LED lighting for a Noob

[BMWjunkie11]

I'm going to be that guy, I just bought my first house and I'm in the middle of redoing my garage. As the garage sits it has low ceilings, I believe they're only 8-9' ceilings; I'd have to measure to make sure. Right now there are four, 4'-2 bulb florescent lights, and no windows. While the lights work, I want to switch to LED because I'm into detailing and I could use the better lighting. I'm looking for some advice as to what LED lights to look into. I would like to keep in with the same layout, that is four, 4'-2 bulb lights, maybe going to 6 units depending on the costs. I've sifted through some threads and there's a lot of guys who use bulbs from Costco/Sams Club. I don't have a Costco near be but I do have a Sam's Club if there's something there to look at let me know. Essentially I'm looking for the most light for the dollar, I have no windows in the garage so I need to have some intense LED lighting. Any advice you can provide would be great. FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm terrible with anything electrical so I'm trying to keep this as simple as possible.

Here's a couple pics of the garage prior to remodel.

 

[woodzy]

I would say your ceiling are less than a little over 7' high by looking at the space between the top of the door an ceiling. That will also make a difference on how the light spread to a surface only 2-4 feet away.

 

[cybrdyke]

The fixtures you have are called "surface wraps" or just "wraps". They're supposed to have a wrap-around lens on them, but I dont see them. They are known to break pretty easily and then the fixture goes without them. Looks like that's what has happened. You can get new lenses for them. It will help spread the light around better, which will reduce shadows somewhat.
Look for an LED tube that bypasses the ballast. Look for one that is 2000 lumens and 5000K in color. If you find one that has double-end power, that's a bonus, because you wont need to worry if you have the right sockets or not. If you can only find one that's single-end power, then you must use rapid start, or non-shunted, sockets. Give us a close up pic of your sockets and the wires that are going into them and we can tell you if you need to change them or not.
Give the local electrical supply house a call to see if they carry them.
Good luck,
CD

 

[Falcon67]

I would just convert your existing fixtures over to using direct wire LED bulbs. $15 at HD here for 5000K bulbs, around $8 online at 1000bulbs.com I bought a couple to test from HD because that way if I didn't like them, I could return them easily. I plan to use them (16w direct wire) in the race trailer to replace the 32w units.

 

[Platonic Solid]

... low ceilings ... there are four, 4'-2 bulb florescent lights, no windows. ... I want to switch to LED because I'm into detailing and I could use the better lighting. I would like to keep in with the same layout, that is four, 4'-2 bulb lights, maybe going to 6 units depending on the costs. ... most light for the dollar ... I need to have some intense LED lighting. ... I'm terrible with anything electrical ...

Low ceilings = more fixtures to put light where you need it. Take a look at post #15. While you have the luxury of an uncluttered empty space, paint everything white. That dark paneling is taking a bad lighting situation and making it worse. If, when you're detailing, you put the car in the middle of the garage, you could get away with your current lighting layout with the garage door open (assuming daylight) or 6 fixtures with door closed.

If you prefer to avoid any electrical work, make a future plan sketch to add light fixtures and outlets and contact an electrician when you can afford it.

To answer your main question:

One of the Diva Lite lamps here: http://www.beeslighting.com/T8-LED-Bulbs-s/1838.htm (be sure to get frosted lens only)

To replace existing housings or add more:

Wrap fixture housing here: https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/192378/PLT-20016.html (I have no experience with this housing, but it sure is cheap)

 

[roscoe2000]

For detailing a combination of light fixture types work best in showing paint imperfection.

 

[BMWjunkie11]

The fixtures you have are called "surface wraps" or just "wraps". They're supposed to have a wrap-around lens on them, but I dont see them. They are known to break pretty easily and then the fixture goes without them. Looks like that's what has happened. You can get new lenses for them. It will help spread the light around better, which will reduce shadows somewhat.
Look for an LED tube that bypasses the ballast. Look for one that is 2000 lumens and 5000K in color. If you find one that has double-end power, that's a bonus, because you wont need to worry if you have the right sockets or not. If you can only find one that's single-end power, then you must use rapid start, or non-shunted, sockets. Give us a close up pic of your sockets and the wires that are going into them and we can tell you if you need to change them or not.
Give the local electrical supply house a call to see if they carry them.
Good luck,
CD

Yes a couple of the covers are missing on the lights, but they're easy enough to replace. I actually figured to switch to LED I'd have to remove the entire housing unit and replace it all together, maybe I'm wrong. Based off what you're telling me it seems I can get just a bulb to do the trick?

