Advise on Lighting Option and Wiring

[crazyios]

Hello everyone. Can someone please let me know if this propose lighting scheme will work in my garage for efficient lighting. At the moment there are two T8 fixture with 2 bulbs each at 36 watt. There is a plastic cover on them which when I remove them its a bit brighter. It is shown in the picture as the red rectangle.

The blue rectangle is the propose lighting. Should I go with the 2 bulb light fixture of T8 or should I go with T5?

Can I use T5 bulbs in the light fixture that I have now? When I was looking through Home Depot, the T5 seem to be the brightest.

Detail on the garage is that its a 3 car garage with a wall separating the 3rd car as shown in the picture. The garage is for parking and working on the car (oil change, etc...)

As for wiring. I climbed up in the attic and was able to get to the garage area. When wiring the lights up, get romex wires and put them in series like the black lines shown in the picture? Is it hard to wire them up? From what I read and seen, it isn't too bad. Should I go with yellow romex (12/2) or the white romex (14/2).

Each red rectangle has its own light switch.

The yellow rectangle is the garage opener.




Any other advise is very much appreciated. Thank you.

 

[DwightS]

That layout will work OK, it really depends on what your intentions are for your garage and only you can make that decision. The two fixtures in front of the garage doors will be blocked when your doors are up. If you do most of your work with the doors closed, they'll be fine. If you work with the doors up, check to see where the door is in the up position and move the light beyond that location so it isn't blocked. Of course, it'll be fairly close to the garage door opener.

When you say the lights have a plastic cover on them, I assume you mean a lens. That will protect your lamps from breaking if they're hit by something. I have bare bulb strip lights and have never had an issue. If you are talking about tube protectors which are clear plastic tubes just over the lamp, take them off and toss them. They're more for food service applications.

Stick with T8 lamps. The T5 are a little brighter, but are more suitable for high ceilings or indirect applications. Also, they are more expensive than a T8. You can get a two pack of T8 lamps for around $8, a single T5 will cost around $11. You don't replace them often, but I still like to save money wherever I can. To lamp your garage in T5 would cost you $130. To lamp it in T8 will cost you around $50. You're not getting twice the light for twice them money. Also, the T5 lamps do not fit T8 fixtures. The lamp length is slightly different.

As for wiring, what are your lights currently wired with #14. or #12? Sticking with the same is good practice. There's more to wire size than that, but you're adding on to existing, so you should be fine to stick with the same as what is currently installed with no more wattage with what you're adding on the above layout.

Pick up a home wiring how-to book from Lowe's or Home Depot, it will help you learn how to wire them up properly. It isn't hard to do, right or wrong, so learn to do it right since doing it wrong could be hazardous.

 

[2ManyProjects]

Hello everyone. Can someone please let me know if this propose lighting scheme will work in my garage for efficient lighting.

There are a TON of recent threads in this Forum which discuss this same general topic in great detail. You would be wise to read them, before duplicating the effort. In particular, this application appears to be very similar (nearly identical in fact) to the one discussed in http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3447047.

Beyond that, I will attempt to answer your specific questions; but you need to understand that this just barely scratches the surface of all that should be considered...

At the moment there are two T8 fixture with 2 bulbs each at 36 watt.

If they're standard 4-foot T8 tubes, they're nominally 32 watts each, not 36. However, it is the ballasts which will determine the actual total power consumption.

There is a plastic cover on them which when I remove them its a bit brighter. It is shown in the picture as the red rectangle.

You are apparently describing what is normally called a "wrap" fixture, because the tubes are effectively "wrapped" in plastic. You don't want to remove that diffuser/lens. In addition to the impact protection noted by "DwightS", it also helps distribute the light output more evenly.

The blue rectangle is the propose lighting.

The specific number of new fixtures you will need and their best locations will depend almost purely on what you plan to use the space for. Without knowing that, we can make only the most general of pot-shot "one size fits all" recommendations. That said...

If you're doing any (even semi-) "serious" work in this garage, you're not showing nearly enough lighting.

The two fixtures you show near the vehicle doors will be completely blocked (hence, wasted) any time the doors are open. And unless that garage is both heated & air conditioned, odds are you WILL want the doors open most times you're working in there.

Should I go with the 2 bulb light fixture of T8 or should I go with T5?

