Flourescent or incandescant

[whiteg77]

I'm about to wire my garage, and I actually ran two temporary $1.50 lamp holders to the ceiling. I was impressed by the amount of light they provided. I'm curious to if anybody has an opinion about which light style would be better, individual bulbs (CFLS? Incandesants??) or T8 Flourescents. Power draw is not a factor for me.

PS - sorry if I'm a bad speler

 

[jeff000]

There are lots of heated threads about this.

T8, or better yet, T5 is my answer though.

 

[Familyof8kids]

I'm about to wire my garage, and I actually ran two temporary $1.50 lamp holders to the ceiling. I was impressed by the amount of light they provided. I'm curious to if anybody has an opinion about which light style would be better, individual bulbs (CFLS? Incandesants??) or T8 Flourescents. Power draw is not a factor for me.

PS - sorry if I'm a bad speler

For sure have an opinion.

I do some of the largest commercial/industrial lighting retrofit projects in the USA. Seen almost every type of fixture made but of course see a new type every week. Since you say about to rough wire the area for sure think about what you need and want. You could always add 2, 3 or 4 switches that control areas or added lighting in the future. You could run dual switch legs up to each fixture and have 4 or 6 lamp T8 or T5 fixtures and only fire up half of the fixture for some conditions and fire up the entire fixture when you want a sun tan. Again you could run up a few more wires from the switch box and blank off the box for future. Easier to run wires now.

I have two 3 lamp 4' T5 54 watt 5000K color High Output Vapor Tight fixtures 16' off my garage floor and it is PLENTY of light for 500 sq. ft. Vapor Tight so the mirror backaplate stays clean. I also have the same 3 lamp fixture with a motion detector over my work bench area at 10' aff (above finished floor) so when the garage door is opened or when someone walks out to the freezer it auto comes on. Helps wife out when she pulls in and unloads the kids.

If you purchase 2 or 4 higher quality fixtures in the end it will be less money becasue better ballast and lamps. Mirror backaplates are important if fluorescent are used. LED is not economical just yet but could be changed out down the road if you want them.

If you are in Alaska or Canada I would suggest LED due to cold weather. LED loves COLD. Ballast hate cold weather.

 

[pattenp]

Personally I'd go with the T8's. Good all around economy lighting. I just wouldn't use incandescent for my main lighting, one of the main reasons is the heat output, but if you're in a really cold climate then the heat is good.

 

[sberry]

I definitely think about traffic flow when design lighting if I can, no point in lighting the whole place to walk in to get a screwdriver. When I first started wiring I hard wired everything in site, not I tend to put in recepts in garages, so easy to pull fixture to work on it or add/change, might be tempted to use 3 conductor cable in some spots.

 

[787B]

Having just done some experimenting with a 60 Watt equivalent LED bulb, neither. LED bulbs are definitely the future and prices are dropping fast. They are as cheap as non-subsidized CFLs now and have better color, durability, and life. They are also instant-on. Check out what your big-box store has and try a couple out.

 

[ddawg16]

Forget incandescents.....just because your not worried about how much you pay for electricity, you will be replaceing incandescents at a rate of 10-100x more often vs CFL or tube.

In relative order off effeciency....(Hi to Low)
T5
LED
T8
CFL

LED (good ones) will have the longest life....but payback time is questionable vs CFL or tube.

Personally....I like recessed cans....cheap and easy to install....I have 16 of them in the bottom floor of my garage stuffed with 23w CFL's....plenty of light. Later on, when and if LED's get cheaper...I can swap those in.

You have more wattage and color options with CFL....

If your not worried about tubes being hit by something....then that might be your easy choice....

Plenty of choices....

 

[Stee6043]

I recently read an interesting comparison between T5 and T8. The findings suggested that at current prices the T5's will never pay for themselves when put up against T8's, similar to LED.

I almost bought the T5's for my garage just for the cool factor but man, they are SO bright. If you don't have very tall ceilings I don't know how you could live with T5's. And that's in addition to the fact that they cost double or more than the equivalent T8 and you will have a hard time finding T5 bulbs in most areas...

 

[Falcon67]

I used T8s. In the 24x28 area, it takes 4 switches to turn on 8 lamps. In th 12x24 section, takes 3 to light up 5 lamps. I also use t8 task lighting, so I can light a single bench if that's all I need.

 

[Familyof8kids]

I recently read an interesting comparison between T5 and T8. The findings suggested that at current prices the T5's will never pay for themselves when put up against T8's, similar to LED.

I almost bought the T5's for my garage just for the cool factor but man, they are SO bright. If you don't have very tall ceilings I don't know how you could live with T5's. And that's in addition to the fact that they cost double or more than the equivalent T8 and you will have a hard time finding T5 bulbs in most areas...

Agree 91%. If we are discussing payback then we need to know burn hours. I thought it was lighting not payback. If lighting is wanted then T5 is no doubt the choice due to output. T5 lamps are in almost every area electrical supply house and if not they can order them for you. Home Depot and Lowes is not the place to get lamps! I would tell why but signed documents saying I could not do so. Not every fixture is a good fixture. Backplate design and lamp spacing is VERY important.

 

[eljefino]

I definitely think about traffic flow when design lighting if I can, no point in lighting the whole place to walk in to get a screwdriver. When I first started wiring I hard wired everything in site, not I tend to put in recepts in garages, so easy to pull fixture to work on it or add/change, might be tempted to use 3 conductor cable in some spots.

This! Also if you have to, say, shovel or snowblow the driveway at night, a pair of bulbs make a good "night light" in the garage that don't wreck your night vision outside.

I use subsidized CFLs, 13 watt, 6 for $1, for this type of service. I don't care if the flick-on, flick-off kills 'em early. I do recycle them, and know that still isn't perfect. This does save my T8s though.

One can even design the switch so an innocent bystander is more likely to flick on the dim lights, and someone has to know what they're doing to get the big guns on. Like reach over another 16" from the door frame.

 

[sberry]

One can even design the switch so an innocent bystander is more likely to flick on the dim lights, and someone has to know what they're doing to get the big guns on. Like reach over another 16" from the door frame.

I do things like this.

 

[Familyof8kids]

I thought the post was about a garage not a shop? He also said power draw is not a factor.

Everyone is talking about walk path and layered lighting layout.

Did I miss something ?

 

[crewchief888]

i have some of each.

for the most part i use whatever i find laying around, from dumpster dives, trash picking, or repurpose from the house.

if i was gonna rewire to "do it right", i'd go flourescent all the way

 

[383]

I definitely think about traffic flow when design lighting if I can, no point in lighting the whole place to walk in to get a screwdriver.

I installed a motion sensor light in addition to the shop lights. It's aimed at all three doors, it comes on before you get the door open, and you can go out another door without going back to turn the light off. If I'm mowing after dark, the light comes on as I drive into the shop.