Lighting for a 24' x 24' garage

[vdubbya]

I'm finishing out my garage this year ans wanted some input on the best lighting. I'm going to use the space for auto detailing so this is a big deal. My ceiling is hipped, so in the center I have about a 14' vault. I would like the lighting to be wired with 2 circuits....so as not to have to power all just to get a wrench or something. What is the best method for doing this type of lighting? I know how to wire and all but just want input on spacing to make the most of the lights. My garage floor is not painted but may be in the future to reflect some light.

To sum it up

1. How many fixtures?
2. What kind (2 or 4 tube),(4' or 8').......?

I want this sucker to be bright and white!

Thanks!
Chris

 

[ktm450]

I'm finishing out my garage this year ans wanted some input on the best lighting. I'm going to use the space for auto detailing so this is a big deal. My ceiling is hipped, so in the center I have about a 14' vault. I would like the lighting to be wired with 2 circuits....so as not to have to power all just to get a wrench or something. What is the best method for doing this type of lighting? I know how to wire and all but just want input on spacing to make the most of the lights. My garage floor is not painted but may be in the future to reflect some light.

To sum it up

1. How many fixtures?
2. What kind (2 or 4 tube),(4' or 8').......?

I want this sucker to be bright and white!

Thanks!
Chris

My garage is a little larger than yours, 24x30. I used high quality 2 tube 4ft floresent fixtures t8 bulbs also on two circuits. Total number of fixtures is 12

my walls are all painted white and my ceiling is flat, also painted white. I alternated fixtures between circuits so either circuit lights the whole garage.

basically 3 rows of lights, 4 in each row

Even with this, I have under cabinet lights over benches and 6 additional 23W (100W) relflector floods on pull chains on ceiling box fixtures.

 

[rickairmedic]

I have 7 two tube 4 footers with 6500K bulbs and one 4 tube 4 footer in my garage with the same bulbs. I am 21' deep X 24' wide and all walls and ceiling are painted gloss white . I could use a little more light although SWMBO swears I am nuts and puts on her sunglasses before entering my play room .

Rick

 

[Torque1st]

I am planning a 23x25 with 14 two tube 4' fixtures in three zones (6/4/4) with some task lighting also. They should run on one 15A circuit. Most of the time all of them will not be on at the same time tho. The center zone will be the most used lights controlled from three points. The outer two zones will be controlled from two points each.

 

[nissan_crawler]

I have a 19x23' with 9 dual bulb 4' T8 fixtures, and it's just right. If I had 24x24, I would be sorely tempted to do 4 rows of 3 and put 12 in.

 

[IBEW]

Here ya go
use HO 8' fluorescence light fixtures from Lowe's. HO means high output and they are rated for use in cold temps and put out double the lumen of A regular fluorescence lamp. Big plus also is these lamps are bright when you turn them on, not like regular fluorescence.

To give you the ultimate brightness you want. I would run 3 rows. First 2 rows 4' off the outside walls and the 3rd center. Stagger the lights to use 3 fixtures in each row. Total fixtures 24. Price each from Lowe's 55.00 per fixture plus lamps at 7.00 per lamp. You will have to run 2, 15 amp cir. 24 fixtures draws 22 amps. You will be happy with this setup.

 

[davetulk]

if you have 3 fixtures per row and three rows isn't that 9 fixtures in total?

Would you still need 2 circuits? 24 fixtures draws 22 amps. 9 fixtures would draw between 8 and 9 amps?

 

[grenoble]

I have a 24x26 garage with white walls, white ceiling and very light gray vinyl floor.
I tried to go ECO and save some money on the electric bill.
I use my garage as a space for mounting products that have very small parts so I need good lighting as I use prescriptions glasses which I complement with a magnifier when working.
I have 3 rolls with 3 CFL light bulbs 42W, 6400°K (Cool White), on each roll (bought at Home Depot).
These bulbs put out an equivalent of 150W each when compared with the incandescent bulbs. Well, it is BRIGHT and I can see everything!
Another thing that I did was to divide the electric connections in two sections. So, sometimes just one side of the garage will be ON depending on which bench I am using. I used two Ceiling occupancy sensors to turn them ON and OFF so if I have my hands full when walking in or out they will turn ON or OFF by themselves and also will turn OFF if left unattended.
I had lots of problems with the ceiling sensors as most of them do not work properly with CFL (Electronic Ballast). I finally got a Ceiling sensor that is a relay based solution (from Brazix occupancy sensor) and that finally worked with the CFL bulbs without flickering them.

 

[brent_malibu]

I have a 24x26 garage with white walls, white ceiling and very light gray vinyl floor.
I tried to go ECO and save some money on the electric bill.
I use my garage as an space for mounting products that have very small parts so I need good lighting as I use prescriptions glasses which I complement with a magnifier when working.
I have 3 rolls with 3 CFL light bulbs 42W, 6400°K (Cool White), on each roll (bought at Home Depot).
These bulbs put out an equivalent of 150W each when compared with the incandescent bulbs. Well, it is BRIGHT and I can see everything!
Another thing that I did was to divide the electric connections in two sections. So, sometimes just one side of the garage will be ON depending on which bench I am using. I used two Ceiling occupancy sensors to turn them ON and OFF so if I have my hands full when walking in or out they will turn ON or OFF by themselves and also will turn OFF if left unattended.
I had lots of problems with the ceiling sensors as most of them do not work properly with CFL (Electronic Ballast). I finally got a Ceiling sensor that is a relay based solution (from Brazix occupancy sensor) and that finally worked with the CFL bulbs without flickering them.