Don't use T5 (or worse, T5HO) unless your ceilings are exceptionally tall (12-15 feet at the very least; higher would be better still). Yes, the T5HO types in particular are significantly brighter than T8s, on a tube-by-tube basis; but that's not what you really need for effective lighting. You need the light to be evenly distributed throughout the work area(s). And by the time you put in fixtures everywhere you'll need them to accomplish that goal, even T8s will provide MORE than enough overall brightness.

Can I use T5 bulbs in the light fixture that I have now?

Near-certainly no. Depending on the specific fixtures (and ballasts) you have now, you MAY be able to find adapters for such a kludge; but I would not use them even if they exist.

When I was looking through Home Depot, the T5 seem to be the brightest.

See above.

Detail on the garage is that its a 3 car garage with a wall separating the 3rd car as shown in the picture. The garage is for parking and working on the car (oil change, etc...)

If you're only doing "routine maintenance" chores, as opposed to more ambitious "gear head" type things, you can probably get away with somewhat less fixed lighting; but I'd still want significantly more than you're showing in your sketch. Either way, a good drop light on a ceiling-mounted retractable reel will go a long way toward covering contingencies.

As for wiring. I climbed up in the attic and was able to get to the garage area. When wiring the lights up, get romex wires and put them in series like the black lines shown in the picture?

First, that is NOT "in series". Multiple fixtures on the same circuit are ALWAYS wired in parallel. What you're showing/describing is called a "daisy-chain" arrangement, which is an entirely different thing.

Second, you're going to want to break up the switching into more separate banks, in order to provide better control over which lights go on when, depending on the needs of the moment. See that thread I cited above for further discussion.

Is it hard to wire them up? From what I read and seen, it isn't too bad. Should I go with yellow romex (12/2) or the white romex (14/2).

If you're extending an existing circuit (such as you have proposed) you'll want to use the SAME wiring type & gauge as the existing wiring.

Each red rectangle has its own light switch.

Which, as noted above, will surely prove inadequate once you get all the new lighting installed.

The yellow rectangle is the garage opener.

Ideally, they should be on their own dedicated circuit. Which brings us to...

The very FIRST thing you need to do is determine how many circuits (i.e., breakers) feed that garage now, and EXACTLY what the loads on them currently are. Remember too, it would not be at all surprising to find that the existing light fixtures (and MAYBE even the GDOs) are on a circuit which is shared with various loads within the house itself. Regardless of where the load is, it needs to be accounted for. Until you determine this with a high degree of certainty, you cannot know how much additional load that circuit (or circuits) will safely accommodate.

 

[crazyios]

thank you for the great information.

The cover that is on the light is a plastic cover.

This is what the lights look like:

You make a great point that when the garage door is up, the light would be useless. What if I install another light near the garage opener.

Would that make more sense. As to what I will be doing in the garage. I just would like to have more lights. Right now its rather dim when I close the garage at night. I do work on the car (not as often as before) but when I do, I would like to have some lighting.

I'm still in the planning stage of what I would like to do as far as work bench against the back wall. If I do, I would probably want some lights above it as well.

As for the wiring. I have to double check to see what kind of romex was used. Also I'll find out if the garage has a dedicated breakers. I would love to have the light switch for each section but running the line down to where the current switch are would be a pain (i would imagine). I could try and see.

 

[DwightS]

Spend a little money and paint the walls and ceiling. Ceiling white semi-gloss and a light colored semi-gloss on the walls. It will greatly improve your light in there. Put fixtures another side of the garage door openers will be better than directly over the door as you have. Also putting a light between the doors will be good.

 

[crazyios]

Yes the walls are painted both wall and ceiling. I am going to seal the concrete in the next couple of days.

I just checked the panel and the garage lights are on their own circuit. 15 amps. I still have to climb up the attic and see what kind of romex they used. I believe its yellow which are 12/2

Dwights:
Yes I will have one lights on both side.

 

[2ManyProjects]

thank you for the great information.

The cover that is on the light is a plastic cover.

This is what the lights look like:

Yup. Standard-issue two-tube wrap fixture. Similar/matching ones are available cheap at Home Depot:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-Lighting-2-Light-Utility-Light-3348-2L32W-WRAP/100654395

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...hite-Fluorescent-Light-Fixture-3324/202192968

You make a great point that when the garage door is up, the light would be useless. What if I install another light near the garage opener.

