Fluorescent lights

[Brentocool]

I have 11' ceilings in my garage. Dont know how I should hang them. Lower by chains Or right on the ceiling?

 

[rburke65]

Re: Floresent lights

I vote for the ceiling.

 

[Brentocool]

Re: Floresent lights

Pro's and Con's?

 

[ForceFed70]

Re: Floresent lights

Lower = more light on work surface

Higher = less chance of the lights getting in the way or broken.

 

[Steevo]

Re: Floresent lights

Pro=Near ceiling reflects off ceiling=more light

 

[hdshinn]

Re: Floresent lights

On the ceiling for more clearance but it's a tradeoff. Light intensity falls off by the square of the distance. You'll need more lights at the ceiling for a given degree of illumination at your work level than if they were hung lower, say at 8'. But at the higher level the illumination will be more evenly dispersed. I'd add a few fixtures and go with the ceiling mount.

 

[StaggeringGoat]

Re: Floresent lights

11' is plenty low enough to mount them on the ceiling. I like to be able to walk through the shop with an 8' peice of material and not hit anything.

My shop slopes from 18' to 11' high with fluorescent lights on the ceiling and they are noticeably darker in the front of the shop where the ceiling is higher....

 

[canbug]

Re: Floresent lights

Mount them on the cieling and if you can afford T-5s you won't be dissapointed.

Tim.

 

[TheEquineFencer]

Re: Floresent lights

I've not priced the T-5's, how do they price out against the T-8's at places like lowes'?

 

[ForceFed70]

Re: Floresent lights

I've not priced the T-5's, how do they price out against the T-8's at places like lowes'?

A little more than 2x as much the last time I looked.

 

[hdshinn]

Re: Floresent lights

T5's are (practically) instant on and not as sensitive to temperature as the older ballasts and bulbs. I believe they last longer as well (willing to be corrected) so the cost difference is made up over time.

 

[StaggeringGoat]

Re: Floresent lights

T5's are (practically) instant on and not as sensitive to temperature as the older ballasts and bulbs. I believe they last longer as well (willing to be corrected) so the cost difference is made up over time.

Current production T8s are just as instant on and long lasting. Temperature's not a problem unless you're talking below zero....

You can get way more lighting for your buck with T8s. Lifetime is usually around 30,000 hours, so that really isn't a concern for most people.

Unless you're trying to grow marijuana I really don't see the advantage of T5s.

 

[sscustom]

Re: Floresent lights

id say ceiling more reflection ,i ended up doin mine that way

 

[dave67fd]

Re: Floresent lights

Agree, T8's mounted to the ceiling. Double check the Lowes/HD lights, they used to and still may have the China made cheepo ballasts that don't last and can shorten bulb life.

This is what i went with:
http://www.contractorlighting.com/8ft-lamp-watt-fluorescent-double-channel-strip-120277-p-176.html

 

[fefarms]

Re: Floresent lights

Instant on is actually not such a good thing. For T8 tubes, I suggest the use of "rapid start" ballasts vs. "instant start" for most shops. Rapid start ballasts are easier on the tubes, they will last longer with less lumen degradation over time. Rapid start ballasts require a few cents more worth of components so they cost a little more.

It takes about 1/2 second for the tube(s) to come on with rapid start. Instant start is OK for a grocery store or office building where the power stays on for 12 hours or more per flip of the switch.

 

[leeklm]

Re: Floresent lights

Been reading a few of the lighting discussions, and have decided to go with the 8ft T8 fixtures (4ft x 2) for my 34 x 38 garage. I plan to run 3 rows of 3-8ft fixtures, spaced length-wise to span the white/sheetrock ceiling.

Question, I will have one row down the center of ceiling, how far should the others be from the side wall? I like the idea of keeping them close to avoid shadows, but how close is close?

Thanks!!

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Re: Floresent lights

Some fixtures cannot be mounted directly to the ceiling, as they get too hot and need cooling. Look at the instructions for the units you are considering.

