How much light is too much light?

[3TV]

I want to upgrade the lighting in my garage 30' x 30' x 12', but don't really know how bright of lighting I should be looking for. Right now I have two functioning (out of four) 200 watt bulbs that put out 2100 lumens each, and it is pretty terrible. To do any work at all on a vehicle I need to use drop lights to see what I am doing. I need to repair one fixture that is not getting power, and will then have four fixtures with power.

I'm thinking of going with four sets of T5 HO lights from Home Depot. There are four 4' T5 bulbs per fixture, so a total of 20,000 lumens per fixture, or 80,000 lumens all together.

I want my garage to be much much brighter than it is now, but I don't want it to look like someone is arc welding in there when the lights are on. and I don't want it to feel like I am working on the surface of the sun either. Is going from 4,200 lumens to 80,000 lumens too much? There will be three circuits, so I can use either one, two, three, or four lights at a time.

Thanks.

 

[matt_i]

So, I put a 4-bulb T5HO fixture over my welding bench, I was very worried that I would be over-lighting so to speak behind the helmet as I'm tig welding on the bench, head basically down. I sense no ill effects and can see just as well as ever. With helmet off, its excellent task lighting. In fact I bought 2 more fixtures for other areas where I plan to work.

The only downside that I see is chomping on minimum 216W per fixture, but rounding to 250W, @ 0.15 per kWh its about 4 cents an hour to run a single fixture. So not bad.

I like the idea of staging the lights, I would put up the 4 in a very temporary manner to test them out without hardwiring them (if needed build a metal 2 gang box with a short 12g cord and a male plug). All 4 fixtures can easily run off a 15A or 20A circuit via other extension cords for testing purposes. Then you will know whether you need to spread them out, buy more, or its all good before investing in the permanent wiring.

 

[nadogail]

When you have to wear welding goggles, I will agree you just might be excessively lit.

 

[laser3kw]

I have 30 4' T8 tubes in a 30 x 24 x 10 area, I think it is just right.
Plus, I can turn off some if I need to.

 

[bczygan]

I want to upgrade the lighting in my garage 30' x 30' x 12', but don't really know how bright of lighting I should be looking for. Right now I have two functioning (out of four) 200 watt bulbs that put out 2100 lumens each, and it is pretty terrible. To do any work at all on a vehicle I need to use drop lights to see what I am doing. I need to repair one fixture that is not getting power, and will then have four fixtures with power.

I'm thinking of going with four sets of T5 HO lights from Home Depot. There are four 4' T5 bulbs per fixture, so a total of 20,000 lumens per fixture, or 80,000 lumens all together.

I want my garage to be much much brighter than it is now, but I don't want it to look like someone is arc welding in there when the lights are on. and I don't want it to feel like I am working on the surface of the sun either. Is going from 4,200 lumens to 80,000 lumens too much? There will be three circuits, so I can use either one, two, three, or four lights at a time.

Thanks.

I would go with 6 fixtures for 120,000 lumens.

I have 110 lumens/SF with a 9' ceiling. 6 fixtures would give you 133 lumens/SF which should be just right for your higher ceiling.

If you are going to turn off fixtures I would recommend T8's which would give you more fixtures, but a more even lighting when some were turned off.

Bill

 

[Kevin54]

I have (12) 8' fluorescent fixtures in my garage, and the lighting is great. The lights are on 4 switches with each switch controlling a row of 3 lights. The lamps are T12's and "Daylight"

 

[Showkey]

Using Smart phone light meter app can be a way to actually measure the LUX or foot candles available at the work surface or floor........
1000 lux on a bench top is a common goal for detail work.

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[Wanna Ride]

On some tasks you need more light than others. Most importantly is having the ability to step lighting up or down as needed, with multiple circuits and switches.

 

[chrispyny]

Using Smart phone light meter app can be a way to actually measure the LUX or foot candles available at the work surface or floor........
1000 lux on a bench top is a common goal for detail work.

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Whats the name of that app please?

 

[Showkey]

Just go to the App Store and search light meter .......some are set up for lighting and some are photography related.