Would that make more sense.

Did you read those other threads I mentioned? If you did, you'd see that the "common theme" is to run more-or-less continuous "strips" of twin-tube fixtures along the SIDES of wherever the vehicles will park, plus another strip running crossways about 20 feet in from the door, to fill in between the others and to throw some light into open engine compartments.

In your case, because of that wall separating the two spaces, you'll need four of these "fore & aft" runs, two in each sub-area. Unfortunately, because of the double-width door in the main garage area, you won't be able to run a third strip between the two parking spaces (well, you could; but it would be largely wasted). Also, in the separate single-bay garage, you'll likely want these somewhat closer to the walls than would normally be the case; since you only have ten feet of width to play with, odds are you won't be putting cabinets, workbenches, etc. along those sidewalls anyway.

As to what I will be doing in the garage. I just would like to have more lights. Right now its rather dim when I close the garage at night.

I would think so, with only about 5,600 lumens to light up well over 400 ft.^2 of space -- and a poorly placed/distributed 5,600 lumens, at that!

I do work on the car (not as often as before) but when I do, I would like to have some lighting.

Again, no argument there. But concomitantly, you ALSO need/want good control over that lighting. Again, I refer you to the prior art (i.e., the other threads here) for further details.

I'm still in the planning stage of what I would like to do as far as work bench against the back wall. If I do, I would probably want some lights above it as well.

WHICH "back wall"? You haven't explicitly mentioned this; but based on the sketch it appears that the two-bay space is probably intended for daily "car park" duty, while the semi-segregated third bay would be the primary work/project area, with tool storage, workbenches, etc., in that offset area at the rear of this bay. (It's a real shame this space isn't 2-4 feet wider, at which point you'd have plenty of "working room" all around the subject vehicle. Oh, well.) If this is correct, then it is in that third bay where truly effective lighting is most critical. Or... Is that a third overhead door I see at the back of that single-bay space? If so, this throws a monkey wrench into the above supposition.

As for the wiring. I have to double check to see what kind of romex was used.

A small (nitpick, really) point: The wire you are referring to is properly called "NM-B", for "Non-Metallic (jacket), Type B insulation"; "Romex" (always capitalized) is a trademarked brand name for NM-B produced by Southwire Company, of Carrollton, GA.

Also I'll find out if the garage has a dedicated breakers. I would love to have the light switch for each section but running the line down to where the current switch are would be a pain (i would imagine). I could try and see.

Obviously, it would be easier if the walls were still open. But even so, it shouldn't be all that difficult, as long as the wall in question is NOT full of insulation.

Worst (and rather unlikely) case: You'll need to temporarily remove a chunk of drywall in the area of the desired switch locations and pull out the insulation batt from that stud cavity, setting both of them aside for later. Then run your wires (and install your boxes, if these are new locations). And finally, replace the insulation & drywall (if you cut it carefully during removal, it should fit back in like a glove), spackle, and touch up the paint.

Yes the walls are painted both wall and ceiling. I am going to seal the concrete in the next couple of days.

That is a whole separate (yet important) discussion, which would be off-topic for this Forum; and I strongly suggest that you at least thoroughly review the pertinent threads in the "Flooring" Forum http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=20 before proceding. That said, I will note this much here and now: Do NOT scrimp on either the materials or (especially) the prep work. The success of the job (in terms of both appearance and durability) is at least 90% dependant on how clean and smooth the the underlying substrate is BEFORE you apply the first drop of sealer/epoxy/paint/whatever. FWIW, I like two-part epoxy for this application, using a three-layer (2-3 base coats, then color chips, then clear sealer & UV barrier) layup schedule.

I just checked the panel and the garage lights are on their own circuit. 15 amps.

What about the garage door openers? And what about whatever 120V duplex outlets you may have (or want to have) in there?

I still have to climb up the attic and see what kind of romex they used. I believe its yellow which are 12/2

I would be mildly surprised if a builder used 12/2 for a pure lighting circuit, unless prompted to do so by the homeowner or similar. But if it is, so much the better.

Dwights:
Yes I will have one lights on both side.

Not sure what you mean by this?