Anyone use CFLs in the garage?

[ChargedUp!]

Does anyone here us CFLs in their garage? My electrician has convinced me to use CFLs in the garage like these: http://www.satcolightbulbs.com/satco-s7386-65w-hi-pro-spiral-e26-medium-base-5000k-cfl.asp

My garage layout is a 3 car garage with the far left 29' deep, the next bay at 24' deep and then the final bay at 22' deep. The short bay is set up for 2 fixtures as it will be a parking bay only. The middle bay will have 3 equally spaced front to back and the deep bay is the working bay with 8 lights evenly spaced. At 300 equivilant watts, I'm thinking I should have plenty of light. Does anyone see this differently? Also, is the 5000k a good color temp to run in the garage?
Thanks!

 

[Notch1988]

I had CFL's but not that big. I had 30 pot lights and used CFL's in them, the biggest I used was 150w equivalent but most were 100w equivalents. They didn't care for being inside pot lights as I'd have failures regularly. I ran the 5000k ones and love that color range, nice white light.

 

[Outlander]

I have 2 300w equivalents as my in/out lights, with task lighting sprinkled around. They are big (ie long) and I have shattered a couple when wood working with long boards.

 

[Higgins]

I have CFLs throughout the house, and the wife hates them!!!!

Have a 150 Watt CFL work spotlight, it's OK, but nothing to write home about! The only GOOD THING about the cool spot is, it doesn't really get hot. So if your working in a confined area you will not be roasted!

As for the garage, I use the conventional florescent tubes. I did add some track lighting with aprox 10 or 12 50 or 75 watt bulbs that shine down on the general work area where the engine would be with the hood open. I really haven't seen any CFLs that would work in my application which is ~ 600 sq ft with a 8 ft ceiling!!

I'm not going to rip out the current florescent fixtures till they improve the CFL technology. I just don't think it is there yet!

 

[Spudland_Dave]

I have CFLs throughout the house, and the wife hates them!!!!

We've got 2 CFL Floods in a couple cans in th kitchen and we both absouletly hate them. I'm too cheap to garabge something that works, but when they die they will be the last ones in there...I've got 2 cases of old fashioned Floods I'm hoarding because of the Regime (aka Government)...when those are gone, LED replacements should be cheap & reliable.

That being said...I've got 4 100w Daylight CFL's in the garage as temporary lighting...after 5 minutes they are warmed up and bright. For the price (think it was 2 bucks for 4pk of bulbs at HD) Its good enough.

I gotta laugh though at the whole thing...myself included. Incandescent was phased out to save energy...so here we are spinning in 65w CFL's in place of the 60w incandescent...ROFL. Of course we're quadrupling light output, but our electricity useage is the same..LOL.

 

[marlinspike]

That's a BS bulb equivalency if ever I saw one. 4300 lumens and they're claiming 300W equiavelent? The 250W bulbs I use in my garage are 6500 lumens. That's much closer to a 200W incandescent. I have a 2 car garage and with 3 250W bulbs and 4 overhead 20w tubes, I still would like more light.

If I were building a garage though, rather than making an already existing garage work, I have a ton of overhead tubes wired in. Sure, you could just wire in a place for 10 of those CFLs, but why not use tubes if the place isn't already wired?

Also, up in MN I would imagine the temps in the garage in the winter will be around 0F? It'll take a long time for large CFLs to warm to full light output in that temp.

 

[oldtinsmith]

I use all CFL's inside and outside at my shop. They are all 100W (use 23W, 1600 lumens) "Daylight" bulbs (except in my utility/furnace room which is a 60W equivalent). I have 4 lighting circuits to only have enough lighting for the task at hand in my 1080 sq. ft. shop. Here's some pictures:

Doug

 

[Jack Olsen]

I have regular off-the-shelf CFLs. The lowest color temperature possible (3500, if I remember right). It's a personal thing, but I don't like my eyes fighting back a wave of blue-white light. I'd rather have good, shadow-free fill and then task lighting where I work.

Many (most?) people prefer just the opposite. But they're not working in my shop.

 

[marlinspike]

I use all CFL's inside and outside at my shop. They are all 100W (use 23W, 1600 lumens) "Daylight" bulbs (except in my utility/furnace room which is a 60W equivalent). I have 4 lighting circuits to only have enough lighting for the task at hand in my 1080 sq. ft. shop. Here's some pictures:
http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac127/oldtinsmith/April72011004.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac127/oldtinsmith/April72011003.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac127/oldtinsmith/April72011002.jpg[IMG]
[IMG]http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac127/oldtinsmith/April72011005.jpg[IMG]

Doug[/QUOTE]

And to provide people with a frame of reference, that's 1/40 f/2.7 ISO 800.

 

[cglasgow]

I have 6 26w (100w eq) cfls in hanging barn-light style fixtures and I have plenty of light for my needs. The garage is about 18x22. If it were bigger, I'd just add more barn lights. They do tend to come on a little dim in cold weather, but BFD. I don't care....

