Thanks for the tip. How much should I expect to pay for a 4' two bulb T8 fixture? The ones at Home Depot near me are $39 vs. the $45 for the 8' fixture. I am not sure of the quality of either fixture, but was going to go check the ballast, as the comments here indicate that it is an important component...
What is the right Florescent light fixture?Need some Layout help!!
- Thread starter tstang90
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IONH
Well-known member
I am actually working on determining a lighting strategy right now for my 24x32 foot two bay garage so that is why I have investigated lighting prices as recent as last week.
Home Depot's lowest price 4 foot two bulb T8 fixture was $20. This fixture had a very tight reflector right up against the bulbs. They also only had 10 packs of T8 bulbs at about $20 for the 10.
I was pleasantly surprised when I went to Lowes the next day. The first Lowes had a $13 fixture which looked better (for light dispersement) than the $20 fixture at HD. I was sold right away considering I am currently planning on 13 fixtures. I went to another Lowes nearby and found the same $13 fixture and then another for $17. This $17 fixture had the lights spread by about a 2" gap and an even better reflector. I think we have a winner with this $17 fixture.
Also, Lowes had a 30 count contractor pack for just about $34. They had another "no name" brand (something like Unitel) for $29 for the same 30 pack. An associate told me that was a rebranded Sylvania which Lowes sells for less.
Just be careful what you buy at Lowes for lights. I have read a lot of people on this forum who have not been very happy with them.
Here in West Des Moines Iowa, Home Depot was the only one that I could find a bulk package of lights at. Menards was useless and hardly had any to choose from.....Lowes had a few but no where near the selection of H.D. Funny how different areas have different choices.
Here in West Des Moines Iowa, Home Depot was the only one that I could find a bulk package of lights at. Menards was useless and hardly had any to choose from.....Lowes had a few but no where near the selection of H.D. Funny how different areas have different choices.
IONH
Well-known member
Good point bucs012. Long story short, shop around and see what's available in your area!
rwhite692
Well-known member
...And don't forget to check with your local Electrical Supply house!
Thanks for the info on pricing and availability. I'll have to check my local Lowes, although it's 100 miles away. The project is still in planning phase, so not quite ready to purchase everything.
Based on your size of structure vs. number of fixtures, sounds like I'm heading in the right direction...
Based on your size of structure vs. number of fixtures, sounds like I'm heading in the right direction...
I'm in the proccess of putting up my shop. Its 50x50x19'. I will probably end up doing OSB, and then covering it with sheetrock. I would like to do a recessed light for a more finished look.
I have recessed cans in my house with 22' ceilings, and I am using 150W equivilant CFL in the cans since they have a longer service life than a Halogen Lamp. They take a few minutes to warm up, but they have been in for 5 years now. I'm just wondering if anyone else has ever used cans like this before in a garage.
I am considering T8 lamps as well, but the thing I have always hated on Flourescent lights has been ballast hum, flickering, and failure to start in cooler weather. If I put a flourescent up, I just don't want to have to deal with issues. Also, as most folks have stated, I don't want excessive RFI.
It sounds like many folks have had good luck with the Lithonia brand, I just want to make sure the ballasts are bulletproof, and I want something that looks good as a recessed fixture.
Here is what I have drawn up right now.
I have recessed cans in my house with 22' ceilings, and I am using 150W equivilant CFL in the cans since they have a longer service life than a Halogen Lamp. They take a few minutes to warm up, but they have been in for 5 years now. I'm just wondering if anyone else has ever used cans like this before in a garage.
I am considering T8 lamps as well, but the thing I have always hated on Flourescent lights has been ballast hum, flickering, and failure to start in cooler weather. If I put a flourescent up, I just don't want to have to deal with issues. Also, as most folks have stated, I don't want excessive RFI.
It sounds like many folks have had good luck with the Lithonia brand, I just want to make sure the ballasts are bulletproof, and I want something that looks good as a recessed fixture.
Here is what I have drawn up right now.