I did the same thing...25X30 With 3 rows of 3 CFL's, only I went with the Sylvania 65w (250watt equivalent). WAY TOO BRIGHT if there is such a thing. And it was cheap! the fixtures were cheap anyway...the bulbs are about $17 a piece.

 

[vdubbya]

Thanks with all of the replies so far! Keep them coming! I'd like to see pics of you have them.

 

[HighVoltage]

Its also going to depend on how much of the space is occupied.

I have a 20 x 20, with

QTY-----TYPE
2------4bulb, 4ft CFL fixtures
2------2bulb, 4ft CFL fixtures

all 6500K lighting. The walls are unpainted and the floor is bare concrete. It looks like a ton of light until you start stuffing the garage full. Then you start loosing a lot of the reflected light and it doesnt seem quite as bright. Its still not enough light for a good auto detail IMHO. I still take out the 1000watt halogen flood lamps to look for swirls on the paint. Im hoping some white paint of the walls and ceiling will help but I dont know if its going to do the trick. I'll snap a pic for your reference later. Hope it helps.

 

[IBEW]

if you have 3 fixtures per row and three rows isn't that 9 fixtures in total?

Would you still need 2 circuits? 24 fixtures draws 22 amps. 9 fixtures would draw between 8 and 9 amps?

Yes 9 fixtures... was thinking of my garage. Thanks for catching that.

 

[Dragster Racer]

This raises a question for me. What is the difference between a regular, and an HO? Don't all fixtures supply the same voltage to the bulbs? Wouldn't the bulbs be the deciding factor on the amount of light output? I have wondered this, since it would seem that a cheapie fixture would give just as much light with the same bulbs as a more expensive fixture.

Here ya go
use HO 8' fluorescence light fixtures from Lowe's. HO means high output and they are rated for use in cold temps and put out double the lumen of A regular fluorescence lamp. Big plus also is these lamps are bright when you turn them on, not like regular fluorescence.

To give you the ultimate brightness you want. I would run 3 rows. First 2 rows 4' off the outside walls and the 3rd center. Stagger the lights to use 3 fixtures in each row. Total fixtures 24. Price each from Lowe's 55.00 per fixture plus lamps at 7.00 per lamp. You will have to run 2, 15 amp cir. 24 fixtures draws 22 amps. You will be happy with this setup.

 

[69dblcab]

use caution with screw base cfls as most are not rated for BASE UP installation.
Read the packages.
I have four 150w screw base cfls in my shop. I was able to mount the fixtures sideways (the bulb parallel to the floor) that was my work around on the BASE UP problem.

I really like the cfls.

Cheers
Dudley

 

[nissan_crawler]

Yes 9 fixtures... was thinking of my garage. Thanks for catching that.

still doesn't make sense. If he's running 3 per row, that's 24' of bulb + fixture in a garage that's 24' long.

 

[stimpee]

still doesn't make sense. If he's running 3 per row, that's 24' of bulb + fixture in a garage that's 24' long.

That is why he said to "stagger" them in a row. Only way they will fit.

I am thinking about doing this in my 22d x 20w garage, but might do 3 rows 2 fixtures each and see what that yields.

 

[sparky1562]

This raises a question for me. What is the difference between a regular, and an HO? Don't all fixtures supply the same voltage to the bulbs? Wouldn't the bulbs be the deciding factor on the amount of light output? I have wondered this, since it would seem that a cheapie fixture would give just as much light with the same bulbs as a more expensive fixture.

The ballast and lamp are different. For instance: The HO's give off more Lumens, a standard T5 lamp puts out 2900 lumens, while a T5HO puts out 5000 lumens. The HO is less efficient lumens/watt, but when you need more light out of a small space or fixture, it has its applications.

A 'cheap fixture' is just that. Thinner metal, the reflector is not as good at controlling the light, and typically a cheap off name ballast. The same lamp in a cheap fixture and in a premium fixture can have completely different optical characteristics. In a shop it might not be that important.

I stuck with standard T8 lamps that I can get from just about anywhere, in a better industrial grade fixture with a good reflector. (I tend to move things and hit lights with 2x4's so a heavier fixture with a wire gaurd was the right choice for me!) I ended up with 32-4 lamp T8's (8-8ft 2 lamp tandems) in a 38x28 garage, on three switches. I don't have much in reflective surfaces and open trusses, so it is darker than some. If I had a white ceiling and walls, it would be bright with them all on.

 

[mmhouse]

My 3-car garage is about 24'x34' with a 10' ceiling and natural color concrete floor. I started with three porcelain fixtures with 200w incandescent bulbs and bare drywall with fire tape. After painting walls half light grey (lower) and half white with white ceiling the light was better but still insufficient. I installed three 4-tube T8 fixtures in place of the incandescents and that was still not enough light so I added four 2-tube fixtures at the rear of the garage and another one over my bench. Now the light is great.

