Replacing a small light with many big ones?

[TeeJayHoward]

Right now, my garage has this pitiful little 60W light bulb in it. I'd like to take that out and replace it with 12-16 dual-T8 LED light fixtures. Like most on here, I'd also like to do a lot of the work myself. Here's the rub: I don't know a damned thing about this kind of work. I'm operating under the assumption that it'll be easy - Unwire the old light, match the wire colors, run all the LEDs in serial. I'm pretty worried that I'll blow up a thousand bucks in lights when I flick that breaker back on, though. Can you guys offer any tips, tricks, or suggested reading?

 

[The Cobbler]

first, the lights are wired parallel, not series/
yes. it's simple to do , but if you're lacking the basic knowledge. I suggest you get a qualified electrician to do the work for you.
perhaps you could mount the fixtures so all they have to do is wire them up.

 

[Bert_]

serial

serial, like for a computer? Maybe cereal? I like milk with mine...

 

[TeeJayHoward]

I figured it'd be easier, but if parallel's the way things are done, then that's the way it's done! How the heck do you manage to wrap up sixteen wires in one locknut, though? (Joking, you'd actually run two lights to a junction box, and then a common line out... right?)

Actually, for that matter, how many lights can I have coming off one line? Should I be running a whole new breaker just for garage lights? I have no idea what wire's up there now. Could be 16 gauge, could be 12.

 

[PoorOwner]

Flip off that breaker and check how many things it controls. Maybe also the garage receptacle or garage door opener? How many watts are each light fixture ?

The orange 123 book from Home Depot has good information on wiring basics.

 

[TeeJayHoward]

Flip off that breaker and check how many things it controls. Maybe also the garage receptacle or garage door opener? How many watts are each light fixture ?

The orange 123 book from Home Depot has good information on wiring basics.

I believe code around here states that each garage door opener has to be on its own circuit. I haven't bought the lights yet, but they typically take dual T8s, which are what... 35W each? So, 70-75W per fixture, times 16 fixtures... Carry the one... 1120-1200W. 120V service, I=V/R so 10 amps? If the lights are on a unique circuit, it's fine. I think I'll probably end up re-wiring otherwise.

 

[TeeJayHoward]

I believe code around here states that each garage door opener has to be on its own circuit.

I guess not. Just went out and checked the breaker box. There's a 15A breaker labeled "Garage Lights". Hit that, and the openers went dark too.

 

[CJ7VFR]

If you have a sub-panel in your garage, and there is room in it to install a new breaker, then it would be a good idea to install your lights on their own breaker, or even divide them up and put them on two breakers. Example: One breaker for the lights on one side of the garage, and one for the other side.

If you really want to put in 12 to 16 dual bulb T8 LED style light fixtures, you may also want to divide them up and put them on several different switches. This will allow you to turn on just the right amount of light you need for any given task instead of lighting up the entire garage every time you go in there.

Most of the time, unless you are working on a big project, you would never need to light up all those fixtures just to run the trash out to the garage, or to get a tool from the toolbox for a project you are doing inside the house.

You have a nice "blank" canvas to start with here. Make it what you want and what works best for you!

Jim

 

[machsnell]

The t8 leds are usually 17 to 20 watts each for 4 footers.

So call it 40 watts per fixture. So for 12 to 16 fixtures you would have 500 to 650 watts.

You can have 1400 or so on a 15 amp circuit if it were only lights. The openers are probably 4 amps (480 watts)? So you are still under what you can put on that circuit. I do believe garage door openers are to be on their own circuit.?? Sparkys will answer but not sure how important that really is.

Take you lights and wire nut the black, whites and greens together and you should be good to go.

Do you have wire to every location currently?

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[TeeJayHoward]

Do you have wire to every location currently?

Nope, no wiring done yet. Just laying out the lights via 3D modelling and trying to figure out everything I'd need to get. I believe early next month I'm going to start buyin' stuff.

 

[Aaron_W]

I like a lot of light myself, but 12-16 fixtures seems excessive, how big is this garage?

 

[Crazyjake8493]

If you really want to put in 12 to 16 dual bulb T8 LED style light fixtures, you may also want to divide them up and put them on several different switches. This will allow you to turn on just the right amount of light you need for any given task instead of lighting up the entire garage every time you go in there.

I would definitely break them up into at least a couple switches with that many fixtures. Either split the garage half/half, or even wire them so every other slight is on the opposing switch, so you could essentially get full coverage but at half the light output, if you didn't need full brightness all the time.

My 30x20 garage has all lights on one breaker, but 3 different switches. My main 20x20 bay has four 3-bulb LED retrofitted fixtures (2 lights per switch) and the side 10x20 bay is separated by a partial wall with two 3-bulb LED fixtures over my woodworking tools, on a 3rd switch in that area.

I don't mind having the lights on one breaker, but I don't like combining lights and outlets on the same breaker. 1) If I trip the breaker, I'm not in the dark. and 2) I can turn off the outlet breaker(s) if I need to add an outlet or change something, and not be working with a flashlight.

 

[TeeJayHoward]

I like a lot of light myself, but 12-16 fixtures seems excessive, how big is this garage?

20x30 3-car garage with a little cutout for tool chests and whatnot. I just replaced the two 60W bulbs currently in the garage with "100W equivalent" LED bulbs, and now I'm inclined to agree with you. It's quite a difference. Now I'm thinkin' that half the fixtures would be okay. 6 on the twin-bay, 4 on the single.