New shop Lighting.

[mscher]

Will be finishing newer garage to make auto repair shop.

My eyesight stinks (can't see in shadows or low light well), so I want the shop as bright as humanly possible.

I plan on using white indoor sheet metal siding, on the walls-ceiling, but really want to focus on lighting.

The garage already has some 4 tube florescence fixtures that are really bright, but I hate dealing with the burnt out tubes and faulty sockets.

CFLs are an option, but not sure how many, or if there are better, brighter options, especially looking for energy efficiency.

Any input or experiences, welcome.

 

[bigdee]

Re: New shop Lighting.

1. How high off from the floor?
2. What is your square footage that you plan to illuminate?
3. Is garage heated
4. What is your budget

I have designed lighting layouts in industrial setting and have seen it go from t12 florescent to HID and now to florescent T5.
T5 is the way to go if your budget allows....long life,high output and energy effecient. The big advantage of T5 lighting is that it can be turned on and off as needed (by motion detectors or manually) without shortening lamp life.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: New shop Lighting.

I use cold start T8 fixtures with daylight bulbs in my shop. The tubes last years, so changing them hasn't really been an issue. The daylight bulbs are a huge improvement over the standard type.

The fixtures are similiar to these:
http://www.homedepot.com/Lighting-F...splay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

 

[bigdee]

Re: New shop Lighting.

I use cold start T8 fixtures with daylight bulbs in my shop. The tubes last years, so changing them hasn't really been an issue. The daylight bulbs are a huge improvement over the standard type.

The fixtures are similiar to these:
http://www.homedepot.com/Lighting-F...splay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

oldjeep probably has the best alternative for a small budget. The T8 is not as efficient as the T5 but a heck of alot cheaper.

 

[mscher]

Re: New shop Lighting.

1. How high off from the floor?
2. What is your square footage that you plan to illuminate?
3. Is garage heated
4. What is your budget

I have designed lighting layouts in industrial setting and have seen it go from t12 florescent to HID and now to florescent T5.
T5 is the way to go if your budget allows....long life,high output and energy effecient. The big advantage of T5 lighting is that it can be turned on and off as needed (by motion detectors or manually) without shortening lamp life.

Garage is 24x30x8

My goal is to make the garage 100% open for dual use (parties etc), meaning all tool boxes and cabinets, well be on wheels, to move outside when required. there will be nothing hanging on the walls.

There is one two car overhead door and one 1 car overhead, door on the front and a single overhead door in the back.. plus side walk-through.

In front of the two car door will be the main auto work area, so a brighter concentration of light might better be better there. Maybe a mix of real good lighting there and lower cost fixtures elsewhere.

I stink at budgets, but I don't have NASCAR money, so maybe like $300, or so. That's probably not much, for the really good stuff.

Never realized that there were actually good quality tube fluorescences out there

Will, the T8 T5 tubes fit into older fixtures?

 

[bigdee]

Re: New shop Lighting.

Garage is 24x30x8

My goal is to make the garage 100% open for dual use (parties etc), meaning all tool boxes and cabinets, well be on wheels, to move outside when required. there will be nothing hanging on the walls.

There is one two car overhead door and one 1 car overhead, door on the front and a single overhead door in the back.. plus side walk-through.

In front of the two car door will be the main auto work area, so a brighter concentration of light might better be better there. Maybe a mix of real good lighting there and lower cost fixtures elsewhere.

I stink at budgets, but I don't have NASCAR money, so maybe like $300, or so. That's probably not much, for the really good stuff.

Never realized that there were actually good quality tube fluorescences out there

Will, the T8 T5 tubes fit into older fixtures?

Rule of thumb is 2 watts/square foot. In your case 1400 watts or 11 fixtures of the type oldjeep mentioned. Being on a budget, I would use this formula on the areas where you want the most light and figure 1 watt/square foot for the rest of the shop. Since these fixtures can be daisy chained by the built in cord and receptacle you will save a bunch on wiring and have the option to easily add more fixtures later.
No, the t8 bulbs will not work in the t12 fixtures

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: New shop Lighting.

Will, the T8 T5 tubes fit into older fixtures?

Not directly, but there are viable and cost effective conversion kits available....but if you are starting from scratch, go T5 from the get-go.

 

[bigdee]

Re: New shop Lighting.

Not directly, but there are viable and cost effective conversion kits available....but if you are starting from scratch, go T5 from the get-go.

Not worth the hassle. You have to change the ballast too. This brings up a good point...the t8 ballasts will crap out if you do not change the lamps when they first start to dim, do not just replace one lamp!

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: New shop Lighting.

There is a payback in operating cost using the T5, though it might be a long one depending on how long the lights are on. I converted to electronic ballasts and T5 two years ago and have actually seen some cost reduction in my monthly electric bill. My shop is 28 X 68. I figure the cost difference by upgrading will be paid in about 5 years. So in a couple of years I'll be making money!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: New shop Lighting.

T8? I am still running old T12 in my garage/work shop.

 

[bigdee]

Re: New shop Lighting.

T8? I am still running old T12 in my garage/work shop.

As long as they are doing their job I would still use them. Payback for replacement on a small shop would probably never be attained. Those old magnetic ballasts can last 30 years....the t5 electronic ballasts,about 5 if you take care of them. Sort of the same analogy as hybrid cars!

 

[oldjeep]

Re: New shop Lighting.

T8? I am still running old T12 in my garage/work shop.

The only reason I replaced the T12's was that they were not cold start fixtures and were a pain in the winter. Otherwise I would not have spent the money either

 

[Webbcraft79]

Re: New shop Lighting.

We are putting up lots of Tandem T8 fixtures in low ceiling height applications. They are cost effective and easy to install. Use a 5000K bulb instead of the usual 3500K and you won't believe how bright they are.

 

[djrascoe]

Re: New shop Lighting.

I would go with the T5 fixtures hands down. I work as a maint. tech for a huge corperation, and we are currently switching ALL of our plant floor light over from 1000w 480 lighting to the T5 (universal 110 220v) fixtures. We are actually eliminating the number of light fixtures that we had hanging because the T5's put out so much more light.