Lighting experts...what about flourscent cans?

[cobrar97]

For my garage makeover...I'm wondering...what about flourscent can lights? Everybody has the surface mount or flush mount 4' and 8' stuff.

Why don't I see any 8" T-5 can lights? These lights put out a 6'+ spead and are much brighter than the regular styles. They also don't waste light on the ceiling but rather light up below more effectively. But again, I never see anyone using them.

Is there a negitive to flourscent can lights for a garage?

Lighting experts, please let me know. If anyone has any pics of garages with these, I'd love to see them.

Thanks.

 

[nissan_crawler]

shadows on the wall, need way more, usually more expensive.

I don't buy that they're good for a 6' spread, either. Hell, I have 18 4' t8 bulbs in my 19x23. No way 16 of those things would work.

 

[cobrar97]

Just as a comparison to the nissan crawler's setup. He has 18 t8 bulbs in his garage. Assuming they are dual bulb fixtures...that's 9 fixtures in the garage that a 4' long on the ceiling.

4' t-8 bulbs produce 2800 lumens per bulb; or 5600 lumens per fixture. Much of that light is wasted on lighting the ceiling also.
The upper-line 8" can lights product 6800 lumens per can. These fixtures have a 65 degree spread. From a normal 9' garage ceiling, that's a 10' spread on the floor. And none of the light is wasted lighting the ceiling either.

You'd need only 7 8" can lights to equal the lumen output of the 9 tube T8 fixtures. Your can lights would take up 56" of combined ceiling space, whereas the tube lites take up 432" of ceiling space. With can lights, there no lights hanging below the ceiling line either.

Again, I'm very unsure about doing cans, but the specs show they would really work well and be much clenaer looking.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Its a garage. Its not your den or living room where you need "atmosphere". Can lights may have lots of lumen output, but I don't think its well distributed. That "wasted" light on the ceiling is actually useful, you get most of it back as reflected light and it tends to eliminate dark spots and most of all, eliminates the "cave effect" you get with a dark ceiling.

I'd take the 4 ft T8 fixtures.

Charles

 

[Worsedog]

Its a garage. Its not your den or living room where you need "atmosphere". Can lights may have lots of lumen output, but I don't think its well distributed. That "wasted" light on the ceiling is actually useful, you get most of it back as reflected light and it tends to eliminate dark spots and most of all, eliminates the "cave effect" you get with a dark ceiling.

I'd take the 4 ft T8 fixtures.

Charles

I concur. Also think about the fact that the 10' circle of light is on an unobstructed floor. How large would that circle be at workbench height? Also the reflected light from the ceiling is instrumental in reducing shadows.

My garage had four, four bulb high output florescent recessed fixtures when I bought the place and the lighting sucked. When I replaced them I went with 8' four bulb t-8 fixtures. With just the first two up and turned on the light was much better than the old fixtures.

 

[ddawg16]

I have 24 6" cans....divided up into 3 zones....

Excuse the mess....still under construction...this is looking towards the back....and a couple of the cans don't have lights in them yet....I'm using 120W (equiv) CFL's.

 

[cobrar97]

I can understand the light reflecting off the ceiling being of benefit for eliminating shadows.

I know that cans can have more light output that tubes, and it is a more downward-useful light. I'm not saying it's a better way to light, it's just something I'd like to see that I haven't seen before.

I can say that the technology in fluorscent can lights is much for advanced than ever and the options are endless. I would have thought I'd see much more of it here on the forum, but there's nothing at all. Is it because everyone is still stuck using old tube stuff "because it works" or because the can lights have been tried and failed for garage use?

 

[vinculum]

Just a few thoughts...

I've been interested in running CFL's - not inside "cans" using regular sockets, or properly named, Edison bases. Many different wattages lights and color spectrums are available right now. The other advantage I'm looking at is upgradability. When LED lighting improves in both performance and price, the upgrade will be simple. If i install tubes, I'm stuck with tubes forever. New tech however will be available in a screw in base.

 

[belvedere]

Vinculum- I've been considering the same thing. My cousin has them in his garage and likes them, though I haven't actually seen them myself. Is anyone else using CFLs?

 

[ddawg16]

I am.....see the post "Lighting Results using...."

I totally agree about the flexibility of the Edison base.....we know there will be lots of lighting options for years to come....I have pin based recessed lights in the kitchen and it's a PIA when one of the bulbs goes out....it's not a real popular bulb....

I did get a small abount of grief from the inspector...per code they are supposed to be the pin style sockets....that way you can't swap out the bulbs to incandescent after inspection.....but he let me slid when he saw that I already had all of the lights stuffed with CFL's.

I'm playing around now with color....I had some bright white bulbs in most of the sockets....then Costco had a great sale on 23w PAR lamps....box of 4 for less than $4....but they are the warm white....against the bare wood studs the color was obvious....but now that I have the drywall up, the color difference is not quite so obvious.....I'm thinking about mixing bright white and warm white bulbs....

We will see.....(pun intended)...