shop lighting

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
when you go to buy overhead florescent lamp fixtures the newer style uses the smaller diam. bulbs that use less electricity and provide more light, they will be much cheaper to operate in the long term, I bought 21 48" quad fixtures, btw the T5 and T8 day light style bulbs have some advantages
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Metalux-GR...ommon-4-ft-Actual-23-75-in-x-47-93-in/3014954

flore1.jpg
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https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/2354/F-21T5830ECO.html?gclid=CIeHwdCli9ACFQcIaQodmLUMtg

https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/22783/F-39T5841HO.html?gclid=CJGN5qimi9ACFQIdaQod_ksGsA

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-Bay-Industrial-60-in-White-Energy-Star-Ceiling-Fan-52860/204507386?cm_mmc=Shopping|THD|G|0|G-BASE-PLA-D27L-CeilingFans|&gclid=CKrz1b-flNACFQyNaQodPOcGgw&gclsrc=aw.ds

to start then added a bunch more lighting, by adding dual 150 watt motion sensor flood lamp fixtures, as my older eyes require good lighting to duplicate near daylight levels to see clearly in the shop, after talking with several electricians I made several choices based on needed lighting and component cost.
obviously youll need a different arangement if the shops a different size, or height but to give some ideas,my shop ceiling rafters are at 16 ft height I spaced the lights so your always within 6 ft of being directly under the lights,
if you draw a 36 ft x 85 ft rectangle and space out three rows of 7 light fixtures evenly your see the basic pattern I used in the shop then I installed 12, evenly spaced dual 150 watt flood lamp motion sensor lights on the walls at a 10ft height with dual 150 watt bulb flood lights, thats two on each end wall and 3 on each long wall evenly spaced,plus two more near the car lift, this provides a good deal extra light, but the flood lights only come on when theres movement near them and only remain on for about 15 minutes after movement ceases to be detected.
and it is almost , absurdly obvious too most guys with any experience, that youll need a few easily portable individual mechanics lights, so you can position a individual , or even several drop light source,(s) directly where its needed at times. theres also a dual 110 volt electrical outlet on the wall every 10 feet in any direction from any location along the perimeter walls and a couple 220 volt outlets where I thought I might use welders , my auto lift,or compressors etc.
any shop you build will be much more user friendly if you have plenty of lights ceiling fans and electrical outlets

I also have these portable lights,when required
light2.jpg

READ THESE Threads

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=5

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=297

one thing Ive found to be really useful is mounting motion sensor lights inside the shop along the shop walls about every 15 feet ,
Ive got 8 of the dual 100 watt motion sensor lights along the inner walls of the shop mounted at about 10 feet up that supply a noticeable increase in lighting over and above what the 21 quad florescent fixtures mounted on the ceiling supply
motionsensor.jpg

these lights give you a different angle lighting and make seeing what your doing a good deal easier, because no mater how many overhead lights you have ,if you've got a lift or your under the hood or the cars on jack stands , the lighting is not ideal, so having light coming from several different angles from the walls of the shop helps as does having a few easily movable drop lights
drop2.jpg

drop1.jpg



https://www.ebay.com/itm/120v-120-V...amp-Portable-Hanging-Flashlight-/192377545742

https://www.harborfreight.com/headlamp-with-swivel-lens-45807.html

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at least in theory these bulbs provide more light at about 18% of the electrical cost of conventional incandescent bulbs and last 10 times longer
motionsensor.jpg


shop lighting is critical to being able to work on engines and cars, Ive got several portable flood lamp fixtures, that come in handy, Ive got several drop lights for use under the car, obviously you've got options.
you can mount lights like these spaced about every 6-8 feet in the ceiling and get decent lighting at the shop floor but don,t forget that you can also mount these on the walls or hanging on brackets at an angle in the wall/ceiling corners if your shops got enough ceiling height , to provide a bit more all around day light type lighting


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KEEP IN MIND MOST OF THESE PICTURES ARE YEARS OLD AND TAKEN DURING CONSTRUCTION OR WHEN WE WERE JUST STUFFING IN TOOLS TO GET THEM OUT OF THE RAIN DURING THE SWAP FROM THE OLD SHOP TO THE NEW SO DISREGUARD THE SLOPPY TOOL PLACEMENT< THERES BEEN MANY CHANGES

florecentlight.jpg


http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1 ... ogId=10053

http://chamberspowerproduct.rtrk.com/?s ... kw=6192378

I added additional lighting since this picture was taken, early in the construction process.
BTW, If you have a larger project requiring a good deal of supplies , you can, and should save a few bucks and get whole sale pricing,
look up and visit a couple different local electrician supply business,s and get competitive bids thats what I did,
when you order quite a few 500 ft rolls of 10 ga wire, 1000 ft of 3/4" ,conduit, conduit fittings, lots of switches, electrical boxes , wire nuts etc. and 20 plus florescent fixtures, they are happy to give you a decent price and deliver



