Garage Lighting

[Black 03 Z06]

Frustrated with the lack of light in my unheated garage. I have fluorescent lights with a cold start ballast system and frankly they don't work very well at all. Once it starts to cool getting all of them to come on is well just about impossible. None of them actually fully light, the light is dim and "greyish" in colour.

So I wonder what the latest is in garage lighting. I need to make a change but change to just what I do not know. Any suggestions?

 

[CableGuy]

Frustrated with the lack of light in my unheated garage. I have fluorescent lights with a cold start ballast system and frankly they don't work very well at all. Once it starts to cool getting all of them to come on is well just about impossible. None of them actually fully light, the light is dim and "greyish" in colour.

So I wonder what the latest is in garage lighting. I need to make a change but change to just what I do not know. Any suggestions?

I just converted my fathers shop to LED based tubes. They are a retrofit for the existing fluorescent housings and do require removing the ballast, but are very easy to install. They take less than 1/4 of the power, and are instant on with more brightness than the originals. A must in cold temps.

 

[Black 03 Z06]

Appreciate the input, I have not heard of this conversion but it would make sense since the housings are already there and wired in.

Thanks, I will look into it.

 

[Rick9456]

I'm in the process of installing lights in my garage now. Lithonia lighting. They're LED and suitable for ambient tempertures of minus 40f - 115f. extremely bright. 12, 000 lumens each and I'm going with 4.
Google Lithonia LED IBG High Bay. 100,000 hrs rated

 

[Black 03 Z06]

Another option. Thanks Rick.

 

[Rick9456]

My garage is going to be so bright I'll need sunglasses. I'm putting on a dimmer switch.

 

[williame3590]

I put 12 8 foot LED lights in my new shop which is 40X60. You could easily do brain surgery in there and not miss a stitch. They are truly the way to go.

Bill

 

[turbozig]

Frustrated with the lack of light in my unheated garage. I have fluorescent lights with a cold start ballast system and frankly they don't work very well at all. Once it starts to cool getting all of them to come on is well just about impossible. None of them actually fully light, the light is dim and "greyish" in colour.

So I wonder what the latest is in garage lighting. I need to make a change but change to just what I do not know. Any suggestions?

I have 16 old style double 4' flourescent fixtures in the garage. I retrofitted them with electronic balasts and led 5000K daylight bulbs. I did a current measurement before and after. About a third of the power consumption, and about 3 times the light output. The biggest bonus is no more startup time, flicker or buzz, completely silent. One of the best upgrades I have done in the garage. Highly recommend if you spend alot of time in you garage/shop.

 

[YFCvii]

Any change to LED "daylight" should make you rather happy both with light & energy cost.
I just changed my simple normal incandescent bulbs to LED "daylight" and it's really nice.
I can imagine the larger tube-like LED lit garages.

 

[Rick9456]

The fixtures I'm putting in are 133 watts per fixture, a lot less wattage
than a flourresent fixture. Lights are you going in today, cars got to move and it's snowing. What perfect timing....

 

[YFCvii]

The fixtures I'm putting in are 133 watts per fixture, a lot less wattage
than a flourresent fixture. Lights are you going in today, cars got to move and it's snowing. What perfect timing....

All it takes is just one snow flake Rick and it's "winter driven" ...
Enjoy daytime lighting on the inside later today

 

[AllFlash]

Lol... I say similar all the time. One rain drop and it is 100% chance of rain.

 

[turbozig]

All it takes is just one snow flake Rick and it's "winter driven" ...
Enjoy daytime lighting on the inside later today

Oh I see.... In that case mine has seen 3 winters already!

 

[YFCvii]

We make great company y'all with the best looking "winter beaters" around

 

[AllFlash]

We make great company y'all with the best looking "winter beaters" around

 

[YFCvii]

View attachment 13372

My wife just walked by, quick double take at the photo and screamed ... "the snow shovel"!
(never mind the fact it's snowing eh)

 

[AllFlash]

Hey... now that you have me looking at moving up to T8 LED tube lighting.... do I have to change ballasts for this...or simple switch them out? Next up what is brightest??? 3000Lumens? 4000K??? I am lacking an understanding of such terms and simply want the brightest bulbs with a simple replacement from the old...

 

[turbozig]

Hey... now that you have me looking at moving up to T8 LED tube lighting.... do I have to change ballasts for this...or simple switch them out?

The fixtures must have electronic ballasts. The old magnetic style ballasts will not work. The electronic ones are about half to a quarter of the size of the old magnetic ones and are very light.

 

[AllFlash]

Magnetic? I have to twist the light into place. Is this what you mean?

 

[turbozig]

Magnetic? I have to twist the light into place. Is this what you mean?

Nope, the old styles were quite large and are a transformer type internally, much heavier than the new electronic versions. I believe most of the fixtures sold within the 5-7 years have electronic ballasts. If you install the led replacement bulbs and they don't work, are very dim or flicker, you will need to change the ballast.