Ceiling LED wiring

[jarhead]

My detached garage currently has outlets on the ceiling for lights with corded plugs.

Since i am hoping to turn my ceiling into a vaulted space (after consulting an engineer) I want to rewire without outlets.

I will be putting in LED strip lights without corded plugs. what style of electrical box is used and what type of cover goes on it. It seems to me the strip lights are much narrower than the electrical boxes so i want the box to be covered.

I am going to run three separate switches so i can only turn on the amount of light needed.

I'm probably overthinking this but i am have a brain fart moment here.
Thanks, Joe

The proposed lights

Barrina T8 100W LED Shop Lights 8FT 6500K 15000LM | Clear Cover & V Shape Tube | BAX100

6500K Super Bright White Barrina Led Shop Light upgraded to a higher requirement of 100W and 15,000LM high output. The garage light supports 6500K color temperature, which is closer to natural light and restore more realistic colors, providing professional lighting can meet the higher lighting...

barrina-led.com

 

[The Cobbler]

not sure with the LED fixtures but with fluorescent fixtures you use the fixture as the box. just feed the wire into them & make your connections. check your fixtures , they may be the same

 

[jarhead]

Thats how i did it in my last shop but these new style strip lights are skinnier than the box.

Barrina T8 100W LED Shop Lights 8FT 6500K 15000LM | Clear Cover & V Shape Tube | BAX100

6500K Super Bright White Barrina Led Shop Light upgraded to a higher requirement of 100W and 15,000LM high output. The garage light supports 6500K color temperature, which is closer to natural light and restore more realistic colors, providing professional lighting can meet the higher lighting...

barrina-led.com

 

[Roert42]

I would keep the existing plug setup. When I installed LED lights in my garage I mounted regular boxes, cut off the plugs, and hard wired the lamps. I regret cheeping out on the outlets now. Would be nice to be able to mount a could drop lights or something from ceiling.


Any rate. If you do cut the plugs off the wires are probably stranded. So, don't forget to tin the wires before you wire nut them so they twist together well and you get a good connection.

 

[jarhead]

I would keep the existing plug setup. When I installed LED lights in my garage I mounted regular boxes, cut off the plugs, and hard wired the lamps. I regret cheeping out on the outlets now. Would be nice to be able to mount a could drop lights or something from ceiling.


Any rate. If you do cut the plugs off the wires are probably stranded. So, don't forget to tin the wires before you wire nut them so they twist together well and you get a good connection.

I'm trying to avoid using GFCI breakers for ceiling outlets.
As I understand it lights plugged into receptacles on the ceiling require GFCI breaks. I could be wrong on that requirement.

 

[pbon]

I think those cheap Amazon LEDs have a plug that goes in a regular outlet. Then you can string more to that light using the 4’ connector cords, which will be hanging loosely unless you secure them. I use similar but 4’ cheap Amazon LEDs in my garage basement and attic. For the basement, I ran wire for outlets in 4 places since my light layout required 8 lights and the distances and light placement did not allow stringing more than 2 together.

For the attic, I put one outlet in the center and ran 2 lights off of each receptacle.

For the shop on the first floor and storage on the second floor, I hard wired higher quality 4’ LED strip lights with diffusers. I have ceilings so I did not need boxes for most of them. The fixture can serve as a box. For a couple that I dropped down from the ceiling so the garage door rails would not block them, I installed boxes and ran a short piece of conduit down to the light.

 

[hobie18]

Stick with one side longer. Runs on outer edge. Other side presses button. And if you get frustrated, pinata.

 

[jarhead]

Stick with one side longer. Runs on outer edge. Other side presses button. And if you get frustrated, pinata.

Not following?

 

[murd]

I put those into my garage, they're great lights. I bought a 10 pack, but only put 8 up. Nice even light. I did put 3 outlets in the ceiling, then ran the jumpers to the ones on the side. I'm going to probably zip tie the little cords when I'm done drywalling.
I'll try and get a photo of them.

 

[PCustoms]

Thats how i did it in my last shop but these new style strip lights are skinnier than the box.

Barrina T8 100W LED Shop Lights 8FT 6500K 15000LM | Clear Cover & V Shape Tube | BAX100

6500K Super Bright White Barrina Led Shop Light upgraded to a higher requirement of 100W and 15,000LM high output. The garage light supports 6500K color temperature, which is closer to natural light and restore more realistic colors, providing professional lighting can meet the higher lighting...

barrina-led.com

Looks like there's a beare lead to wire into a box. You'll need a cable gland.

