Regular/high bay lights

[shamrock12]

When it come to selecting ceiling light fixtures for a shop, how high do the ceiling have to be to warrant a "high bay" fixture design?

The shop has 14' ceiling, and we want to use fluorescent (T8) fixtures; however, during the search, I see that they are offered in regular and high bay types. Not sure what the difference is ... perhaps the reflectors are added for the "high bay" models?

 

[ForceFed70]

From what I've seen, 16' in the typical minimum reccomended ceiling height for a high bay style fixture.

There should be a reccomended min height published by the manufacturer if you can find it.

 

[nehog]

High/low bay definitions vary from maker to maker, from product to product. Some consider anything over 12 ft as high bay, some say anything under 16 is low. Some high bay lights work well when lowered, some do not. Some lights have adjustable reflectors that allow some customization of the light pattern.

FWIW, I have high bay fixtures in my shop, ceiling is about 13-15 ft, and I have the light reflectors adjusted to the minimum height position, and get good lighting--that is with HID lights. My florescent lights are somewhat low bay, but they work OK too... (I have both florescent and HID installed.)

 

[redpost]

In the 14' tall lift bay of my garage I use high output 8' long T8 fluorescent fixtures and have plenty of light. For good measure you might also want to consider mounting several of the same fixtures horizontally on the wall at a height that will comfortably illuminate the work area beneath a car/truck that is on a lift, if you are headed in that direction with your plans.