 

[jlckmj]

I am wiring my garage (24x36) right now for the same type bulb, I will be using 105 watt, 400 watt equivalent. I will be using 10 of them on three separate switches. One will have 2 bulbs, the next will have 4 bulbs, the next switch will have the remaining 4 bulbs so I can turn on what I want at the time. The large CFL's are very cheap light after you factor in everything needed.

The people that use the large CFL's in cans are not getting the full use of the bulb, they are ugly, but I really think to get the full output, the bulb should be unobstructed all the way around so the light output from the side is utilized and not hindered.
Jim

Check out the below thread from Vino, lots of information in there on this subject.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38658

 

[marlinspike]

I will be using 105 watt, 400 watt equivalent.[/url]

A 105 watt would be more like 340 watt incadescent (105 watt CFL would be something like 6800-7000 lumens I'd guess, I haven't seen one). That said, that's still something I'd be interested in. Where do you buy these?!?!?

 

[havi]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38658 This is the thread that's got me re-doing my garage this Summer.

 

[ddawg16]

I have 16 in the bottom floor installed in 6" recessed cans......

plenty of light....

 

[383 240z]

For what it's worth, I have 24 of those lights in my small shop. It's about 10'x30' with 7'6" ceilings. The walls and ceiling are painted white. I just added 8 4' florescent bulbs over the lathe, and 4 4' bulbs over my drawing table and plan on adding another 8 4' bulbs over the mill. Keith

 

[Kevin C]

I have used can lights with CFLs in a few places ( Basement laundry room and kitchen). Getting the right bulb matters. I tried a couple different brands and color temps before I got what I wanted,

I think that CFL's have gotten a lot better over time. The current ones I am using have been great.

The only down side of CFL's is that they don't have any power factor correction and or very limited of end of lamp life sensors. When they fail you typically will get a nasty burning smell.

http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/corporate/newsroom/storyideas/compactfluorescentlamps/

"CFLs are one of the products that we regularly test and investigate to specific UL requirements for electrical safety, fire and shock hazards," he said. "Any popping sounds or smoke that a consumer might see when a CFLs burns out means that the bulb's end-of-life mechanism worked as it should have."

Apparently they are supposed to smoke and burn a bit when the tube is too old.

 

[mybuick6]

i have 4 30 watt bulbs 2 on each socket splitted. i tried to buy 2 4 foot floressent fictures but the cfl's are way brighter.

 

[LEVE]

I have 8 CFL's in my garage, about one per 128 sqft on two lighting circuits. It's like daylight in the garage at night. I like them because they're not as subject to vibration. In the last 4 years.. I have replaced one; that one I broke. I like them.

 

[Thruxton]

Yes, and I like them. Both for ambient and task lighting. Shop is small, 19 X 19, walls and ceilings painted white, and for me they work well.

 

[ChargedUp!]

Thanks for all the good info! It sounds and looks like i'll be just fine.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

I switched my drop lights to CFLs. Tired of getting burned and having to worry about damaging interior stuff when working inside a car. I like them there. I have already dropped and broken one, so I guess I will die of mercury poisoning soon.....

 

[Silvercbr]

I have regular off-the-shelf CFLs. The lowest color temperature possible (3500, if I remember right). It's a personal thing, but I don't like my eyes fighting back a wave of blue-white light. I'd rather have good, shadow-free fill and then task lighting where I work.

Many (most?) people prefer just the opposite. But they're not working in my shop.

I just noticed your "light bars" that extend under you garag door when it is up. Great idea!

 

[MScott]

I have 8 CFL's in my garage, about one per 128 sqft on two lighting circuits. It's like daylight in the garage at night. I like them because they're not as subject to vibration. In the last 4 years.. I have replaced one; that one I broke. I like them.

What size CFL's are you using? That is about the size of the garage I'm in the process of building and, since I am off grid I am looking for an energy efficient but adequate lighting system.

 

[soob]

Why you would go with CFLs instead of regular tubes is beyond me. The tubes spread the light they make much better than smaller bulbs. They're more energy efficient, too, and they have external ballasts so they come on instantly unlike CFLs.

 

[ddawg16]

Why you would go with CFLs instead of regular tubes is beyond me. The tubes spread the light they make much better than smaller bulbs. They're more energy efficient, too, and they have external ballasts so they come on instantly unlike CFLs.

Well....let me see.....why do I like CFL's better than tubes...

1. I can put CFL's in places that tubes don't fit.

2. It's easier to recess a CFL than a tube.

3. I have more flexibility with color and wattage with CFL. Each size tube comes in one wattage choice...

4. It's easier to replace a CFL

5. I can put an LED light in my recessed cans....

6. It's a lot easier to replace a CFL than a ballast in a tube light.

7. All the CFL's I'm getting now go to full brightness the moment you turn them on....and work in cold climates just fine.

As for energy efficiency, not that big of a difference....tubes are maybe 10% better...T5 15%. But LED beats them all.

But your welcome to use what ever you want.

 

[Jack Olsen]

I just noticed your "light bars" that extend under you garag door when it is up. Great idea!

Thank you! The only real trick to it was welding the cantilevered fixture at a slight upward angle so that it would be level once it drooped under the weight of the lights.

The fixtures are actually aluminized steel cake pans with a hole cut in them for a circline fluorescent bulb.

