Lights for a garage?

stagger19

Hi I'm building a 16x24 garage. I'm working on my electrical permit to submit, and the inspector wants to know the location of all the receptacles and lights. The receptacles are easy, but I'm not sure how many lights I will need to light the garage.

I was gonna go with either 4 ft or 8 ft shop lights, and hang them from the rafters with chains.

Is there any formula to go by to figure out how many lights, Watts... ETC I will need for my 16 X 24 garage?

Anybody have any personal recommendations on how many I should go with?

DoA

Hi stagger,

We usually work with lux levels and luminosity. For a garage, i'd recommend a covered fitting for protection of the lamp.

As far as the lamp source goes, there's the old style T8 & the newer T5's (the T5's are more expensive). The difference between them being that the T5's come with electronic gear and as high frequency versions (less of a flickering - can cause some people headaches).

To be honest, you probably only want (and certainly only require) T8's in a garage.

250lux (judged as an adequate level) means 16 x 36w fittings, however you could lower that by using higher wattage fittings.

Feel free to contact us via email if you would like to discuss any lighting issues, to do with your garage or otherwise.


Regards,

Adam

darren

So are the T5 something new or are you just confused.

T12 are the old style that can give you headaches, T8 are the newer style and also use less power.

You may want to get a cold start flurocent to if your garage is not heated.

Darren

jwhite

T5 are the newest out. I have not heard much about them so I don't know if any of them are any good.

Wolf-boy

If it's a detached garage, and you live in a place that gets a real winter, I'd use eight foot, t-12, HO flourescent fixtures.

They cost a bit more, but they do give off more light than a conventional flourescent, and best of all, they'll light on those cold days when a normal flourescent will just flicker.

generaldorf

Guys, I just put up a couple of used 4' 4-way commercial, flourescent light fixtures, and most of the time, when it's cold, they won't even light. Do I need new starters or just better bulbs? Thanks.

jwhite

To start there is not such thing as a 4 way light fixture. Did you mean four tube?

If it is very cold where the lights are you need new fixtures. HO or VHO do better in colder places. I am not sure how the newer electronic fixtures do.

Brik

What is the garage for? If its just to park a car then 2 or 3 60w bulbs will be fine. If its for a wood shop then thats an entirely different thing. My 2.5 car garage has EIGHT 8', 2 tube florecent fixtures and one 4' fixture.

mdlbldrmatt135

you need "cold weather" balasts.... IIRC they start around 40 bucks or so each.............