Wiring question- direct wire strip lights

[Dave Carney]

I've got this 4', 4 lamp, T8 fixture from Lowes, its a direct wire type. Is it ok to run the circuit wires right into the large wiring hole in the unit, (with the connections resting in the wiring tray in the unit, or do I have to have an electrical box? The problem is that the wiring hole is right in line with the mounting holes, putting a box on the stud messes up the ability mount it. It comes with no chains or stems or instructions, etc....but it's reasonably priced and I want to try one of them before doing the whole garage. Electrician is coming out monday to bid the new service job and he will know the answer but I'd like to already have the studs in place and the light too.

 

[sjsfire]

You have a couple of options. You can run your wires in conduit and get the conduit conector or just use wire and use the wire conector. I'm no electrician so I can't recall the proper names for these and I have used them. Anyhow they fit just inside the fixture hole maybe 1/2 inch and there is a lock nut that tightens it down. One will clamp the conduit in place and the other is for the 12/2 with ground wire. Stop back by Lowes and ask someone in electrical, they should know what you need and when you see what I'm talking about you'll get it.

 

[sjsfire]

Sorry I guess I only offered a comment on part of your question. Yes you can run the wire inside the fixture and leave them lay. Connect them with wire nuts, then I always use electrical tape to wrap the wire nuts. Talk to the electrician when he comes, it will take all of about 5 minutes for him to get you going, then you'll be wiring your lights like a pro.....

 

[bmwpower]

They're called Romex connectors. I would go that route.

 

[Dave Carney]

This a really big hole in fixture for the wires to come out ....like 2 and a half or 3"

 

[Dave Carney]

There are a couple knockouts for that size romex connector, as I recall though, they are inline with the mounting holes, I'll look at it closer tonight and try to figure something out.

 

[bmwpower]

This a really big hole in fixture for the wires to come out ....like 2 and a half or 3"

The only thing I can think of is that you mount the light OVER a box in the ceiling. Align this big hole over the opening for the box. Then somehow the guts of the fixture come out allowing you to wire it from below. Push the connected wires back in the ceiling box, close up the fixture.

I've never done this. I've only seen/done hanging lights, which do not have these kind of openings, only the romex type.

 

[carcentric]

My light fixtures run perpendicular to the trusses, so this may not work for you, but I screwed a pair of 1x2 wood strips to the ceiling (about 1.5" apart) and then screwed the light fixtures to the 1x2's. That gave me a 3/4"x1.5" place between the 1x2's (above the fixtures) for wiring to be hid away.

 

[Fultrtl]

Can you post a picture of what you have? You can get blank covers that will cover the hole and the usually have about a 3/4" knoch out in it. Lowe's or Home Depot should have them.

 

[Dave Carney]

If I mount it offset from the center a bit, I can just clear one of the 3/4" knockouts, so that's what I'll do....here's a pic of the backside of the light.

 

[Willy Victor]

You can drill mounting holes in the fixture any where you like, you don't have to use the factory holes.

Willy

 

[TACRick]

If I mount it offset from the center a bit, I can just clear one of the 3/4" knockouts, so that's what I'll do....here's a pic of the backside of the light.

That light is not so heavy as to require you to mount it into the ceiling joists if your ceiling is drywalled. You can use hollow-wall anchors to mount it wherever you need. I've mounted a ton of them and never had a problem. If you need to route the wires such that it is one of a "string" of lights (i.e., a row of lights all on the same circuit) then you probably want to have a box mounted between the ceiling joists above the big hole in your fixture so you can make all of the connections securely inside of the box instead of the fixture. (You want to be able to change out light fixtures without rewiring the entire circuit, so I'd only run one set of wires into each fixture.)

If your ceiling isn't drywalled, you'll have to find a way to mount the light such that a box CAN be located above the big hole. Of course, you can always use on of the smaller knockouts to mount a romex connector, but that's really only required if you don't have a box or your lights are mounted out in the open (i.e., no ceiling).

 

[Dave Carney]

Yeah, there's no ceiling although way down the road there will be (steel) So what I'm doing is installing some of the ceiling joists now, killing two birds with one stone. The lights will be perpendicular to the joists so I'm just going to run a 46" 2x4 in between joists on which to mount each light. Trying to hold costs down as much as I can.

 

[Dave Carney]

Read through some of my books. What I need is an octagonal box with center stud, fixture strap, and lock nut. That's really what the center cutout is for.

 

[Remi]

My 8' lights run parallel with the joists. So I had to mount all of them using drywall anchors. I used EZ-toggles, not cheap but works very well. As to the wiring. You do not need a romex connector at the box (you can use if you like). Depending on where you live you do not even need a box. In my area it is with in code to hard wire a flourecent fixture without a light box. (same as baseboard heaters)

 

[bobbyd]

Just had the same delimma over the weekend Dave. A buddy of mine came up with an almost ridiculous supply of used 4 lamp 4' lay-in flourescent fixtures for the best price - free. I was considering my options for mounting. At first I thought I would recess them, but considering I already have part of my corrugated steel ceiling in place, I didn't feel like cutting holes in off a ladder. Plus, I think I would have had to leave clearance around the fixture for insulation. Second option, mounting them directly to the joists. Well, the boxes are already cut into the ceiling and would have been off centered. These lights are fairly heavy so I didn't want to mount too far off center. Last option, suspend them on chains, which is what I did. To take care of the wiring, I put a stainless blank cover with 1/2" hole on the box and ran amorflex (flexible metal conduit) from the plate to the top of the fixture. The top of the fixture is about 8" below the ceiling. I painted the fixtures (outside only) gloss black to fit in with the theme. I think it looks better than if I had recessed them. Gives it that "industrial look". Of course I'm out of town again and didn't take any pictures this weekend. I'll get some Wednesday when I'm back and post them. If you haven't already gotten all yours installed, it may give you an idea of cool they can look.

Damn I get long winded sometimes. Sorry.

 

[Dave Carney]

Yeah, post some pics! Talked the electrician today (from McBride), he votes for no box, just screw unit to the joist and wire in the unit. Since he's installing them I'l just have to see what he does. Eventually, I too will have a steel ceiling so all of them will have to come down at some point for me to do the ceiling.

 

[bobbyd]

Pics as Promised

Dave,

Here are a few pics of how I'm handling the lights in my shop. The first is the lights the way I got them. The second and third are shots of one installed and the fourth is a shot of the connection.

 

[Dave Carney]

Looking good!