I would just convert your existing fixtures over to using direct wire LED bulbs. $15 at HD here for 5000K bulbs, around $8 online at 1000bulbs.com I bought a couple to test from HD because that way if I didn't like them, I could return them easily. I plan to use them (16w direct wire) in the race trailer to replace the 32w units.

I'm going to have to look into those, that seems like a simple solution.

Low ceilings = more fixtures to put light where you need it. Take a look at post #15. While you have the luxury of an uncluttered empty space, paint everything white. That dark paneling is taking a bad lighting situation and making it worse. If, when you're detailing, you put the car in the middle of the garage, you could get away with your current lighting layout with the garage door open (assuming daylight) or 6 fixtures with door closed.

If you prefer to avoid any electrical work, make a future plan sketch to add light fixtures and outlets and contact an electrician when you can afford it.

To answer your main question:

One of the Diva Lite lamps here: http://www.beeslighting.com/T8-LED-Bulbs-s/1838.htm (be sure to get frosted lens only)

To replace existing housings or add more:

Wrap fixture housing here: https://www.1000bulbs.com/product/192378/PLT-20016.html (I have no experience with this housing, but it sure is cheap)

The first thing I did was rip out that god awful paneling haha. I'm in the process of redoing everything, just spackled all the little holes, just need to tape a couple seams then I'll be painting. I would like to add six lights vertically (front to back) along the ceiling but I have to check the clearance of the garage door. I'm not sure the door sits low enough to clear a light housing.

 

[cybrdyke]

I actually figured to switch to LED I'd have to remove the entire housing unit and replace it all together, maybe I'm wrong. Based off what you're telling me it seems I can get just a bulb to do the trick?

I'm going to have to look into those, that seems like a simple solution.

There are many of them out there. This one --> http://www.homedepot.com/p/TOGGLED-48-in-T8-16-Watt-Daylight-Dimmable-Linear-LED-Tube-Light-Bulb-D416-50311/206723425 is in stock at most Home Depots. Cheaper ones, of dubious origin, are available online. It's a small, easy wiring task to get them hooked up correctly.
Good luck,
CD

 

[BMWjunkie11]

There are many of them out there. This one --> http://www.homedepot.com/p/TOGGLED-48-in-T8-16-Watt-Daylight-Dimmable-Linear-LED-Tube-Light-Bulb-D416-50311/206723425 is in stock at most Home Depots. Cheaper ones, of dubious origin, are available online. It's a small, easy wiring task to get them hooked up correctly.
Good luck,
CD

Good to know, seems like it can be a fairly simple swap. Good to know I don't necessarily have to swap the entire unit out.

 

[Falcon67]

Good to know, seems like it can be a fairly simple swap. Good to know I don't necessarily have to swap the entire unit out.

Why I'm testing them for our race trailer - I just have to gut the existing fixtures and not completely replace them. The HD bulbs run about $31/pair. To have the trailer mfg put in LED lights (6 total) vs the standard base model T8 units in the trailer during construction would have run $110/fixture.

 

[metlmunchr]

I've bought 40 of these so far https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CQ2ZKZO/?tag=atomicindus08-20 and used them to convert a bunch of old T12 "shop light" fixtures to LED. Bought a box of 10 initially to check them out, and 3 more boxes once I saw how well they worked out compared to the old cool white T12's.

They will work as a direct replacement in a T8 fixture with electronic ballast or as a double end direct wire when you bypass the ballast in either a T8 or T12 fixture.

If I needed more 4ft fixtures, I'd buy the cheap T12 shop lights available from several sources for about $13 to $15 each, strip out the ballasts, and use these tubes. With free shipping from Amazon, and purchasing the fixtures locally, you end up with complete fixtures @ under $30 each. Removing the ballast and re-wiring only takes about 10 minutes per fixture.

IMO, one of the most important things in purchasing the tubes, regardless of source, is to get the frosted ones. I've done some work in an area that used the clear tubes and found the string of bright spots on the clear tubes very irritating.