 

[soob]

Well....let me see.....why do I like CFL's better than tubes...

2. It's easier to recess a CFL than a tube.

(...)

5. I can put an LED light in my recessed cans....

Recessed cans don't work well with bulbs like regular CFLs that aren't directional. You lose way too much of the light. Also I don't know why you'd do recessed lights in the garage, that seems like a lot of trouble for little benefit. And if you care about versatility, cans aren't the right way to go. You can't rearrange six-inch holes in your ceiling easily.

7. All the CFL's I'm getting now go to full brightness the moment you turn them on....and work in cold climates just fine.

No they don't. Look closely. CFLs take between 30 seconds and five minutes to come to full brightness. The best bright ones I was able to find (26w 100w equivalent) take about two minutes which is, as I understand it, on the good side. I have a big one (150w equivalent, 40-something watts) that takes much longer to warm up.

As for energy efficiency, not that big of a difference....tubes are maybe 10% better...T5 15%.

It's more like 25%, and they spread the light better too.

 

[mrpowderkeg]

I am going with CFL in my shop. The same as my buddies shop that we are building. I took a picture of my buddies shop, last night, it is 36x40, and there are 4 rows of 6 lights. The lights are mounted in a plastic cup and the bulbs are about 8 dollars they use 42w each, and are equivalent to a 200w bulb

 

[ElectroLight]

I've been using CFLs in droplamps and for task lighting since they came out and haven't changed a bulb since.

 

[ddawg16]

Recessed cans don't work well with bulbs like regular CFLs that aren't directional. You lose way too much of the light. Also I don't know why you'd do recessed lights in the garage, that seems like a lot of trouble for little benefit. And if you care about versatility, cans aren't the right way to go. You can't rearrange six-inch holes in your ceiling easily.

Really? It doesn't look like that to me....

No they don't. Look closely. CFLs take between 30 seconds and five minutes to come to full brightness. The best bright ones I was able to find (26w 100w equivalent) take about two minutes which is, as I understand it, on the good side. I have a big one (150w equivalent, 40-something watts) that takes much longer to warm up.

For awhile they had that problem....it started when they lowered the amount of mercury in them....but the new batch of lights don't have that problem.

It's more like 25%, and they spread the light better too.

The % of efficacy will depend on which ones of each you use....it can get up to 25% difference. But I don't agree on the light spread...I have no issues with how the lighting is in my garage.

At this point it's a matter of preference...I'm very happy with CFL's....and if any of them ever die....I'll 'maybe' go to LED....but at the rate they are dying....it's going to be a loooonnnnggggg time.

 

[GGB]

A couple of years ago I was trying decide how to improve the lighting in my garage which was wired with three inexpensive ceramic type fixture. I thought about using 4' florescent fixtures, but ran across the larger cfl's (150 watt equivilant) and decided to give them a try. I've been very pleased.

Since then I replaced all 9 of the BR30 can lights in our kitchen and have also been happy with the light output, and they really don't take very long to get up to full brightness. To me, that's a benefit when I'm just waking up in the morning.

Now I'm getting ready to go with the newer CFL's for the barn, after trying a few out because of concern about cold weather slow starting. The newer cfl's seem to be less prone to cold weather problems. And it will be a lot easier than hanging tube style fluorescents for general lighting since the ceramic fixtures are already in. But I will probably hang a tube style above the area where I'm redoing my workbench since that area will be rewired.

GGB

 

[soob]

Really? It doesn't look like that to me....

[photo omitted]

I had some regular CFLs in can lights right after I got my new house. The 26-watters and the 40-something watters (which were so big I had to put an extension on them so their base would fit in the cans). They're 1600 and 2600 (IIRC) lumens.

Replaced them recently with 1065 lumen LED flood lights, which, despite the much lower lumen rating, are significantly more effective at lighting the room from a can than the 26 watt CFLs.

For awhile they had that problem....it started when they lowered the amount of mercury in them....but the new batch of lights don't have that problem.

I dunno dude, I've never seen one that came to full brightness in less than a minute. Supposedly some of the low-wattage ones can do it in 30 seconds. I looked it up and energy star certification requires full brightness in three minutes for a low mercury CFL.

BTW I love the LEDs. Mine are feit brand BR40s. Got 'em for about $26 each online.

 

[Highbeam]

I had some regular CFLs in can lights right after I got my new house. The 26-watters and the 40-something watters (which were so big I had to put an extension on them so their base would fit in the cans). They're 1600 and 2600 (IIRC) lumens.

Replaced them recently with 1065 lumen LED flood lights, which, despite the much lower lumen rating, are significantly more effective at lighting the room from a can than the 26 watt CFLs.

I suspect the LEDs were more effective with less lumnes because they were flood lights designed for this application vs. open cfls that lost tons of light to the can.

I hate the warm up time of my can light, flood, cfls. They are the 23 or 26 watt ones that glow purple as they warm up. Once warmed up they make a very pleasant light, very effective and efficient but warm up time is not cool. It is several minutes if the room temps are down in the mid 60s.

I like the slower cfl warm up in my bathroom. Early morning eyes like the dim light.