"Easy light meter" and "light-o-meter" are two that come up

Both are free and I found they give repeatable values. There are dozens of choices.

 

[sweetk30]

this is my 25 deep x 16 wide x 8-9ft tall paint room .

no lights on just ambent day light .

then 6 of the led 4ft work lights same club is selling at the stores around the top set at a 45* angle down from the wall.

2 per side 1 frt / back .

wow

walls need new coat of white also .

 

[machine_punk]

If you are younger now, put in more light than you think you need. The older I get, the more light I need.

KDub.

 

[chrispyny]

Just go to the App Store and search light meter .......some are set up for lighting and some are photography related.

"Easy light meter" and "light-o-meter" are two that come up

Both are free and I found they give repeatable values. There are dozens of choices.

I really like tour meter pictured as it shows recommended levels for different purposes. BUT, when i search easy light meter, nothing comes up. Really wierd.

 

[NUTTSGT]

If you are younger now, put in more light than you think you need. The older I get, the more light I need.

KDub.

Fact.


If you put in too many lights, you can always turn off what you don't need. That's alot easier than going back or trying to add more light when you are working on a project.

 

[Showkey]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Android or Apple ????? The phone pictured is an android........

Recommended LUX Values in a document:

https://www.noao.edu/education/QLTkit/ACTIVITY_Documents/Safety/LightLevels_outdoor+indoor.pdf

 

[WanderingSol07]

I have 11 4' T5 (two bulb) units in my 24' x 24' x 10' garage. Ceiling and walls and doors painted white. White Melamine cabinets along one wall. I need more light though, just over the rear of the cars by the overhead door and something to light the engine compartments more. Lights hang down about 2' from ceiling. I had planned to use two fixtures at the back end of the cars, but may try with just one led type unit instead. Five switches control all the lights now.

 

[rlitman]

When you have to wear welding goggles, I will agree you just might be excessively lit.

I think it is when you start keeping sunblock outside of the door, so you can apply it before entering.

Seriously, bright daylight is not necessarily excessively lit, and that can be quite difficult to achieve inside.

 

[matt_i]

Seriously, bright daylight is not necessarily excessively lit, and that can be quite difficult to achieve inside.

Along those lines it would be *very* difficult to replicate the lumen power of daylight indoors...people would lol at the number of fixtures and tubes you had hung up. You on the other hand would not lol when you got the electric bill, not to mention the heat produced...which could actually be beneficial in winter

 

[bczygan]

Have a 9.5'x19.5'x9' tall with 8 4' 2 tube T8's hung at 8'6"AFF.

It gives me 600-700 lux at the 34" work surface.

Bill

 

[-Brent-]

Just go to the App Store and search light meter .......some are set up for lighting and some are photography related.

"Easy light meter" and "light-o-meter" are two that come up

Both are free and I found they give repeatable values. There are dozens of choices.

Thanks for posting the apps up. I'm wanting to get a "before" measurement. I have so much light going into the shop. Lumen-wise my shop was less than 3% of what I am installing. It's been a long wait. I'm excited to get these light in and wired.

 

[Nexussian]

If you are looking for lots of light for not much power consumed, LED is the way to go.

I've been scheming on retrofitting the garage with LED tubes in our already installed 8' fluorescent fixtures (bin the ballasts, wire the tombstones to 110 and plug the new "tubes" in).

I like that the 8' LED tubes seem to be available in everything from 3600 to 6500K for color temperature and anywhere from 3200 to 4800 Lm per tube (2x4800= rapidly approaching "too much light" with a installed height at or below 8' off the floor ).

12' installed height will help, the 4' units I've seen are available in similar color temperatures and proportional light output (half the length / number of LEDs = half the Lm output).

I've been trying to scrounge used 8' fixtures from recyclers, or shops replacing older 8' fixtures (usually with blown or tired ballasts anyway) with either 4' or prefabricated LED lighting (like the "Big *** Lights" from the people that make the fans).

I usually arrive 5 minutes after the hired help folded them in half to better fit them in a dumpster.