Light upgrade for garage

[Sage55]

I currently have four single bulb light sockets in a square pattern in my garage that I'm thinking about upgrading to fluorescent lighting.

I'm considering going with either four Lithonia Lighting or American Fluorescent lights.

Both are difference size bulbs I know but wanting to know which offers the most light without using a ton of electricity. Also is one brand name better than another?

 

[aandpdan]

They use the same bulbs, T8 32 watt.

How do you plan to mount them? If you want them directly on the ceiling it's the Lithonia, check the reviews as it is strip lighting, direct wire, no cord. The American Fluorescent lighting needs to hang and should have be corded.

I have 8 Lithonia brand fixtures similar to those. No problems after 4 years.

 

[black00lightning]

Not sure why you want to go to a strip light but have you thought about using cfl bulbs? An 85 watt bulb puts out 5500 lumens while a 105 bulb puts out 7150 lumens. Prices are $20 - $25 each.

 

[sourdough]

Not sure why you want to go to a strip light but have you thought about using cfl bulbs? An 85 watt bulb puts out 5500 lumens while a 105 bulb puts out 7150 lumens. Prices are $20 - $25 each.

CFL lamps are slow to start and are **** insofar as good lighting. They are expensive (and I don't care how "green" they are) and put out many less lumens than the fluorescent lights that the OP specified. If the garage is not heated, fluorescents take less time to ramp up to full light than CFLs.

I'm using 2 ea 4' double lamp T-8's in a 1280' garage. At 40* inside temps in the winter the T-8's take about 1 minute to get to full light, whereas a CFL takes 3x+ as long to get to full brightness and still does not compare. The T-8 setup allows me to see very well in the garage to find things and I have 2 ea 2-lamp T-8 shop light fixtures over my 12' workbench in that garage when I need it.

Shame on GW Bush for signing that **** piece of legislation into law.

And I am not a Liberal...

Jim

 

[Sage55]

They use the same bulbs, T8 32 watt.

How do you plan to mount them? If you want them directly on the ceiling it's the Lithonia, check the reviews as it is strip lighting, direct wire, no cord. The American Fluorescent lighting needs to hang and should have be corded.

I have 8 Lithonia brand fixtures similar to those. No problems after 4 years.

I'd rather go with the lights directly mounted to the ceiling and hardwired since, but could always replace the current light socket with an electrical outlet and hang a light I guess. I'm thinking the Lithonia is going to be my best bet for fluorescent so far.

Not sure why you want to go to a strip light but have you thought about using cfl bulbs? An 85 watt bulb puts out 5500 lumens while a 105 bulb puts out 7150 lumens. Prices are $20 - $25 each.

I have CFL's now and they are no where near as bright as other fluorescent lights I've seen. This could be though because of their lower K rating. I'm thinking the fluorescent lights would offer just as bright if not brighter light and do so in a more even manner since the lights are 4 foot long.

On the other hand I came across these Cree lights that would be much brighter than the CFL's I have now and cost less than buying new fluorescent lights and bulbs and would use even less energy.

 

[cybrdyke]

I'd rather go with the lights directly mounted to the ceiling and hardwired since, but could always replace the current light socket with an electrical outlet and hang a light I guess. I'm thinking the Lithonia is going to be my best bet for fluorescent so far.



I have CFL's now and they are no where near as bright as other fluorescent lights I've seen. This could be though because of their lower K rating. I'm thinking the fluorescent lights would offer just as bright if not brighter light and do so in a more even manner since the lights are 4 foot long.

On the other hand I came across these Cree lights that would be much brighter than the CFL's I have now and cost less than buying new fluorescent lights and bulbs and would use even less energy.

