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Critique this lighting please

A

AZ Glen

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Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
118
Location
Scottsdale, AZ
30x40x12 flat ceilings, off white walls, machine shop and race car fab. Looking for tanning capabilities on off days:
I want to run 6 of these fixtures because I like the more "finished" look of the fixture and its ability to reflect light down:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...igh-Bay-IBZ-654/203629843#product_description

Or I can run 6 of these fixtures and spread across the ceiling farther and more evenly:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/202665...ct-1-_-202665220-_-202665211-_-N#.Ufc0s77n8eF

but it definitely doesn't have the reflective quality?
 
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2

2ManyProjects

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Jul 18, 2013
Messages
757
AZ Glen said:
30x40x12 flat ceilings, off white walls, machine shop and race car fab. Looking for tanning capabilities on off days:
I want to run 6 of these fixtures because I like the more "finished" look of the fixture and its ability to reflect light down:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...igh-Bay-IBZ-654/203629843#product_description
Click to expand...

Twelve feet is marginal at best for so-called "High-Bay" fixtures; and with only six fixtures to cover 1,200 ft.^2, would very likely lead to a case of alternating "hot spots" and shadowy areas. OTOH, you did imply that you wanted extremely bright light (which is an assumption I would probably question in and of itself; but let that part slide for a moment); so if you were to use perhaps twice as many fixtures in order to keep the spacing between them fairly close, you could probably accomplish your goal AND have reasonably even lighting.

Or I can run 6 of these fixtures and spread across the ceiling farther and more evenly:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/202665...ct-1-_-202665220-_-202665211-_-N#.Ufc0s77n8eF
Click to expand...

This is somewhat better, IMCO. But you'd need nine of these to provide "equivalent" total light output to six of the other ones. But better still, why not use standard 4-foot fixtures, to maintain even more flexibility in terms of both placement and switching? Bare/open fluorescent tubes distribute light pretty well in all directions perpendicular to the tube; but the more (and more evenly) you spread out the light sources themselves, the less dependent you are on reflection and diffusion to provide basic illumination. The off-white ceiling would itself reflect pretty well (tho' I might be convinced that a true bright white would be better from both a brightness and color-temperature POV); but that's still no substitute for having the light where you need it.

If you want something with a more "finished" appearance, consider something like this:

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

92eeea00-35d4-4de6-9cd6-11e57dd051fc_300.jpg


While I tend to doubt you'd really need to, you could use up to four times as many of these, and still be out for less money. Wire/switch them in several banks, and you will also save on operating costs; as it is near-certain you would NOT need to run all the lights, all the time.

 
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A

AZ Glen

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Apr 3, 2006
Messages
118
Location
Scottsdale, AZ
i have seen the T8 and T5 next to each other powered up and its a night and day difference.

I bought 10 qty. 8ft. long T5 fixtures for the 1200 SQ FT. shop, 40 bulbs total. I will put them on two switches and alternate to every other fixture for times I just want to walk out and grab something.
 
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Charles (in GA)

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Jan 11, 2006
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50 mi south of Atlanta
The second fixture you link to is a much better choice. The first one has the mirror polished aluimized reflector and is designed to focus the light. It is a high bay fixture best used at 18 to 20 ft or more.

The strip fixtures will spread the light much more, and if you have a white ceiling, it will act as a reflector for the lights. I have two of these, end to end, mounted over my workbenches, and it is quite nice. For general area lighting in the size and area you describe, I would go with the "8 ft" strips (they are actually 92 inches, as T5 bulbs are not as long as T8 and T12 lamps). However, I would consider more than 6 of the strip fixtures, probably 8, possibly even ten of them.

For reasons I don't understand, Lithonia does not list the 4 bulb TZ tandem T5HO strips on their web site. They do list a Z series, 2 bulb fixture, same design, you can use the photo metrics from it and simply double the number of fixtures to equate with the 4 bulb fixtures.

Click on this link http://www.visual-3d.com/tools/photometricViewer/default.aspx?id=26772

Then click on "interior" at the top, and then you can input your dimensions and height and toy with fixture patterns and quantity to get numbers that will help you decide what might work best.

Also note that the photometrics are calculated by Lithonia using 3500 K bulbs (thats the "835" number in the lamp cat number), which are a warm to cool white bulb, the bulb that HD sells is a 4100 K cool white bulb which will yield much better results.(if they had used that bulb, the lamp catalog number would have an 841 in it instead of 835).

Those fixtures have gone up in price. They were $69 if I recall when I bought mine.

THIS is the thread where these HD T5HO Striplights were discussed previously.

Charles
 
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P

pepi

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Mar 27, 2013
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Location
Woodstock, GA
Never mind this is an old thread, sure he has his light quest all sorted out by now

I have these:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...igh-Bay-IBZ-654/203629843#product_description

They throw out a lot of light very nice. The light spread, illumination coverage is from the sides out. That's the good news, bad news they were selling for 80 buck ea. last month, they may still.

This very 6 tube style I have seen a price range of 130 too 300 bucks if you can believe it
http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/6-tube+fluorescent+fixture.do?sortby=ourPicks&refType =1

The 6 tube is the way to go, IMHO, I do fab work welding and such, and fix a lot of stuff, would recommend these fixtures to friends.
 
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J

jerryd68

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May 3, 2013
Messages
274
Location
Idaho
I have these T-5 fixtures in my shop my ceiling heigth is 13' they are very bright, I would really consider putting them on individual banks, maybe 2 on each switch. Overall I have really liked them, I have 6 fixtures in my 26 X 42
 
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Modifieddriver

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May 29, 2009
Messages
820
Location
Moonville, South Carolina
I'll have 40' x 60' x 12'. I'll have 106 T-5 54w 4100 bulbs to light this area. Using 17 Lithonia IBZ 654 and 1 IBZ 454. I can't wait until I flip on the switches.

Dug the trench for the cable to day.

Using the web site calculator, I'll have something like 170 fc with everything turned on. I hope it'll be bright enough.

I think the OP here is headed in the right direction with the T-5s.
 
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A

AZ Glen

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Apr 3, 2006
Messages
118
Location
Scottsdale, AZ
Yes, as I mentioned above, I did make a decision on 10 qty, 8ft. long, 4 T5 bulbs per fixture, I have a shop build thread going to.
 
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