theres no place in the shop more than 8 feet from being directly under a 4 bulb 4 foot high intensity fixture mounted on my 16 foot rafters, and over most of the shop your within 6 ft of being directly under a light fixture plus Ive added 10 dual bulb 150watt flood light motion sensor lights , mounted at the 10 foot level, so that the lights go on when they sense movement, this adds both more light and light at a different angle, and lights that don,t stay on if your not in the immediate are for more than 15 minutes, the picture looks far darker than the shop actually is

garage20.jpg

the picture above was taken before two more rows of 60"ceiling fans and the 12 dual 150 watt,motion detecting flood lamp fixtures , mounted at 10 ft height, were installed

the led versions use less current and last longer and require no bulbs that burn out, if these had been available when I built my shop Id have used 30 of them and saved money and had better lighting


0088461772953_A

https://www.samsclub.com/sams/linkable-10pk/prod21062241.ip?xid=plp:p123roduct:1:1&Pid=CSE_Connex_

these LED (florescent replacement 48" bulbs ) use 60% less current to produce more light
https://greenlightdepot.com/products/4ft-15w-led-linear-tube-bypass-tube?variant=43870975236

READ THESE RELATED LINKS

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http://www.menards.com/main/lighting-fa ... c-6354.htm

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=3110&p=8296#p8296

theres no place on the floor of my shop thats more than 8 feet from the edge of a quad light in the ceiling
the shops 36 ft deep and 75 feet long theres 21, 4ft long and 2 ft wide lamps mounted to the rafters evenly spaced in 3 rows of 7 fixtures plus theres 8 motion sensor flood lamps with dual 100 watt flood lamps that turn on if they sense motion near them , the overhead fixtures are switched in groups so only areas in use need to be lit.

KEEP IN MIND YOU DON,T WANT ANYTHING INSTALLED THAT GET HOT ENOUGH TO START FIRES IF LEFT ON OR IN CONTACT WITH FLAMMABLE COMPONENTS or ANYTHING THAT'S EASILY BROKEN in a SHOP, portable lighting MUST be connected to GFI circuits for safety

http://www.shopoutdoorlighting.com/Moti ... 7311205011

http://www.gadgetshack.com/semoal30ftra.html

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question238.htm

http://www.lightinguniverse.com/securit ... tml?st=270

adding motion sensor lights to BOTH the inside and outside of your garage adds to the security
inside your shop Id highly advise use of at least a few mothion sensor flood lights on the walls along with overhead florecent fixtures as the combo of lighting from several angles and levels provides a significant advantage, and the fact that the flood light /motion sensors turn themselves off after 15 minutes of not sensing mothion can potentially save you a good deal on electric bills if your in the habit of occasionally leaving the shop lights on by mistake
 
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I posted this on CT recently.It's my opinion as an electrican but not the only opinion on lighting
Grumpy mentioned 4 tube 4 foot long hi intensity fixtures.I don't know if he means T-12 HO lamps or the slimmer T-8's.This post is for the newer T-8 tubes.
You can buy so called hi output T-8 tubes at electrical supply houses.If these tubes are used with a high power factor T-8 ballast,the light output is about 15 percent better than a standard 4100K (cool white) T-8 tube.A standard cool white tube is about 2800 lumens.The high output T-8 tube about 3200 lumens.This lumen rating is for new tubes as they decrease over time. Most T-8 light fixtures allready have high power factor ballasts,look at the label on the ballast.The hi output tube costs over twice what a regular T-8 tubes costs,so.........you be the judge iif it's worth the cost.
On lighting fixture lens or covers;In a commercial repair garage lighting fixtures exposed to potential damage should be higher than 12 feet or have a lens to prevent hot sparks from falling if a tube or lamp is broken. Now this code doesn't really apply to a residential garage,but it's something to think about.
 
