Crawlspace lighting?

[Raisedonadeere]

I need to be able to flip aswitch and light up my 30’x60’ crawl space. It is 3’ 4” tall. Don’t need working space grade lighting but enough to navigate and not be blinded by lights in my face. I am thinking lots of little lights or some sort of string of LEDs. Simple enough I thought until I started trying to put together a plan. Suddenly gets expensive. I can do wiring, gfi’s, junction boxes so don’t
necesaily need plug and play.

I am now thinking I will just use a high wattage spot light on a cord that I can just drag around for projects and leave at door for quick look when I smell or hear something or trying to remember what I stored down there.

 

[Zeke]

Low voltage.

 

[NUTTSGT]

How about a string or two of these from HF ? As the bulbs burn out or quit working replace them with some LED lightbuds.

https://www.harborfreight.com/24-ft-12-bulb-outdoor-string-lights-63483.html

replacements
https://www.menards.com/main/electr...20-c-7482.htm?tid=1980569856081029555&ipos=87

 

[akasrick]

I need to be able to flip aswitch and light up my 30’x60’ crawl space. It is 3’ 4” tall. Don’t need working space grade lighting but enough to navigate and not be blinded by lights in my face. I am thinking lots of little lights or some sort of string of LEDs. Simple enough I thought until I started trying to put together a plan. Suddenly gets expensive. I can do wiring, gfi’s, junction boxes so don’t
necesaily need plug and play.

I am now thinking I will just use a high wattage spot light on a cord that I can just drag around for projects and leave at door for quick look when I smell or hear something or trying to remember what I stored down there.

I added a receptacle in the middle, a recorded trouble light that reaches all corners, paneling, plywood cutoffs to anyplace I need to go to.

akasrick

 

[ddawg16]

I installed some T5 lights in my crawl space with a switch next to the access hatch.

I run them off a GFCI outlet at my load center. I also have an outlet down there so I don't have to run an extension cord.

My only mistake...I should have ran 2 ckts...one for the outlet and one of the lights...that way, if I trip the outlet, I still have lights.

 

[bullnerd]

I use the sams club 4' leds, easy to install, and the bulb wont fall out or pop when i bump into it.

 

[fourjeepin]

Rope lights? Led ones are speedy, but if you aren’t running them for long, just go with the inexpensive incandescents.

 

[Raisedonadeere]

What actions do you take when you smell or hear something?

Take a look. Hopefully not into the dark.

 

[Raisedonadeere]

Got some very helpful ideas from these responses. A center receptacle, the string lights, replacing the bulbs with LED, and separate circuit for power so I lights don’t go out from overloaded power cord. I first thought the tube lights would be good but I am mostly needing to light the overhead area. Corded light and string lights are more adaptable to projects, I envision.

BTW I am sealing and insulating my crawl space to make it part of the conditioned air of my house. Made possible by seeing to gravity drainage of the outside foundation and sealing the wall before backfilling. I expect to not be dealing with critters and musty spider infested corners. Put 14” metal termite shield between foundation and house.

 

[High5]

We installed 14 lights in our crawlspace. I used a power strip located next to the entrance so I can flip the power on and off. The strip is plugged it into a outdoor rated GFI plug. Then took a heavy duty extension cord and cut the female end off; wired it into the first J box and plugged the other end into the power strip. Then daisy chained the remaining J boxes. We used LED light bulbs screwed into standard bases. Works like a champ. Contractors rave about how nice it is to work down there.

 

[exranger06]

I would install a bunch of round ceiling boxes throughout the space, and string up some Romex to connect them all together. Then you can use some plain ceramic bases to screw regular light bulbs into. If you're concerned about smacking into and breaking bulbs, you can buy low-profile LED bulbs that completely replace the ceramic bases and they screw right onto the round boxes. Install a toggle switch right at the entrance. Code now requires crawl space lighting to be GFCI protected.
^This is how I lit my crawl space, but it's a very small space so I only needed one fixture.

 

[nh_yota]

String up some romex and a few of these:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton...ess-Lamp-Holder-White-R50-09850-000/302586173

They won't shatter if you bump them with your head while crawling around.

 

[ddurrett896]

I would install a bunch of round ceiling boxes throughout the space, and string up some Romex to connect them all together. Then you can use some plain ceramic bases to screw regular light bulbs into. If you're concerned about smacking into and breaking bulbs, you can buy low-profile LED bulbs that completely replace the ceramic bases and they screw right onto the round boxes. Install a toggle switch right at the entrance. Code now requires crawl space lighting to be GFCI protected.
^This is how I lit my crawl space, but it's a very small space so I only needed one fixture.

+1

Did this in my attic for like $5/light (LED bulb included)

 

[ddawg16]

Rope lights? Led ones are speedy, but if you aren’t running them for long, just go with the inexpensive incandescents.

Incandescent's? Why? They use 5x more electricity, don't last nearly as long, burn out easy if you bump them....and are a potential fire hazard.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Wait a couple more months and then buy some LED Christmas lights, probably the 100 count ones. You will need 4 or more sets. Hook them together with an extension cord and run that to a duplex outlet that you install by the entrance.

If you really want to save money, wait until about 1 or 2 weeks before Christmas. HD starts knocking the price down A LOT !

 

[NUTTSGT]

String up some romex and a few of these:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton...ess-Lamp-Holder-White-R50-09850-000/302586173

They won't shatter if you bump them with your head while crawling around.

I need to check those out, those would be perfect for the attic.

 

[finn]

Incandescent bulbs potentially supply some heat in sub zero temperatures. It’s not going to bring the crawl to shirtsleeve temperatures, but a half dozen coul help in a marginal freezing situation. When I was a kid, this was common in unheated crawl spaces .

Bulb life isn’t a problem in a crawl space, as you really don’t spend a lot of time down there.

 

[Shiftless]

I like the string light suggestion from several members.

I have obviously been spending too much time on GJ being influenced by the “overkill” approach of many members.
Here is what I installed a few weeks ago to light up part of my house’s crawl space.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Incandescent bulbs potentially supply some heat in sub zero temperatures. It’s not going to bring the crawl to shirtsleeve temperatures, but a half dozen coul help in a marginal freezing situation. When I was a kid, this was common in unheated crawl spaces .

A lot of well pumps "up North" had one or more 100W light bulbs in the "pump house". I would not be surprised if some still do !

 

[JRC3]

3 years ago I put 9 lamp-holders in with 100W equivalent CFLs. I need to replace them with LEDs. Up top right by the crawlspace opening I have a switch with a pilot light and a GFCI feeding it.

Heck...Plastic boxes, lamp sockets, Romex, wire staples, pilot-light switch...Like 40 bucks or so.

 

[Shiftless]

A lot of well pumps "up North" had one or more 100W light bulbs in the "pump house". I would not be surprised if some still do !

Right!
Incandescent bulbs use 5% of the energy to make light and the other 95% goes into making heat.