Adding a light.

[Lee Schierer]

Our garage is under my shop. There are stairs coming up to the shop and then you walk across one end of the shop to enter the house. There are switches to turn on lights in the garage and stairs but not a light in the shop. I want to add a light to the garage circuit that comes on with the others. The ceiling in the shop has a suspended ceiling below the hard ceiling. I can easily add a junction box to the upper ceiling.

What I need is a flush mounted light fixture, like a down light or floodlight, that is supported by the acoustical tile. I would prefer a led type fixture. I can run armored cable from the junction box to the fixture. Ideas and links are appreciated.

[Bill Dufour]

Troffers are designed to install in a suspended ceiling. I see used ones on c-list all the time, often for free. I would get a used one and rewire relamp with led tubes. Maybe only two bulbs not all four. replace or remove the old yellowed plastic lens.
Bil lD

[Lee Schierer]

Troffers are designed to install in a suspended ceiling. I see used ones on c-list all the time, often for free. I would get a used one and rewire relamp with led tubes. Maybe only two bulbs not all four. replace or remove the old yellowed plastic lens.
Bil lD

Thanks, I didn't want a drop in type fixture with tubes.

[Jim Becker]

Lee, there are quite a few LED surface mount type fixtures that are low profile and light-weight. The ones I put in our master closet to replace the crappy "non-standard CFL" fixtures resemble that remark. They were about $30 and are only about an inch and a half thick, give or take, and available in both "warm" and "daylight". I bought them at Home Depot awhile ago As long as you can secure your box properly, you should have an easy installation.

[David Bassett]

If I understand your situation correctly, you might want to check out under/inside cabinet lights. Most I've seen use low-voltage wiring from a control box. The L-V wiring which would be even easier to run to the light(s) and all you'd need is a switched outlet somewhere on the existing circuit near a place to mount the control box power-supply unit.

LV has a lighting catalog they threw in one of my orders with what look like really high quality options. I'm sure there are cheaper ones, though probably with less support.

[Ralph Okonieski]

I replaced several tube troffers with actual LEDs troffers. They were not tube LEDs. Do not remember the price but they were not real expensive. Easy to install and would do it again in a hard beat. Food for thought.

[Charlie Velasquez]

I just installed 12 of these yesterday in a suspended tile ceiling. Very bright, dimmable, the boxes clamp to the tile, UL listed, insulation contact, the attached junction box does not HAVE to be secured (because the manufacturer’s directions say you can just place the jb above the ceiling, but check with your AHJ.) But in any case with a suspended ceiling it is easily secured.

I used 12 awg. Takes some planning to get two 12-2 with ground in that junction box, but if you cut the conductors at 3/4” different lengths you can get the wire nuts to be offset. But many lighting circuits are 15 amp so you can use 14awg if that is the case..

442001

edit: I see you said “a” light. If you’re only adding one light, to safely traverse the shop, you won’t have two cables... no problems with space. 15 minutes, you’re done. Any big box will have similar lights. Menards, our local one has about 7 choices of this style.

[Lee DeRaud]

If I understand your situation correctly, you might want to check out under/inside cabinet lights. Most I've seen use low-voltage wiring from a control box. The L-V wiring which would be even easier to run to the light(s) and all you'd need is a switched outlet somewhere on the existing circuit near a place to mount the control box power-supply unit.The IKEA versions are pricey (IMHO), but they include the option of remote control. The remotes are little 3" pucks that you can put pretty much anywhere, and the batteries in them (2xAAA) last at least 3 years (haven't had to replace them yet). I think you can even have multiple remotes on the same circuit.

[glenn bradley]

I replaced a few "can" lights in our house with LED integrated "cans" (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Halo-HLB-6-in-3000K-Color-Temperature-New-Construction-or-Remodel-Canless-Recessed-Integrated-LED-Kit-HLB6099301EMWR/311105216?keyword=1004671827&semanticToken=300300r011320000_05518bdfd8e70e23402 84c8c7785401d_1601228377840+300300r011320000+%3E++ cnn%3A%7B0%3A0%7D+cnp%3A%7B10%3A0%7D+cnd%3A%7B4%3A 0%7D+cne%3A%7B8%3A0%7D+cns%3A%7B5%3A0%7D+cnx%3A%7B 3%3A0%7D+cnq%3A%7B0%3A0%7D+cnw%3A%7B0%3A0%7D+cnv%3 A%7B0%3A0%7D+st%3A%7B1004671827%7D%3Ast+oos%3A%7B0 %3A1%7D+tgr%3A%7BNo+stage+info%7D+smf%3A%7Bca%2Cbr %7D%3Asmf+nf%3A%7B1%7D%3Anf+qu%3A%7B1004671827%7D% 3Aqu). Low profile, low heat, inexpensive and easy to install. For just a light to make walking through safe it should be fine.

[Kev Williams]

I've been buying plug in 4' LED lights, very pleased with them:

442073

442074

They weigh maybe 2oz, a 2-year old could carry one around.. ;)

They're held in place with 1-screw spring-clips, you can just pop 'em in or out.
442075
They're so light one clip will hold them up. And they're completely portable if you need one to work on the car at night...

They come with a toggle switch plug wire, a direct-wire stub, 20" light-to-light cords to connect more lights (up to 8 per cord), and stub-plugs that allow you to butt them together end to end-- all for EACH light--

These are 5000k bluish-white, quite bright, with translucent 'frosted' covers. I bought a 6-pack from Amazon for $35, less than $6 each, link to ad below if interested.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XQDP5X9?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details

I bought some similar lights about 2 years ago, only they had clear lenses. Every LED is visible, and BRIGHT, pretty hard to look at. I like the, but these frosted ones I just got I like much better :)

Also, the last ones are proving to have about a 2-3 year life span, the starters have gone bad in 4 of the first batch of 10. I spent the extra $7 for a 4 year warranty on the new batch.