Compare Lumens, not K, to determine "brightness". The Cree is 1600 lm. The T8 tubes are approx 2600 each tube and, like you said, spreads that over 4' of length.
Generally, Lithonia is better quality than American, but at the low end product that the big box stores sell, they're all pretty flimsy. Good enough for a garage, though.
CD

 

[mebo]

My electrical contractor is recommending two fixtures of 4'by 4 lights per fixture of T5 bulbs in my garage that is 24x15 with a 10' ceiling

 

[Sage55]

Compare Lumens, not K, to determine "brightness". The Cree is 1600 lm. The T8 tubes are approx 2600 each tube and, like you said, spreads that over 4' of length.

Well in that case the T8's are much brighter. The Cree LED's are 1600 lumens. As for K, the higher the K the brighter they seem to me as well. Maybe not though.

My electrical contractor is recommending two fixtures of 4'by 4 lights per fixture of T5 bulbs in my garage that is 24x15 with a 10' ceiling

Why did he recommend T5's over T8 or T12?

 

[General Geoff]

IMO T8s are the way to go for cost per lumen when considering cost of fixture, bulbs and longevity. T5s are nice for smaller than 4' fixtures though.

 

[onewheat]

Ii just wired my house 3 car garage. 10 foot ceiling with six 8' 4-bulb T-8 fixtures. It had some good light and lights the garage nicely. That being said, I didn't think it was quite bright enough for my detached garage - roughly the same layout but 13.5' ceilings. I went with nine 8' 4-bulb T-5 fixtures and one 4' 2-bulb fixture. I should have electric to the detached tomorrow and can report back on the results. Especially in the last few years, I will take all the light I can get - hopefully 38 T-5's will light me up nicely. The T-8's are nice for lighting and would be night and day better than some open incandescent bulbs. I will eventually replace all of my basement storage area keyless fixtures with T-8's too. They are cheap - just do it.

 

[burleyfarm]

Ii just wired my house 3 car garage. 10 foot ceiling with six 8' 4-bulb T-8 fixtures. It had some good light and lights the garage nicely. That being said, I didn't think it was quite bright enough for my detached garage - roughly the same layout but 13.5' ceilings. I went with nine 8' 4-bulb T-5 fixtures and one 4' 2-bulb fixture. I should have electric to the detached tomorrow and can report back on the results. Especially in the last few years, I will take all the light I can get - hopefully 38 T-5's will light me up nicely. The T-8's are nice for lighting and would be night and day better than some open incandescent bulbs. I will eventually replace all of my basement storage area keyless fixtures with T-8's too. They are cheap - just do it.

I have the same fixtures (t-8) and layout. This works very well in my situation a 3 car, 30x34 '. I believe how your walls and ceilings are finished will affect your lighting. Mine are painted light colors and my floor is a light tan epoxy all these finishes help to reflect light vs absorbing light.


Sent from my tractor seat.

 

[jloehlein]

I have CFL's now and they are no where near as bright as other fluorescent lights I've seen. This could be though because of their lower K rating. I'm thinking the fluorescent lights would offer just as bright if not brighter light and do so in a more even manner since the lights are 4 foot long.

On the other hand I came across these Cree lights that would be much brighter than the CFL's I have now and cost less than buying new fluorescent lights and bulbs and would use even less energy.

Are you talking about the same CFL bulbs that black00lightning is? The CREE LED bulb you show is neat, but it's a 100w equivalent meaning it puts out approximately the same light as a 100w incandescent bulb. I'm pretty sure black00lightning was referencing bulbs like these. They're 105w CFLs, which are roughly 400w equivalent. I'm not trying to debate if these would be better than T8 fixtures, but maybe the cheapest route would be to buy a few of them and try them out before you sink a bunch of money into new fixtures.

 

[black00lightning]

Yes, that's the bulb I was talking about. I know someone that is using them on porcelain socket fixtures that are only $3 each.

 

[600SL]

My electrical contractor is recommending two fixtures of 4'by 4 lights per fixture of T5 bulbs in my garage that is 24x15 with a 10' ceiling

Not a very good lighting solution. It puts way too much light in the center of the garage. Why light the tops of your car.

Better although more expensive to go with 4 2 tube T8's, two on each side of the car. This way you can have light directly shining on you break job.