High bay lights

[wantacoe]

Part of my building is storage only, I will not be working in there. I was looking at these lights. Do you think 4 of these would be good enough to light the area? 35x50x15 https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/tls/d/calumet-city-high-bay-lights/6967188104.html

 

[cybrdyke]

Probably be enough light to light up the space. It's not the right fixture to use from 15' to do a good lighting project, though.
Pros:
They're cheap...I've seen them given away for free.
Cons:
It'll buzz like crazy.
The ballasts are likely near death.
It's about 1.5' tall
4 of them will max out a 20A circuit.(derated to 16A).
Lamps last about 16-20,000 hours.
Will put "pools" of light on the floor. Might be OK for storage area.
They're HEAVY. If they dont come with hangers, you'll need to find a way to hang them, which will cost more money.
They're extremely inefficient compared to new fixtures. At 1000 hours, these will cost around $45 per year to operate..EACH.
Good luck,
CD

 

[richard7]

I have worked in shops with those lights. Do not buy or even for free waste your time hanging those.

 

[Platonic Solid]

Sometimes free is too expensive. They're only worth their weight in scrap metal.

 

[MFolks]

Depending on your budget,look at these,from the makers of "Big *** Fans";
https://www.bigassfans.com/lights/

 

[Stuart in MN]

Depending on your budget,look at these,from the makers of "Big *** Fans";
https://www.bigassfans.com/lights/

There are generally many other choices that are as good or better, and without the high price tag they put on their products.

 

[MFolks]

have the standard screw in receptacles.this might be a solution;
https://www.griotsgarage.com/produc...+ceiling+light.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=Search

 

[tfi racing]

Sometimes free is too expensive. They're only worth their weight in scrap metal.

No, not really. After you completely disassemble and separate the metals so you can get maximum scrap price for them,you will still lose.

 

[jives]

While I would not pay $30 for those, using old metal halide highbays for the OP's purpose is not a bad idea. MH lights have served admirably for years, and can continue on for lighting grunt work. I have three 175W high bays at 20' high in my 32 x 40 garage, bought at auction for a total of $25. They are "temporary" until I can afford a fully LED lighting plan, but for three years have done the trick.

Mine have plugs and did not need to be hardwired.

 

[slimpickins]

If it's in your budget, two of these lights would give you more than enough light for your storage area for almost the same wattage as one of the MV lights you're looking at. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077S36R5R/?tag=atomicindus08-20
They come in 110W 165W 220W and 320W.

I put 4 x 220W units in my 42x42 shop and it's like daylight. For storage, you could probably get the 110W or 165W model and it will be more than adequate.

View media item 95358
The 220 watt unit puts out 28,600 lumens compared to 23,000 lumens for a 400 watt MV. And they come with all the mounting hardware you probably need.

Cheers!

 

[dcg9381]

I'm using 5 "high bay" UFO LED lights, they're about $100 each on 2400 sqft. I installed "alternate string lighting" because the LEDs too darn bright for "hanging out" use. My brother has these in a larger 7000 sqft shop. In 3-4 years, we've never lost a single one of them (which is more than worth the price of admission if you've dealt with florescents or associated ballasts).

Whatever you do, install regular old "outlets" up there so you can change your mind later.