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Cheap lights

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mvusse

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Aug 21, 2018
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87
Location
Strasburg, Ohio
I decided to use these

https://www.menards.com/main/lighting-ceiling-fans/indoor-lighting/work-shop-lights/smart-electrician-reg-45-5000-lumen-led-shop-light/gt-sl5000-link/p-1521873022724-c-1472133557086.htm

lights for my new garage. Had originally planned 18 total, 3 rows of 6 to light 24x50 feet with the lights hanging some 12' above the floor.

Well, so far I have only bought 10 of them (other 8 would be done with next pay check) and decided to start putting them up. I changed my mind and will be going with 2 rows of 5 and only use the ones I have already. I have only 4 of them up so far, but that's enough to realize I don't need 18,
 
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Norcal

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Mar 16, 2008
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Any receptacles you install for them in a garage/shop/outbuilding must have GFCI protection, this is one disadvantage of cord and plug connected lighting.
 
S

Stuart in MN

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Location
Minneapolis
tom-ky said:
Why is that? Mine passed inspection without a GFCI outlet.
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Depends on when yours were installed, and also what revision of the NEC the original poster's state is using. Per the 2017 NEC GFCIs are required, but some states use earlier versions that may or may not have that requirement.
 
T

tom-ky

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512
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Morgantown, Ky
Stuart in MN said:
Depends on when yours were installed, and also what revision of the NEC the original poster's state is using. Per the 2017 NEC GFCIs are required, but some states use earlier versions that may or may not have that requirement.
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Mine was done about 18 months ago. Curious as to how a GFCI on a outlet in the ceiling protects anyone.
 
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tom-ky

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Morgantown, Ky
Norcal said:
Just because something passed inspection does not always make it right.
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What would their purpose be on a light circuit? Their purpose is to prevent shock to a person. How would they do that in a ceiling? Just trying to learn, seen several garages done in my area without them and inspected by different inspectors.
 
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cybrdyke

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USA
tom-ky said:
What would their purpose be on a light circuit?
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If you have that circuit terminated in receptacles, then it's not a lighting circuit...it's just considered a bunch of receptacles in the ceiling. And anyone can plug anything into them. In a garage, especially, there is a fair likelihood of something being plugged in that could cause an issue. An example might be a cord reel that is plugged into a ceiling receptacle that is being used by someone standing in a puddle.
CD
 
T

tom-ky

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Morgantown, Ky
cybrdyke said:
If you have that circuit terminated in receptacles, then it's not a lighting circuit...it's just considered a bunch of receptacles in the ceiling. And anyone can plug anything into them. In a garage, especially, there is a fair likelihood of something being plugged in that could cause an issue. An example might be a cord reel that is plugged into a ceiling receptacle that is being used by someone standing in a puddle.
CD
Click to expand...

I added GFCI’s to my garage but was none when it was inspected. Things really must vary by area.
 
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coljar

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Location
Belpre, Ohio
My lights are hard wired, but nothing is inspected beyond the meter here. All my receptacles are GFCI, except the ones used to power neon signs. Those lights look like they'll work great, by the way.
 
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OP
M

mvusse

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Aug 21, 2018
Messages
87
Location
Strasburg, Ohio
Norcal said:
Any receptacles you install for them in a garage/shop/outbuilding must have GFCI protection, this is one disadvantage of cord and plug connected lighting.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the heads-up.

I think I will install an easier to reach GFCI outlet so I can reach the test/reset buttons and have it protect the rest of the string (the two outlets in the ceiling). The ceiling ones won't be easy to reach as they'll be 12'6" up from the floor.
 
C

Citation

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Jan 20, 2016
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3,209
Location
Indy
My non-electrician understanding was that outlets installed in the ceiling for lighting (and possibly garage door openers) proposes didn't require a gfci but that may not be current code. I can see the logic in both directions. Outlets placed for lights or garage door openers are high above areas that may get wet and are generally single purpose. However, as I did in my own garage, if you don't have many outlets you tend to use what you can find. I have an extension cord plugged into the opener outlet because it best reaches my car and my garage currently has too few outlets (I'm working on that).

If you are doing a new install it wouldn't be hard to add a single gfci to feed the lighting outlets.
 
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Norcal

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There is no exception to the GFCI requirements & the GFCI must be accessible.
 
