beginning electrical in new pole barn

[tkiranch]

I am like everyone else, I have 20 things going at once and enough money for less than 1 of them. I am going to be putting in electric in my shop this winter. Due to cost, I was thinking of just having the wire run and the boxes put in with all plugs and switches set up. Has anyone put plugs in the cieling for the lights? I figure I can purchase lights as sales come up. This would allow me to be able to move the lights if I find a better way of setting them up. I am going to have 3 banks of lights. one on the main isle, one on the shop area and one on the storage area. switched on the walk in door and the main isle second swith on the back slide door.

Does this seem like a decent idea or should I just have the box installed for the light without the plugs?

Any help would be apreciated.

 

[dittle fart around]

I worked commercial lighting for a while and that happens all the time in high bay situations. Install a 15 amp twist lock plug in the boxes so the cord doesn't fall out. It allows you to upgrade lighting with out hard wiring inside a box. Replacing damaged fixture is quick and easy. You'd be surprised on how many forklift accidents there are.

 

[Highbeam]

You will pay extra for the plug and socket you are adding. There will be a cost associated with the flexibility you are trying to add and if your goal is less cost then there is nothing wrong with cheap wirenuts.

 

[tkiranch]

Due to disability, it would be best to put in the plugs. I would need an electrician to hook them up. I can put on a plug and have my farm hand put up the light. Do they have a 2 plug set up like that with the locking plug.

 

[sberry]

Back in the day I hardwired everything,,, now days plug and cord, makes fixture moving and service easy.

 

[larry_g]

I have it both ways. In the main shop area I don't plan for a ceiling so the fixtures are hardwired into the box. In the clean area where it will be insulated and have a ceiling I put in duplex plugs. The plugs allow me to move light fixtures around so that they will light the machines for best work purposes. So you may want both. You can also pull in the wires and nut them off till the fixtures are installed.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Jagmandave]

As long as the cords are the original (6 ft?) length the plugs won't fall out, don't worry about using twist locks. Mine have been plugged into sockets for almost 20 years now and none have fallen out. If you're concerned, just spread the tines of the plug a little bit to create a little more tension, but I doubt even that will be necessary. If the cords are really long and heavy you can use a tension relieving support that attaches to the socket plate screw and takes the weight of the cord, but if they're the sort of cords that come with most fixtures you get from Lowes or HD, that's not necessary.

It might be different in a warehouse with forktrucks that can reach high enough to hit the lights....