

I personally would suggest 2 units offset from each other... but you could try just one to start.. I am toying with the idea of making the 6 bulb fixture "moveable" on a pair of cables (I have 1000' foot of stainless 1/16" cable)