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Lighting for a garage


Deanspoors

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What do you guys have in your garage, I have a 7x7m garage at the moment with a measly single 5ft strip light, which is of no use whatsoever. 

 

I was about to purchase 4x 5ft 58w twin strip lights with reflectors, but then was wondering if there was possibly a better install. 

 

Cheers, 

 

Dean

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I had 4 x twin 5 ft fluoros in my old garage 6m x 6m. They gave very good light.

However, I've been looking for ages for some led floodlights for my new garage which is about 12x14m. So far, all the ones I've tried have had really bad light colour, spread, or both. I'd prefer led to fluoros because of running costs - any suggestions?

Sorry for the hijack but as we're both after the same info I thought I'd dive in :)

Brian

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I have recently fitted 6 x 1800mm long twin tube fittings, 3 per side mounted horizontally with day light tubes.

Ive painted all my walls white, double skinned & insulated the ceiling and painted that white too.

The lighting levels are superb. Its pretty much an average single garage.

 

I carried out the work whilst my Westy was away for a few weeks

 

 

Rob

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As many lights as possible. Flourescent tubes with reflectors are good for a spread of light amend lack of shadowed areas but the starters and tubes do need constant changes. As Robot says, painting the walls floor and ceiling do add to more light and also eliminate dust. As for led lighting is there anything specific for garge areas?

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I've got 5 x 5 ft or 6ft fluorescents over the Westie - rigged up on two circuits (1 lamp + 4 lamps) and evenly spaced.  I'd say it's about right in terms of output.  I went for the IP rated ("non-corrosive") ones as that way you get diffusers and a bit of knock resistance.

If you go for HF ballasts then you don't have as many issues with starter failure and (importantly) they're safer if you're using rotating tools.

I did think about LED downlighters but, for the length of time spent with them running, there would never be payback.

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Funny I was thinking about lights too. Where can you get led bulbs for strip lights? Do they even exist. I saw led lighting everywhere in Myanmar. Even the train I took used them, seemed like they just replaced normal flourescent strips with led versions

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I've been looking on eBay dom, it seems the cheapest place around. I think I'm just going to go for 4x 6ft twin battens with reflector panels and day light tubes. Hopefully that will provide enough light for the odd job in the garage. :)

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Replacement LED tubes have been on Amazon for about a year.  With some you have to remove the "guts" and starter so the tube gets the full mains across it.  I don't know if they work, but I've seen them in high street shops. 

 

Generally. some LED bulbs are good, some aren't.  As fluorescent is already efficient, I can't see there's much of a saving to be had.

 

In a single garage, I have 2 4foot tubes over the workbench and a 3rd over the car

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i found them to be pretty good, it was an overnight sleeper from yangon to madaley. nice and bright and attracted a shed load of bugs :d

 

i gave up searching for led strip lights on ebay as all i found was those rope things and what looked like nasty DJ lights, but i guess the art is in the search as i forgot they were called batons.

 

the only way i can get power in the garage is running about 2/3 of a 50m extension reel across the yard so LED's are a nice option for me. at the mo ie got a dasiy chain of normal energy saver bulbs.

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Why replace flourescent tubes with LED?

 

Narrow spectral bandwidth, makes things appear odd colours. Some colours may even appear black under LED lighting.

Almost the same power usage

More expensive

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A slightly related question - can you mix fluorescent and other lights on the same circuit?  I have three fluorescent tubes in my garage, and would like to add some more lights - LED or energy saving.

 

Geoff

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I've got a double width garage and replaced the single ceiling light with 6 x 5 foot fluorescent tubes.  They've got an oval profile diffuser so throw off decent spread of light.  The best thing I did was spend an hour or two fitting a 6 gang wall switch, and wiring the lights individually.  This allows any configuration of the 6 to be switched at any time depending on what job I'm doing in the garage (bench / car / porn collection).

 

I think the tubes were T5 6500K (whatever K is) daylight output spec, although they're only 45 W each.

 

Anyway, with all 6 fired up you almost need shades on..............! 

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4 x double 5ft flourescents seems ok until you do close work then a lead lamp comes into play.

 

Bob :d

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