Fluorescent fixture wiring problem - any suggestions?

[Jiffycake]

I want to pick up some 4' fixtures for the garage but I can't seem to find any with a toggle switch or pull chain that is affordable and/or able to be easily hardwired.

My dad doesn't want to have all the lights come on when he goes into the garage if he only needs one (as it is now with a single keyless). I've always wanted more light in there but the only way to keep all the lights from coming on together is either running a new switch leg to the fixtures, or having switches on the fixtures themselves so I can individually turn them on.

I'd rather not have to pull out the 12/2 and replace 12/3 so I can have two switch legs. The walls and ceilings are finished so It would probably require at least making an access hole in the ceiling drywall above the switch to pull new cable down the wall.

Does anybody have any other ideas? Thanks.

 

[mrb]

just run a switch from your existing keyless (using extender ring and conduit if you want it on the surface) and wire it inbetween the existing switch leg and the secondary lights. The existing switch will have to be on, then you turn this switch on and your extra lighting comes on.

 

[kmacht]

What I have done in the past is to put a double gang box in the ceiling. One side of the box has a regualr recepticle and the other side has a switch. You run the power from your main switch through each double box and tap the box switch off of that wire. You then run the power from the box switch to the light recepticle. You are basicly just putting a switch in between the power source and each recepticle for the light. The main switch for the garage sends power to all the light recepticle boxes but only the lights with the switch turned on at each double box power up. Hope that makes sense.

Keith

 

[supertooljunkie]

Buy decent quality lights and add a pull chain, or toggle switch to the light. You would then pull your main power to a junction box and pull from the j-box to each light.

 

[kbs2244]

Personally, I would run the wire for a separate wall switch.
But if you cannot do that then buying and installing a pull string switch per fixture is the way to go.
The strings would be in my way but people can learn to live with a lot of things.