So I ended up a total of 22 T8 5000k 2950 lumen 48" bulbs in the space and the lighting is good for general wrench turning. I would probably want more if the primary use of the garage was for detailing. Also, with a higher ceiling you will need more light. I would think you would want about 1.5 times the number of bulbs that I have since your garage is a bit smaller but you will need more light due to the intended use and higher ceiling. I'm sure others will give you more technical recommendations.

Thanks to suggestions here I went with 48" bulbs for ease of handling and storage. I also noticed when purchasing bulbs that 48" seem to be more readily available and in a greater variety.

I tried 6500k, 4100k and 5000k bulbs and settled on the 5000k as the color that looked and felt the best to me. I think this is very much personal preference.

I hope this is of some help to you. Good luck with your project.

 

[BrokeEF]

Question about the CFL option. First off I know they are not suposed to be mounted upside down (base up) but are there any that are designed for this? What about cold weather, I live in the Chicago area and we get the whole swing of temperature here. We heat the garage in the winter (when most of the work is done on the race car) but we only heat it when were working. What if you step out in the garage to grab something when its below 0, will the lights not turn on? Thanks for the info.

Sean

 

[vdubbya]

Thanks all for the replies again.

I'm just starting to wire the garage for my outlets now. Still trying to figure out a nice bulb layout.

I have 3 cars to work on this week already and no lights up. Yikes!

 

[brent_malibu]

use caution with screw base cfls as most are not rated for BASE UP installation.
Read the packages.
I have four 150w screw base cfls in my shop. I was able to mount the fixtures sideways (the bulb parallel to the floor) that was my work around on the BASE UP problem.

I really like the cfls.

Cheers
Dudley

I have heard this before from a few people but I have never seen a caution or warning on the bulb package not to do so? Where does it say this? Not trying to be a smart A** Just don’t understand why this would be a problem. I have had these mounted like this for a year and a half and have only had one burn out prematurely.

 

[brent_malibu]

I have heard this before from a few people but I have never seen a caution or warning on the bulb package not to do so? Where does it say this? Not trying to be a smart A** Just don’t understand why this would be a problem. I have had these mounted like this for a year and a half and have only had one burn out prematurely.

Ok, I guess I just answered my own question. The CFl's i'm using have vents at the base and are ok to mount upside down.

 

[rickairmedic]

Brent I have a bunch of the curlyQ style CFL's mounted upside down around my house never had a problem yet . By the way did you get your outdoor temp sensor yet .

Rick

 

[jnyost]

I'm using 8' HO Zero degree balasts with HO-O 100w blulbs. That's what my local electric store recommended and I love them. I have 10 lighting my 40x60.

 

[brent_malibu]

Brent I have a bunch of the curlyQ style CFL's mounted upside down around my house never had a problem yet . By the way did you get your outdoor temp sensor yet .

Rick

Ok cool thanks! I had planned on going with 8' fixtures when I was building the shop but after using the 250w curlyQ CFL's I'll never go back. The CFl's are way brighter and require zero maintenance every time someone new comes into the shop there amazed at how bright it is.

Oh yeah, I have the sensor just havent wired it yet...lazy

 

[Pingatpro]

Still new to the forum so I can't speak to much in terms / lingo yet, but if your detailing auto's in your shop are you sure that all of your fixtures shining down from the top??
A painting buddy of mine has an area he set side for detailing, pin stripping ect.. and he has two rows of bright (i assume HO) lights on the side walls to remove shadows that would otherwise be created from just top lighting. Now like I said I am still new to all this its just an observation I made... BTW and he still has one of the twin halogen lamps from harbor freight he moves around as needed. Lynn

 

[vdubbya]

My ceiling is at a slight vault so that should be ok. I hope to keep the garage door open on nice weather days and will soon install a patio door. I do plan on making a movable light bar using tubes to replace my heat throwing halogens for interior work. I have to be careful about putting lights on the walls for the fact that I have children. A great idea though.

 

[Dragster Racer]

The ballast and lamp are different. For instance: The HO's give off more Lumens, a standard T5 lamp puts out 2900 lumens, while a T5HO puts out 5000 lumens. The HO is less efficient lumens/watt, but when you need more light out of a small space or fixture, it has its applications.

A 'cheap fixture' is just that. Thinner metal, the reflector is not as good at controlling the light, and typically a cheap off name ballast. The same lamp in a cheap fixture and in a premium fixture can have completely different optical characteristics. In a shop it might not be that important.

I stuck with standard T8 lamps that I can get from just about anywhere, in a better industrial grade fixture with a good reflector. (I tend to move things and hit lights with 2x4's so a heavier fixture with a wire gaurd was the right choice for me!) I ended up with 32-4 lamp T8's (8-8ft 2 lamp tandems) in a 38x28 garage, on three switches. I don't have much in reflective surfaces and open trusses, so it is darker than some. If I had a white ceiling and walls, it would be bright with them all on.

Thanks for the explanation!