Charles

 

[I void warranties]

Re: Floresent lights

GOOD POINT BELOW, DON'T FORGET... residential ballasts or residential application fixtures are your best bet. most commercial ballasts will interfere with your radio wave electronics.

Instant on is actually not such a good thing. For T8 tubes, I suggest the use of "rapid start" ballasts vs. "instant start" for most shops. Rapid start ballasts are easier on the tubes, they will last longer with less lumen degradation over time. Rapid start ballasts require a few cents more worth of components so they cost a little more.

It takes about 1/2 second for the tube(s) to come on with rapid start. Instant start is OK for a grocery store or office building where the power stays on for 12 hours or more per flip of the switch.

 

[maxpolaris]

Re: Floresent lights

I'm not a lighting expert, just ask my boss, he moonlights as a Electrical Code Instructor.
Anyways T5 ballasts fail like all others. I installed about a hundred of them at "The Plant".
We were losing T5's frequently while 10 year old T8's and T12's kept a glowing.
I think the longevity of any lighting ballasts depends on a manufacturer's quality control more than anything else.

 

[Brentocool]

Re: Floresent lights

There going to stop Making T12 in a year or so!

 

[TWX]

Re: Floresent lights

There going to stop Making T12 in a year or so!

Any evidence for this claim?

I have a really, really hard time believing that either fixtures or bulbs from one of the most common fluorescent lighting systems would be discontinued. If the industry is trying to migrate to something new then I could see the price of the fixtures and the bulbs increasing, but certainly not going away cold turkey. There are far too many existing large-scale installations to maintain, like retail big box stores, warehouses, manufacturing plants, maintenance shops, schools, etc...

 

[Will67]

Re: Floresent lights

GOOD POINT BELOW, DON'T FORGET... residential ballasts or residential application fixtures are your best bet. most commercial ballasts will interfere with your radio wave electronics.

Yes they do and listening to AM radio is impossible and FM is on verge of being painful due to static. Wish i would have know this before buying and installing mine.

 

[StaggeringGoat]

I believe they will stop making T12 magnetic ballasts rather shortly, but simply replace them with a T8 ballast and you'll have no trouble. It would be a terrible idea to install new lighting with T12s these days, though I'm sure the tubes will be available for replacement for a long time to come.

 

[Grape Ape]

I have three rows of four foot 4 lamp T5 fixtures in my 60 x 40 - 12 ceiling garage. I bent wire hangers that snap into the fixtures and hold them about 4" from the ceiling. One row of 5 down the center (running the 60' way). The other two rows of 5 are about 5' in from each side wall. The are bright and energy efficient. They make plenty of light. and I don't have the walls or ceiling covered yet.

Here's a night shot taken with my cell phone for reference:

 

[Honch]

Re: Floresent lights

Any evidence for this claim?

I have a really, really hard time believing that either fixtures or bulbs from one of the most common fluorescent lighting systems would be discontinued. If the industry is trying to migrate to something new then I could see the price of the fixtures and the bulbs increasing, but certainly not going away cold turkey. There are far too many existing large-scale installations to maintain, like retail big box stores, warehouses, manufacturing plants, maintenance shops, schools, etc...

National Lighting Bureau

Many states have had incentive programs for years to help mitigate the cost of replacing in industrial applications.

 

[go_n_low88]

Re: Floresent lights

Been reading a few of the lighting discussions, and have decided to go with the 8ft T8 fixtures (4ft x 2) for my 34 x 38 garage. I plan to run 3 rows of 3-8ft fixtures, spaced length-wise to span the white/sheetrock ceiling.

Question, I will have one row down the center of ceiling, how far should the others be from the side wall? I like the idea of keeping them close to avoid shadows, but how close is close?

Thanks!!

I,m doing mine 6ft from wall. center row, and then another 6ft from wall . I,m running 9 x 8ft t8's from Lowes.