Turning One Fluorescent Fixture into 3 or more?

[SharkD]

My garage currently has a single dual-lamp T-12 surface mount fixture for hard-wired lighting.

Without having mapped the circuit, but well-aware that it's not a dedicated circuit, does is seem feasible to replace the single T-12 with more than one T-8 fixture, using surface-mounted conduit, as seen here? The ceiling and the floor above it are finished, so it's not that simple to run the wiring in the ceiling. (I realize that the best answer I might get is a 'maybe.')

Alternatively, does anyone have any leads on who manufactures these "linkable" T-8 fixtures: http://www.carguygarage.com/triplelonglinka.html ?

Thanks.

 

[usmc_noma]

forget about those linkable structures. for two 8' at the same price you'd get more lighting.

i'd see what that circuit is wired up for. it's more than likely a dedicated circuit in the garage for the light and maybe one plug on the ceiling. who knows but find out what it's for by turning off the breaker. if it's a dedicated circuit, just run it as the other member did.

i have a single bulb light fixture that i'll eventually end up taking down and replacing with a branched off set of t-8's just as the post you referred to.

 

[SharkD]

The circuit has:

• Garage overhead - 1x T-12 (2 lamp)
• Garage Door Opener ceiling outlet
• Kitchen Overhead 1x T-12 (2 lamp)
• Dining Room chandelier
• Pantry/hall light (standard incandescent)
• Foyer light
• 2x Carriage light
• 1x Flood light

 

[travisd]

15A @ 110 volts is around 1650 watts. Since most of those are lights you can add up the wattages of all the bulbs and get an idea of how close you are to capacity. I'm guessing that with all of those, you probably aren't anywhere close to capacity.

 

[T VETTE]

I am in the same boat.

 

[Scotto]

15A @ 110 volts is around 1650 watts. Since most of those are lights you can add up the wattages of all the bulbs and get an idea of how close you are to capacity. I'm guessing that with all of those, you probably aren't anywhere close to capacity.

Especially if you're running any CFLs.

I had a similar set up in my garage, except it was 1 screw-in fixture in the whole garage. I took that out and put a cover on it and from that power wired in 4 double T-8 fixtures. Still well under 1650 watts with everything on that circuit on.

 

[SharkD]

15A @ 110 volts is around 1650 watts. Since most of those are lights you can add up the wattages of all the bulbs and get an idea of how close you are to capacity. I'm guessing that with all of those, you probably aren't anywhere close to capacity.

Let's see...

The circuit has:

• Garage overhead - 1x T-12 (2 lamp) - 64w
• Garage Door Opener ceiling outlet - ??w
• Kitchen Overhead 1x T-12 (4 lamp) - 128w
• Dining Room chandelier (8 lamp) - 320w
• Pantry/hall light (standard incandescent) - 60w
• Foyer light - 80w
• 2x Carriage light - 80w
• 1x Flood light - ≈300w
• 1x Garage exterior light - 16w

Total - 1048w + Chamberlain 3850 3/4 hp opener (525w?)