Unfinished garage lighting options

[snowphun]

I know this has been discussed before but I'm still a bit confused. I have a 22'x22' garage and would like to improve the lighting. I have four bulb sockets wired to a switch by the door, currently I have Y adapters in each with 23 watt CFL's (8 total). These lights are on a 15 amp circuit shared with four outdoor lights, can I simply add a few more bulb sockets as long as I keep the total power under the maximum load? I'd like to use pull change sockets on a couple that will not be used all the time. I am looking to increase general lighting, I will have a shop light over my bench.

My garage is unfinished, the lights are attached to joists and open above. I'd like to find a way to relfect the light down into the garage, a simple dish reflector seems like it would work great but I don't know if such an item is available for existing fixtures? Would floodlight bulbs (R30 or PAR38) do a better job of directing light down?

 

[Berserker]

If all the lights are on the switch, the pull chain will only work when the other lights are on. You could leave it normally off. Its kind of a hack way to do it, but not the end of the world either.

I am not up on the CFLs, do they have to be cold temp rated?

You can keep adding lights to the circuit, you should keep it under 12 amps for a 15 amp breaker.

It is nice to have seperate lighting circuits or atleast switches, in case you have to do something in the future, you won't be in the dark. Though you can plug a lamp in a outlet.

If the ceiling is open and staying open, no big deal. if you plan on closing it in, then I would think about what you want in the future.

 

[Motofixxer]

I would run a new sub panel with some aluminum 2-2-2-4 Service cable. Then you could add another lighting circuit, switched lights, exterior motion lights , more outlets, 240v circuit for a compressor. Your practically future proof. Depending on how long your run is to the sub panel, it's only about $1\ft for the cable.

 

[jvitez]

Depends if you're thinking long term or short. Are you eventually planning on drywalling/insulating the garage? Do you need it really bright, or just better than now? What are you using the garage for now, and what are your future plans?

KISS principle: buy some cheap plastic lampholders, put up as many as you want. Using CFL's with Y-adaptors you would need a ridiculous number to be over 1440 watts (80% of 15 amps continuous load).

Add up everything on that circuit you conceivably could have in use at the same time, and subtract back from there.

Yes, PAR bulbs would reflect downwards far better, but you'd get uneven illumination with light/dark/light/dark type of pattern unless you spaced them perfectly. I much prefer even illumination for general lighting like a garage/workshop/studio. More lampholder with CFL's would do a better job overall IMO.

 

[snowphun]

Depends if you're thinking long term or short. Are you eventually planning on drywalling/insulating the garage? Do you need it really bright, or just better than now? What are you using the garage for now, and what are your future plans?

KISS principle: buy some cheap plastic lampholders, put up as many as you want. Using CFL's with Y-adaptors you would need a ridiculous number to be over 1440 watts (80% of 15 amps continuous load).

Add up everything on that circuit you conceivably could have in use at the same time, and subtract back from there.

Yes, PAR bulbs would reflect downwards far better, but you'd get uneven illumination with light/dark/light/dark type of pattern unless you spaced them perfectly. I much prefer even illumination for general lighting like a garage/workshop/studio. More lampholder with CFL's would do a better job overall IMO.

Unlikely to drywall and finish, so adding a few more lampholders seems like the best way to go. I put up three more and bought some barn lamp shades, I'l see if they help direct the light downwards. This should make a big improvement.

 

[LocoCoco]

For cheap, easy and effective (temporary) lighting I have three pairs of 48" fluorescent tubes, the kind that just plug into the wall. As broche-à-foin as it is, they're plugged into a power bar which is plugged into an extension cord I plug into the wall. Works great for the time being before I finish the electrical in there properly (currently there's only one 15A circuit).

Comparing those three lights to the four 26W pigtails also in there is a night and day difference. And to answer the question above about the cold, these have been fine. At -30, the pigtail ones come on very dim at first then brighten up like normal after maybe a minute. The tubes seem to start and work the same no matter what the temperature.

You can see them in this pic. The tubes are way too bright to use with drunk people. Sorry, don't have a shot with them lit.


LC.

 

[theoldwizard1]

For a home garage you can't beat 4' fluorescent single or double tube fixtures ! They are inexpensive and throw a lot of light. Many (HD or Lowes) come with pull chains and plug in cords.

I'm not an electrician (but sometimes I play one !) so I had not installed any of these in years. All I can say is WOW !

The new electronic ballast fixtures with the skinnier bulbs (T8?) are amazing. They start instantly and never blink. They actually use less power than the old 4 footers. I have had no problem with them starting at 10-20F (Now below zero maybe another issue).

 

[LocoCoco]

^ Like I said mine fire up like normal (maybe a little dimmer for the first 30 seconds) in -30°C (-22°F), and yes, dead silent and no flickering. Bulbs are 32W each.

On the other hand there are a couple oldschool balasts in my house, one above the kitchen sink and two hidden behind some thing where the curtains go in the living room. The kitchen one humms loud enough that it's too annoying to use and the living rooms ones refuse to turn on it seems when it's cool and humid. If flicking the switch a few times doesn't work we sometimes have to aim a hairblower at them for half a minute and they fire up.



LC.

 

[425hp]

I had the electronic ballast fixtures 10 of them installed for my 3 car garage, glad I did, go for as many as possible for the area. They start instantly and I have all of them on one switch.