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thanks for the input!
I don,t know which type high intensity 4 bulb fixtures I have, I know the bulbs are significantly smaller in diam, than the old florescent lamp bulbs, I bought them from a commercial electrical supply house, how do you tell the difference?
Ive got a 16 ft ceiling height, Ive got 21 evenly spaced T8 quad 48" lighting fixtures wired so that I can turn on either every other row or all the fixtures (the picture looks far darker than it really is due to the camera light sensor)
Ive also got (18) 60" commercial fans
fan60.jpg


and two ceiling duct exhaust fans
fan62.jpg

fan61.png

garage20.jpg

I then added 8 dual bulb flood light motion sensor lights on the walls at a 10 ft height to produce side lighting angles.
motionsensor.jpg

drop1.jpg

I also have these when required
light2.jpg

READ THESE Threads

viewtopic.php?f=28&t=5

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=297

one thing Ive found to be really useful is mounting motion sensor lights inside the shop along the shop walls about every 15 feet ,
Ive got 8 of the dual 100 watt motion sensor lights along the inner walls of the shop mounted at about 10 feet up that supply a noticeable increase in lighting over and above what the 21 quad florescent fixtures mounted on the ceiling supply
motionsensor.jpg

these lights give you a different angle lighting and make seeing what your doing a good deal easier, because no mater how many overhead lights you have ,if you've got a lift or your under the hood or the cars on jack stands , the lighting is not ideal, so having light coming from several different angles from the walls of the shop helps as does having a few easily movable drop lights
drop2.jpg

drop1.jpg


http://www.summitracing.com/parts/DSE-L-860/
light1.jpg

light2.jpg

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/DSE-L-14SLED/
 
theres now upgrade kits to swap out florescent 4 foot bulbs to LED that in theory have way less electrical flow and last several times longer
4-Pack of Hyperikon T8 LED Light Tube, 4ft, 18W (40W equivalent), 5000K (Crystal White Glow), Single Ended Power, Clear 1 Line, UL-Listed & DLC-Qualified [4 Tombstones Included]
you'll never regret having installed more lighting, in fact as you age having better lighting is a noticeable advantage!
as I linked to I installed 21 quad 4 ft florescent ceiling fixtures on my shops 16 ft ceiling so that theres no place in the shop more than 6-7 feet from over head light fixtures and 12 dual 150 watt motion detector flood lights on the walls at a 10 ft height , that click on if they detect any movement and stay on for 15 minutes after the last motions detected.
I still use a few mechanics portable drop lights under the car

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...ge_o05_s00&tag=vs-auto-convert-amazon-20&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...ge_o05_s00&tag=vs-auto-convert-amazon-20&th=1
 
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It's not theory, it's reality. A 5 W LED bulb replaces A 65 w incondesent lightt with about the same lumens, much less heat and lasts about 9,000 hours. No more bumping the bulb and blowing the light and they are all plastic, no glass to break.
 
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Keystone-4-400-Lumen-LED-Utility-Bulb-GL-50/206479083
4,400-Lumen LED Utility Bulb


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Keystone...-SearchPLPHorizontal1_rr-_-NA-_-206479063-_-N
b3b1e17a-5d6d-4710-8e4e-33afbd431a99_1000.jpg


has anyone bought and installed these bulbs, it looks like a good way to add additional illumination capacity to motion detecting flood lamps
looking at the power use rating and the brightness it appears the electrical use would drop,
but the brightness would go up considerably if I replaced all the 150 watt incandescent flood lights in my shop with these...
yeah! obviously the bulb shields around the current bulbs would need to be removed for clearance as the new bulb design won,t physically fit until that's done!
and yes I'm aware they are cheaper from some internet sources



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here in florida mosquitoes and biting deer flys are generally far worse in the late evening
and after rain, mostly in the sept-oct time frame, not so much in brite sun light in the 9am-7pm time frame provided your not in a shaded area or next to horses or cattle of course
and hanging a bug zapper or two, near by, won,t hurt either
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and having a 10 ga 100 ft long extension with a 3 plug connector won,t hurt a bit either
https://www.harborfreight.com/100-ft-x-10-gauge-triple-tap-extension-cord-62918.html

zapperb.jpg




https://www.amazon.com/Flowtron-BK-...ocphy=9012039&hvtargid=pla-319869406208&psc=1


http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...garage-plans-some-build-info-experiances.116/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/floor-jacks.969/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/planing-a-shop.8982/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/you-need-decent-jack-stands.672/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/building-a-concrete-slab-to-work-on.5007/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/how-big-of-a-garage-or-shop-do-you-need.2388/

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No but want some are they expensive thsnk goodness for led cause the whole lack of bright bulbs has sucked especially in places like my parents house built in the 60s where 100w bulbs were common
 
I hear they now have LED bulbs to replace 8 foot fluorescent bulbs.
I will consider buying when the price comes way down.
 
drop lights that are bulky or require an electrical outlet can be a P.I.T.A. to use, but having a pair, that you can drop in a pocket and almost forget your carrying is an advantage.
some times you find a tool that makes your job a bit less of a problem and its not all that expensive, to acquire, or difficult to use or maintain.

biglarry.jpg


https://www.amazon.com/Nebo-Big-Lar...ocphy=9012039&hvtargid=pla-422733965918&psc=1
 