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gmtech

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nc
Not to hijack this, as it pertains to the conversation, but it's something I've been wondering for my current garage build. Is it legal to just use a gfci outlet on the first outlet and let it protect the others down stream?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
 
N

Norcal

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gmtech said:
Not to hijack this, as it pertains to the conversation, but it's something I've been wondering for my current garage build. Is it legal to just use a gfci outlet on the first outlet and let it protect the others down stream?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

That is the way it's done in most cases, cheaper then a GFCI circuit breaker which is the other way it can be done.
 
W

walta

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Jan 13, 2017
Messages
2,307
Location
Dutzow Missouri
gmtech said:
Not to hijack this, as it pertains to the conversation, but it's something I've been wondering for my current garage build. Is it legal to just use a gfci outlet on the first outlet and let it protect the others down stream?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

The instructions that come with most GFIC outlets set a limit on the number of outlet one is allowed to protect. Often the number is six but read your instruction sheet. Yes a home inspector did teach me that lesson.


Walta
 
K

Krang

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Oct 22, 2018
Messages
185
Location
Hawaii
Because I think it would be useful for us in this thread, I got some CHEAP T5 LED’s from amazon, didn’t work well for my intended application but I’m going to use them for workbench lighting for sure.

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“ put up some of the new lights to test fit... and I really don’t like them. They are 6000k and just WAY to blue/white for my liking. I’m going to pick up some alternate fixtures today that are 4000k and see how it works. That aside, my system for attaching the lights works like a charm! 80lb magnets on the back of a PVC trim board:”

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However, they work great for my other - storage specific container. Super easy installation and I don’t care what the light looks like, only that there is some light:

d6808ee9a2df120147e9999682c8ce9e.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal
 

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C

cybrdyke

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USA
You can get little magnets with a threaded post on them. Put the post thru the hole in the clip and attach the magnet to the ceiling. No trim board necessary.
CD
51%2BimW%2BjOmL._SX342_.jpg
 
K

Krang

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Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Messages
185
Location
Hawaii
cybrdyke said:
You can get little magnets with a threaded post on them. Put the post thru the hole in the clip and attach the magnet to the ceiling. No trim board necessary.
CD
51%2BimW%2BjOmL._SX342_.jpg
Click to expand...

Very true, but these lights don't have any way to utilize yours in that way. They are not even 1" wide, and the brackets are dinky.

I picked up some of the Costco 4000 lumen 4k lights and like them so far, going to set them up this weekend and I know I will need that trim board - they don't have any easy way to attach other than eyelets like you would find on a power strip..... I might just drill some holes.

I definitely know a few uses for your magnets though, there are some things I want to attach that I can't easily screw into, yours would work perfectly.
 
C

cybrdyke

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Messages
3,442
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USA
Krang said:
Very true, but these lights don't have any way to utilize yours in that way. They are not even 1" wide, and the brackets are dinky.
Click to expand...

I know they are. I use them. You can get the magnets small enough so that the post fits thru the hole in the mounting clip.
CD
 
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K

Krang

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Joined
Oct 22, 2018
Messages
185
Location
Hawaii
cybrdyke said:
I know they are. I use them. You can get the magnets small enough so that the post fits thru the hole in the mounting clip.
CD
Click to expand...

Mind blown.
giphy.gif


Well, now I must scour the Internet for them, unless you have a link, lighting wizard.
 
G

gungatim

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Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
8,101
Location
west mich
I have 4 of those in my outside shop, I love them, super bright, no delay, dheap to run.

only complaint is when I replaced my fluorescent's in my wood shop, I found Harbor Freight sells the exact same light for $20 with coupon. bought 3 of those and saved some coin. wish I would have known about the HF lights before spending $40 each at Menards....
 
B

bjcouche

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Joined
Sep 11, 2010
Messages
509
Location
Ohio
And when installing outlets on the ceiling, make sure they are tamper resistant. My inspector specifically looked to see that the garage door opener outlet was tamper resistant. "all outlets must be tamper resistant, no exceptions". Actually the NEC does have a couple exceptions, but I wasn't about to argue with the inspector when he was about to pass my install.
Brian
 
F

Falcon67

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Joined
Jun 11, 2009
Messages
18,371
Location
Merkel, TX
gmtech said:
Not to hijack this, as it pertains to the conversation, but it's something I've been wondering for my current garage build. Is it legal to just use a gfci outlet on the first outlet and let it protect the others down stream?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Every plug run in my shop is like that. One is usually in front of 8~10 downstream outlets.
 
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