Fair warning: those look a lot like what a friend used in his shop, in the cold the light shrinks lengthwise and looses contact with the next strip. He has a long stick to shove the joint back together

 

[Bert_]

My detached garage currently has outlets on the ceiling for lights with corded plugs.

Since i am hoping to turn my ceiling into a vaulted space (after consulting an engineer) I want to rewire without outlets.

I will be putting in LED strip lights without corded plugs. what style of electrical box is used and what type of cover goes on it. It seems to me the strip lights are much narrower than the electrical boxes so i want the box to be covered.

I am going to run three separate switches so i can only turn on the amount of light needed.

I'm probably overthinking this but i am have a brain fart moment here.
Thanks, Joe

The proposed lights

Barrina T8 100W LED Shop Lights 8FT 6500K 15000LM | Clear Cover & V Shape Tube | BAX100

6500K Super Bright White Barrina Led Shop Light upgraded to a higher requirement of 100W and 15,000LM high output. The garage light supports 6500K color temperature, which is closer to natural light and restore more realistic colors, providing professional lighting can meet the higher lighting...

barrina-led.com

For those lights, stick with a plug. That way WHEN you have to replace them it will be easier. Those are low quality lights.

 

[sparky 1971]

I'm trying to avoid using GFCI breakers for ceiling outlets.
As I understand it lights plugged into receptacles on the ceiling require GFCI breaks. I could be wrong on that requirement.

You can avoid the GFCI requirement by using twist lock cord and plug.

AC WORKS 15 Amp 125-Volt NEMA L5-15P 3-Prong Industrial Grade Locking Male Plug ASL515P - The Home Depot

Provide the best and ultimate addition to your electrical application with this AC WORKS Prong Industrial Grade Locking Male Plug. Made of durable material.

www.homedepot.com

Legrand Pass & Seymour Turnlok 15 Amp 125-Volt NEMA L5-15R Locking Receptacle 4710CCV3 - The Home Depot

Visit the Home Depot to buy Pass & Seymour/Legrand 15 amp 125-Volt Black Locking Receptacle 4710CCV3

www.homedepot.com

Twist locks can get pricey, but those lights are going to fail much sooner than later and will have to be swapped out. I installed a bunch of similar, if not the same, customer supplied lights last summer and all I can say is good luck. A GFCI is much more cost friendly.

 

[wfopete]

I have those same lights install in my barn. The switches are **** and will overheat/fail. Heed the warning about how many you can have (4) going on one loop. Error on the low side of 3 or even 2. Mine have been in for a year and have been reliable. I used Wago style wire connector to connect with my hardwired J-boxes.

 

[jarhead]

Thanks all. i will put in outlets.

Suggestions for a different LED light?

 

[hobie18]

Not following?

A stick to reach the ground fault outlets. Have one side a bit longer. That will help stabilize it against the outer edge. Adjust the top to press the button.

 

[mm08822]

A stick to reach the ground fault outlets. Have one side a bit longer. That will help stabilize it against the outer edge. Adjust the top to press the button.

No. Gfci recepts have to be accessible for reset. Using a stick or a ladder is considered not accessible.

 

[mm08822]

That website has all of the earmarks of Chinese ****. Refund sure, after you return the POS to China. Spare yourself the frustration and buy Lithonia, Cooper, etc., linear fluorescents.

 

[hobie18]

No. Gfci recepts have to be accessible for reset. Using a stick or a ladder is considered not accessible.

Yep. But then they cannot be used.

 

[sparky 1971]

Yep. But then they cannot be used.

The ceiling is supposed to be GFCI protected, but the GFCI can be anywhere, including on a wall or it could be a breaker.

 

[Roert42]

Second that. If you want to GFCI the outlets, use a GFCI breaker for the circuit.

or, install a GFCI breaker within reach and run the rest of the outlets on the load side of the circuit breaker, so they are all covered under on.





When I did LED lights in my shop, I bought some from the local hardware store that look a bit like this. They hand from the rafters with the outlet mounted on the rafter. Then the cord runs up the chain.

I have a separate box for each lamp.

 

[Bert_]

Thanks all. i will put in outlets.

Suggestions for a different LED light?

Anything from a major brand.

For a low cost but good quality option I have been salvaging 8' fluorescent strip lights and using RAB 5500 led lumen bulbs. Those bulbs used to be $20 each, now they are about $30. Still a good deal. You get an 11000 lumen strip for $60 and it has replaceable bulbs.

You can do the same thing with 4' strips. Common 4' led tubes aren't as bright but there are some 3000 lm ones out there.