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Critique my lighting layout

ADCS

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 4, 2014
Messages
75
Location
Toronto
Garage size: 16' x 20' (1.5 car attached garage), ceilings 9.5'
14' wide OHD with windows.

I have just insulated all the walls and ran new electrical in the garage so I am now looking to upgrade the lighting since there is currently just the builders lights (2x single halogen bulb fixtures). I use the garage mostly for working on my cars and lately for some carpentry/house renos. The garage is quite small so the current lights fill the garage pretty well but the problem is they are right in the middle so if I have a car in the garage with the hood open, the hood blocks the light from the front of the car.

My plan is to add 4x T8 light fixtures in the main area of the garage and then 2x T8 light fixtures near the far end where my bench is and to not create shadows if I have a car hood open. I plan to run them on 3 separate switches (see attached diagram) so that I can turn them on selectively. I also plan to leave the current single bulb halogen fixtures to use when I only need to quickly pop into the garage to grab something (don't need to turn the tubes on).

Will this be to bright for the size of my garage? Should I just add more single bulb fixtures? The current single fixtures have 42 watt CFLs (200 watt equivalent).

Diagram:
Green boxes = 120V and 240V outlets
Cyan boxes = T8 fixtures, 4ft with 2 lamps ea.
Yellow boxes = single bulb halogen fixtures
Blue box = outline of car

Thanks!
Adam
 

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jeff000

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Joined
May 6, 2012
Messages
437
Too bright? TOO BRIGHT? IMPOSSIBLE!

I'd probably turn the main 4 fixtures 90 degrees, and just replace the fixtures that are already there. Just buy inston on ballasts. I originally did kind of like you with leaving the old lights up for the 'quick run' but would end up turning on the more light anyways, making the quick run take even longer.

You'll always have shadows, but you will have lots of light with your set up.

My garage is a little bigger at 24x24. But I have 18 4' T5 tubes. It's bright.
 
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OP
A

ADCS

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 4, 2014
Messages
75
Location
Toronto
If my wife can go tanning in the garage than it's too bright ! :lol:

I stopped by my local Habitat for Humanity re-store and picked up 3x 4ft T8 4 lamp fixtures so I will have 12x 4ft T8 bulbs for a 16x20' space. I am going to put two over the center area (rotated 90 deg from how I had the other ones drawn out) and one over the end/bench area. I think it will be plenty bright and if not they had tons more of them.
 
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