Turning lights into plugins??

[SC_man]

I currently have 3 light fixtures in my garage that use a 60 watt bulb, and all three lights turn on with the same wall switch. So That means that all three lights are on the same circuit, is that correct?

So what I would like to do, is to replace each light bulb fixture with a 4 plug receptical. That way I can plug in 4 fluorescent shop lights in each area. Then I would have a total of 12 fluorescent light fixtures instead of the three 60 watt bulb fixtures!

My question is, do you think the breaker ( I assume it is a standard 15 amp household breaker) can handle the load of turning on and running all 12 fluorescent lights?

I do have a 70 amp sub-panel with plenty of open slots to add for wiring lighting in the Garage. But I would like to get rid of those poor 60 watt bulbs and replace them with Fluorescent bulbs. If I replace the bulb fixtures with plugins.... How many fluorescents can I plugin and run that are controlled with the one switch (probably meaning they are on one circuit)?

If I can only run one fluorescent light fixture in place of the current 60 watt bulb fixtures ...then I am ok with that ...just would like to know for planning purposes. As I said I have a 70 amp sup panel that I can power other lights from,

 

[Norcal]

If you do convert them to receptacles then GFCI protection will be required, if the lights are hardwired you do not have to have GFCI protection, the shop lights that come with a cord are less then stellar quality. To know whether the circuit can handle more load means your going to have find out what else is on that circuit.

 

[SC_man]

Do all recepticals in a garage have to be GFCI or just ones that I replace existing fixtures? What is the reason I have to have them GFCI? Code?

I am using the corded lights as I got 4 of them (dual lights) for free. Can I just remove the plug wires from inside the fluorescents and hard wire them instead (course that would mean I could only use three of them), as I am replacing three 60 watt bulbs!

 

[sberry]

Did the language get changed from readily accessable? I have all cord and plug in the ceiling, on their own circuits and 20 ft in the air.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Did the language get changed from "readily accessible"? I have all cord and plug in the ceiling, on their own circuits and 20 ft in the air.

If the outlet is mounted in the ceiling, I think the GFCI rule does not apply.

You likely have an octagon box for those existing fixtures. You will have to add a second octagon box along side or swap to a square box.


OP - are you going to install double bulb fixtures ? That would be 24 bulbs which is a huge amount of light !

Yes, you can leave all of the outlets on the same 15A circuit. If there are other non-lighting outlets on the same circuit, this would be a good time for moving to a new circuit. Yes, you can control them with one switch.

 

[CJ7VFR]

12 light fixtures, each having two 4 foot long fluorescent bulbs in each fixture. Is this what you want to put up? That would be a total of 24 fluorescent bulbs as previously stated.

If you use the 32 watt versions of the bulbs, that would be 768 watts, which works to about 6.5 amps needed to run them all. If you use 40 watt fluorescent bulbs, that would be 960 watts, and 8.0 amps to run them.

Your 15 amp circuit is fine for that, so your good to go.

What you don't want to do is tap into that circuit and install any receptacles to run any tools or other things, as it would make the lights flicker every time you fired up a tool, or worse, you could over load the circuit for the lights. So if you ever want to add any receptacles for tools, add in another circuit, since you said you have the room in your box.

One thing you may want to consider is putting each set of 4 light fixtures on their own switch. That way, when you go into the garage for something quick, and then come right back out, you will not be turning on all 12 fixtures.

I have my main garage lights set up on a few switches, and I have an additional single bulb in one of those screw in light socket motion sensors.

This way, when my wife or I go in and out of the garage to dump the recycling or the trash into the cans, or just to walk across the garage to get to the people door on the other side, the motion sensor light gives enough light to see what we are doing, and we don't have to turn on all the main lights and waste electricity.

Good luck with the lights! If you do indeed hook up 12 fluorescent fixtures, you will have a lot of light in your garage to work!!

Jim

 

[woodzy]

I would think if these outlets in the ceiling are used for lights, most inspectors would pass it not being GFCI. Your garage door opener is plugged into an outlet on the ceiling, and that does not need to be GFCI.

Now, if they were on the wall and close to the floor, and you ran the cords down the wall to the outlets, GFCI would be needed.

On my garage, I have outlets at 4' from the floor and they all needed to be GFCI, but the set I have at 10' from the floor (used just for neon signs) did not need to be GFCI since the inspector said they were for permanent lights that were plugged in. YMMV with your inspector.

 

[alfredeneuman]

If the outlet is mounted in the ceiling, I think the GFCI rule does not apply.

They, like all 15 and 20 Amp 120 V receptacles in a garage, must be GFI protected.

One could just as easily plug in a tool instead of a light.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Texas uses the 2014 edition of the NEC. Article 210.8.A.2 of the 2014 NEC says all 120vac, 15 and 20 amp receptacles in a residential garage shall have GFCI protection. There's no exception for receptacles that are not readily accessible.

 

[jpinca]

If you want use GFI, either put in a breaker or a GFI switch. I wouldn't put in a GFI receptacle if it would require a ladder to reset. Using a ladder,IMHO, outweighs the safety of GFI.

 

[alfredeneuman]

If you want use GFI, either put in a breaker or a GFI switch. I wouldn't put in a GFI receptacle if it would require a ladder to reset. Using a ladder,IMHO, outweighs the safety of GFI.

GFIs are required to be ready accessible, thus no ladders.

Faceless GFIs (without receptacles) could be mounted on the wall in order to comply with the requirement.
There is no such animal as a GFI switch.

 

[Zeke]

This has turned into a discussion of codes and GFCI requirements. And yet the OP just wanted to know if he could remove what are likely porcelain light sockets and replace with receptacles in a plate and then plug individual light fixtures into them.

First of all, that's a lot of light. Does he need that many fixtures? He says he could get by with one fixture per recep.

What I would do is what I did at my own garage: remove the sockets and install plates with outlets. Most ceiling boxes will take a duplex easily, but a quad will be tight even on 4" boxes. Then forget about when this was done and assume it was that way all along. The permit police are not coming out to the house if they see empty cardboard boxes that contained fixtures in the trash.

 

[CJ7VFR]

This has turned into a discussion of codes and GFCI requirements. And yet the OP just wanted to know if he could remove what are likely porcelain light sockets and replace with receptacles in a plate and then plug individual light fixtures into them.

He actually asked this in his initial post: "just would like to know for planning purposes. As I said I have a 70 amp sup panel that I can power other lights from"

This, by nature of the question, means if he was not able to do what he wanted, then he would, in the future, like to add a circuit(s) to his panel to add the extra lights.

The responses given to this part of his post are directly related to codes and requirements if he wants to add in new circuits to his garage the proper way.

Jim

 

[Zeke]

He actually asked this in his initial post: "just would like to know for planning purposes. As I said I have a 70 amp sup panel that I can power other lights from"

This, by nature of the question, means if he was not able to do what he wanted, then he would, in the future, like to add a circuit(s) to his panel to add the extra lights.

The responses given to this part of his post are directly related to codes and requirements if he wants to add in new circuits to his garage the proper way.

Jim

OK, I'm down with that.

 

[CJ7VFR]

OK, I'm down with that.

 

[CJ7VFR]

You know, one other choice, just to temporarily hook up a few of the fluorescent lights, would be to get a few screw in socket adapters that change the light sockets to outlets.

They are pretty cheap, and you could have your lights working in no time. Here is a picture of some from Home Depot:

You would only be able to hook up a few of the light fixtures, but it is another choice for the time being until you decide what to do permanently.

Jim