Another item to consider when selecting lighting is the color range in which they operate. I build lights for bow fishing boats is how I learned about this item.
 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B..._s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=yellowbulletconvert-20

not a bad value

$79.99


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if you order within 19 hrs 48 mins.Details

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/shop-lighting.1408/#post-91921
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most of us realize its advantageous to have better lighting in the shop and under the hood or under the car, head band lights and magnetically attachable lights have advantages, most of the ones you charge over night only last 3-5 hours, on a charge, so having the magnetic type you swap batteries in or drop lights that plug into a electrical outlet have some advantages, as do the really bright portable types that clamp onto a car or lift or can be adjusted on a floor mount bracket
https://www.walmart.com/ip/USB-Rech...ork-Headlight-Waterproof-Headlights/726129746

https://www.harborfreight.com/215-lumen-magnetic-pocket-work-light-63935.html



05631e5d-3f4b-4dbd-ae2a-1d013df0f3b8.3867562ae7a25a1eac66e81561e71eb6.jpeg


https://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lumen-led-work-light-64738.html
https://www.walmart.com/ip/LED-Head...-Lighting-Modes-Lights-Adjustable-H/200842138


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LED Shop Light for Garages, 4FT 4500LM, 45W 5000K Daylight, 48 Inch LED Ceiling Lights, Freelicht Linkable LED Shop Lights with Plug, Workshop Light Fixture with Pull Chain (ON/Off), ETL - 4 Pack
 
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http://www.homedepot.com/p/Keystone-4-400-Lumen-LED-Utility-Bulb-GL-50/206479083
4,400-Lumen LED Utility Bulb


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Keystone...-SearchPLPHorizontal1_rr-_-NA-_-206479063-_-N
b3b1e17a-5d6d-4710-8e4e-33afbd431a99_1000.jpg


has anyone bought and installed these bulbs, it looks like a good way to add additional illumination capacity to motion detecting flood lamps
looking at the power use rating and the brightness it appears the electrical use would drop,
but the brightness would go up considerably if I replaced all the 150 watt incandescent flood lights in my shop with these...
yeah! obviously the bulb shields around the current bulbs would need to be removed for clearance as the new bulb design won,t physically fit until that's done!
and yes I'm aware they are cheaper from some internet sources



9bc553d0-af4f-44ce-bfc4-98b1735de612_1000.jpg

The motion sensor MUST be compatible with CFL or LED bulbs. The older sensors need to "see" the resistance of an incandescent filament.
 
those look interesting, but 3000 lumens is going to be excessively bright in most shops/garages ,
if its set up close to the work area.. assuming you have other lights on the ceiling ,
especially if your working between the light source and what your working on casting dark shadows,
thus mounting the lights in several locations and fairly high
, but on the walls facing the work area,may be helpful
If I had those LED flood lights , I know Id have 4-6 minimum,
Id mount the lights in at least 3-4-6 locations ,spaced out at regular intervals,
mounted, up,near the ceiling , but on the walls pointing out at about a bit lower than horizontal,off the shop walls in the shop in several locations.
I wonder if the led lights are offered with wall mounts individually?
 
It says that they are on their own platform that can be quickly attached or detached from the stand.
From what I was reading on the box it looks like they could be mounted to the wall.
I thought the side deflectors were kinda cool.... You are suppose to be able to widen or narrow the light beam.
I won't be in the barn till tomorrow to try them out.. i'm anxious !

I have a 10' cieling with 6 old double flourecent 4' bulb units. It's ok for general lighting, but I find it hard to see when i'm up close to my work.
 
I have a few of the drop lights also... They are nice for in the engine bay or under the vehicle.
I find it to hard to deal with a drop light while working on the engine while it's on the stand though.
I like your idea of mounting it on the wall. I never thought of that ..It's why I purchased this one that has the stand.
I was thinking I could keep the light high enough and out of the way of the motor while i'm working on it.
I have been using a LED flashlight while I have been filing rings. Kinda inconvenient to deal with.
 
Ok Grumpy, I put that light together last night.
Each lamp does have its own bracket that can be quickly removed from the stand and used as a portable light, or it can be mounted on the wall.
I had them on the stand which is about 5' tall, and positioned the lights to point at my motor while it is on the engine stand.
It is just the right amount of light, and with those side blinders that are attached to the lamps, you can focus the light beam to a spot, or you can open them up and flood the area. I was surprised with how little heat (none) was coming off the lamps.
If I was to mount them on a wall like you suggested, I think I would opt for the 10,000 lumen lamps.
I don't think these 3000 lumen lamps would be bright enough to cast light past 8-10' in an already generally lit shop.
So far I am very happy with this lamp unit.
 
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