Re-light basement, transplant to garage

[ChaseDE]

Currently I have a basement that was finished in the 90's, the original owner was pretty handy and did a decent job for the time I guess. I will be refinishing everything, floor, paint, and building some stuff as you can see in the screenshot. Currently he has these tube fixtures in the ceiling which look terrible. Note the enclosed HVAC trunk running through the middle of the room, it's about 9" deep.







I would like to take these 6 or 7 lights out, patch the holes, then replace them with the new style 6" wafers that come with their own transformers like these. I don't know a ton about lighting, temp colors, etc. Will these work?

Lights on Amazon here

They are the 6" 2700k wafers, with junction box, so it's my understanding they are just cut into the ceiling with no can needed correct? Are these junk? Are there better ones for reasonable price? Thoughts on that...

Now look at my basement size and layout. I am thinking of just putting 8 in the large size area (left side of HVAC hump) and 6 on the right side, would this work? too much? not enough?




Final question, the existing tube fixtures in the ceiling now, would they be better/suitable to be re-used in my 22'x22' garage which currently just has the garage door opener lights and 2 single bulbs.


Thanks in advance for your thoughts, gurus!

 

[rsanter]

That’s exactly what I would do.
There are several brands out there, choose a good one and go for it

 

[aandpdan]

The existing fixtures look like T12's. They're not as efficient as newer fixtures, either LED or fluorescent. What kind of ballast do they have?

 

[ChaseDE]

The existing fixtures look like T12's. They're not as efficient as newer fixtures, either LED or fluorescent. What kind of ballast do they have?

I really have no idea till I start pulling them out but I will let you all know.

On average my garage lights may be on for an hour a day only when I am working in there (hour at a time garage). Most times it's just the garage opener lights to see to walk in.

 

[driftpin]

For the price, I suggest the garage should get the Costco LED two-bulb four-foot shop light fixtures, $20 apiece, which for your ceiling height would provide great output, at a good 'color' of light. Screw them directly to the ceiling rafters, or you could use drywall anchors, the type that are called, 'mollies (molly).' The ones that use a machine-screw thread to 'set' the molly, and which can have the machine screw removed to mount whatever. Don't bother trying to use the keyhole screw mounting punch-out in the sheetmetal of the fixture, use fender washers and go right-through the fixture sheetmetal and into a ceiling rafter or wherever your mollies need to be in the drywall.

Yes it appears like those lights can be mounted directly into holes in the drywall ceiling. Spend some time making sure your mounting holes won't lie at a rafter, so you have sufficient clearance for the fixtures.

If you don't have one of those large-diameter dust-catchers for your hole-saw, have your helper use a shop vac and a 6' wand length to catch dust from your drilling, it makes things much cleaner, and avoids the messy, airborne gypsum board dust migrating everywhere.

When I cut-in for recessed cans on a kitchen re-model, I didn't have a large hole-saw. I made a template out of plywood for my Rotozip and temporarily-screwed it to the drywall ceiling to make the holes. Cheaper than buying a new hole-saw, and made from scrap on-hand.

Sell the old fixtures on CL.

 

[fourjeepin]

Those tubes look toasted. I would move them to the garage, but do the LED ballast bypass. I have done 2 of the 7 in my garage and man, are the LED tubes nice. At $8 a bulb, they are cheaper than Costco if you don’t have to buy the fixture.

 

[ChaseDE]

Those tubes look toasted. I would move them to the garage, but do the LED ballast bypass.

Never heard of LED ballast bypass, is that a new tube bulb that is LED that will work in the existing fixtures similar to this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OMAIG2S/?tag=atomicindus08-20


agree the exist tubes are pretty beat!

 

[Radix2]

Your plan on the new lights will work, it won't be very bright.

If you are just looking for a sitting area, probably ok. If you need to do anything detailed, you will need extra lighting.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Never heard of LED ballast bypass, is that a new tube bulb that is LED that will work in the existing fixtures similar to this? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OMAIG2S/?tag=atomicindus08-20


agree the exist tubes are pretty beat!

See post 1 of Best Light Fixture sticky - link in sig below. You can reuse your housings with LED bypass bulbs.

 

[ChaseDE]

See post 1 of Best Light Fixture sticky - link in sig below. You can reuse your housings with LED bypass bulbs.

Platonic, thank you sir!


ETA: Platonic, what do you think about the 6" wafers, 8 in one side of the basment and 6 in the other? Not bright enough or?

 

[Platonic Solid]

ChaseDE - Would have to model rooms, find and input IES data of actual fixtures into Dialux or you could get a general feel via Visual Photometric Tool - link to instructions. You'll need to locate a similar Acuity fixture within the tool or you can use external IES files download to your PC. Ceiling height matters. Purpose of space matters. See page 19 of this PDF (link) for footcandle (fc) recommendations.