How many Lights for Shop

[jake1086]

I'm thinking those 4 X 4ft T8 fixtures in a 40X 80 shop with 16 foot ceilings

anyone have any input?

 

[StaggeringGoat]

You're going to need a HELL of a lot more than that. I have ten 2 tube T8 fixtures in my 40x60 and I still need a lot more.

 

[hansen1]

I have twelve 4 bulb T-5 48" fixtures in my 36x48 with a 14' ceiling. I think the lighting is just about right. Granted I don't turn everything on all the time but have the flexibility to have as much light as I need for a given need.

Not having enough light is tiring on the eyes and can be a safety issue.

 

[WILD-BILL]

I have 7 4x48" fixtures in my 21x21 garage and I'm real hppy with it.

4 fixtures in a shop that size wont be near enough.

 

[jake1086]

I was thinking 4 rows equally going the length and then taking either 4 foot or 8 foot units all the way down the rows 8 feet or 4 feet apart respectively.

so in an 80 foot long shop each row would have... 5 8' footers so 20 units total.

I want it to be bright I HATE dim shops

 

[jvitez]

http://www.visuallightingsoftware.com/

Download the trial version and don't guess! Your 16 ft ceiling will make a big difference. I bet you could use T5's without a problem. This software allows you to pick some difference fixtures and see how it works, including many layout options.

 

[Bigrhamr]

http://www.visuallightingsoftware.com/

Download the trial version and don't guess! Your 16 ft ceiling will make a big difference. I bet you could use T5's without a problem. This software allows you to pick some difference fixtures and see how it works, including many layout options.

jvitez, I downloaded the 30 day trial version and what I got is just for roadway lighting. Did I maybe miss something or have they changed what's available on the trial?

I'm about to take the plunge and order my shop lights. The plan for a 40'x60'x17' tall main bay is 6 lamp t5's, 15 of them in five rows of three going across the 40'.

I'm thinking about buying from here as recomended by a local commercial electrician. Anybody have comments on them?

http://www.e-conolight.com/linear-f...p-commercial-linear-fluorescent.html?___SID=U

 

[Steevo]

I used 17 of the 4x4ft T8 fixtures in my 24x40, with 12' ceilings.
Or 56 sq ft per 4x4 fixture. It is just right, light wise.
at 16' ceilings, you need more lights to get the same work-level lighting.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Just built my 32x52 shop and used 8 ft fixtures with (4) 4' T8 bulbs in each one. 8 lights are distributed across for general lighting with 5 dedicated in each bay. That's a total of 23 lights when all 4 switches are turned on. I have 15-8 ceilings and although everyone laughed at me for the lights I put in, they all like it now. No shadows, easy to see and you only turn on the lights you need.

 

[chickenfarmer]

My 30'er has more than that, the more the merrier!

 

[jake1086]

well I ended up going with the 6 bulb fixtures with those skinny little bulbs... not sure what there called... I'll see if its bright enough electricity gets turned on friday hopefully been a long road excited to show GJ

 

[NUTTSGT]

T8 or T5s maybe ? How about a picture of the light hanging in the shop ?

 

[Jvvmusme]

Too much lighting Is never enough !

 

[fiveohpatrol]

I have 20 4-bulb 48" T8 fixtures in my 40x40x12 and it is perfect. I thought it would be too bright, but it's great.

For your shop that's twice the size and taller, I would recommend at LEAST 30 of them.

 

[Cheap5.0]

This was a great article someone on here posted a few weeks ago:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/content.php?146-Lighting-the-Small-Workshop-by-Jack-Lindsey

Answered all my questions.

 

[brownsl]

I have a 32x52x12 garage and I used 4 lamp 4 foot T8 tandem fixtures with a total of 24 fixtures on three switches. It is very bright when they are all turned on and I love it. The electrician thought I was crazy to put this many lights in the garage but I think it is perfect. I used the Visual software to get everything placed just right so that I have a nice distribution of foot-candles. The color temperature and CRI of the lamps have a large influence on the quality of the lighting in the space.

 

[gnxtc2]

My 35'Wx60'Lx12'H shop has 25 8' 4-bulb T8 fixtures.

Billy T.
[email protected]

 

[John in OH]

I installed 12 of the 4 bulb, 8 ft. T8 strip fixtures (8' long, two bulbs end to end) in my new 34x54 shop with 12 ft. ceiling and love them. The strip fixtures are flush mounted to the ceiling and I doubt that they extend further down from the ceiling than 4 in. See photos and Postings #91 and #93 of my build thread,
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98038&page=5

I have additional task lighting at selected locations in the shop such as over the workbenches and welding table.

Unless you want to spend a lot of additional money, you should avoid the T5 bulbs. They are technically a better bulb, but at this stage of lighting development, I don't think the T5s are worth the money.