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Thread: Replacing Shop Lighting

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Tippecanoe County, IN
    Posts
    836
    I have 8' fluorescent fixtures that I've modified with retrofit kits that replace the two 8' tubes with six 4' LED tubes. I rewired the two lighting circuits so now one switch controls the center tubes and the outer rows are controlled by the other switch. Being hit with just one third brightness in the morning has saved a lot of spilled coffee.
    Beranek's Law:

    It has been remarked that if one selects his own components, builds his own enclosure, and is convinced he has made a wise choice of design, then his own loudspeaker sounds better to him than does anyone else's loudspeaker. In this case, the frequency response of the loudspeaker seems to play only a minor part in forming a person's opinion.
    L.L. Beranek, Acoustics (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1954), p.208.

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Somewhere in the Land of Lincoln
    Posts
    2,545
    How high is the ceiling? I went with high bay LED's but I have a 14' height. It would take I think 44 "shop light" style LED's to create the same light as my 10 high bay's. There are options and conversion is a good way to go. The best ones eliminate ballast and are direct wire.

  3. #18
    Ronald, my customer has 10'-12' ceilings. I was shocked at how bright those skinny LED strip lights were. No joke: Night and day better than my T8's. It was nowhere near as many strips as you might think.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    New Hampshire
    Posts
    2,796
    I have found the ballasts to cost more than the whole fixture. I purchased a box of T-8 LED bulbs, but don't know if the fixtures will last long enough to use them.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    Somewhere in the Land of Lincoln
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    2,545
    Quote Originally Posted by Erik Loza View Post
    Ronald, my customer has 10'-12' ceilings. I was shocked at how bright those skinny LED strip lights were. No joke: Night and day better than my T8's. It was nowhere near as many strips as you might think.

    Erik
    It's all about the lumens they put out. This is a link to the light I have. They are significantly higher by about $30 per fixture than they were 2 years ago when I got them but so it seems is everything else.
    https://www.menards.com/main/lightin...996333&ipos=40

    In fact I had an electrician/friend do my electrical and he worked for an electrical contractor. He said he often referenced my shop to people when discussing lighting. He was impressed and pleased with it. It helps that my walls and ceiling are white also. Reflect the light very well too.
    Last edited by Ronald Blue; 01-22-2022 at 4:37 PM.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,879
    Talk to your electric supplier. They may have a program to come out and do a free measurement and light plan. They may also pay for some of the cost of new efficient fixtures.
    Bill D

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,879
    No idea on lifespan but I bought some from horrible fright for about $20 on sale with a discount. I paid a little extra to get ones with a switch and daisy chain outlet.
    Bill D.

  8. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Ronald Blue View Post
    It's all about the lumens they put out. This is a link to the light I have. They are significantly higher by about $30 per fixture than they were 2 years ago when I got them but so it seems is everything else.
    https://www.menards.com/main/lightin...996333&ipos=40

    In fact I had an electrician/friend do my electrical and he worked for an electrical contractor. He said he often referenced my shop to people when discussing lighting. He was impressed and pleased with it. It helps that my walls and ceiling are white also. Reflect the light very well too.
    These are the ones my customer had and the ones I will probably end up with. I think maybe one or two of the individual diodes didn't illuminate but these things were shockingly bright:

    https://barrina-led.com/collections/...lug-pack-of-10

    He did tell me that the mounting clips were janky and that he had to extend some of the linkable connectors but no biggie to DIY a solution from my end.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  9. #24
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Lancaster, Ohio
    Posts
    1,346
    I have 12 lights in my shop plus still some older 4" 2 lamp shop lights that need replaced sometime. I prefer less lumens per fixture and more fixtures due to ceiling height of 7' 9". I will always have some incandescent lamps in keyless porcelain fixtures for color rendition over main work bench. I probably will add another 6 pack and replace all the old shop lights sometime.
    Ron

  10. #25
    Ron, do those have a diffused lens? How do you like that, if so? The only thing I possibly disliked about the Barrinas I'm looking at is that the individual diodes tend to "dazzle" any reflective surface. Thoughts?

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  11. #26
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Lancaster, Ohio
    Posts
    1,346
    Quote Originally Posted by Erik Loza View Post
    Ron, do those have a diffused lens? How do you like that, if so? The only thing I possibly disliked about the Barrinas I'm looking at is that the individual diodes tend to "dazzle" any reflective surface. Thoughts?

    Erik
    Erik, these have a diffused lens and I have never noticed any signs of reflection or dazzling. I am slightly over sensitive to glare and really like these lights for the even pattern and lack of shadows. Another reason for going with more fixtures that have less lumens per fixture.
    They mount with a clip that uses one screw and wire by daisy chaining up to 8 together. i originally installed receptacles for plug in shop light fixtures and these fixtures work nicely with this setup.
    If I was working with 12' or higher ceilings than I would use a different fixture, however my shop is in the basement and is 3" less than 8' high.
    Ron

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    Erik, those are the ones I was thinking of, too. Amazon has them in various multipacks.

    https://smile.amazon.com/Barrina-550...44&sr=8-8&th=1

    $180 for 10 of them isn't a horrible deal at all!
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  13. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Erik, those are the ones I was thinking of, too. Amazon has them in various multipacks.

    https://smile.amazon.com/Barrina-550...44&sr=8-8&th=1

    $180 for 10 of them isn't a horrible deal at all!
    Those look similar to the pair I bought at HD, which cost a little more at $45/pair. They are definitely brighter than the 75W T12s it replaced. Installation was simple. I'll probably retrofitt the rest of my 12 or so fixtures with the same and make a few changes along the way. It's obvious by reading the posts above that shopping around will lower the cost considerably. I would like to add more fixtures at the mezzanine, use a slimmer fixture like this under the lower rafter ties and possibly a pendant LED fixture between them mounted higher up. Below is a photo of part of my shop that might give an idea of what I'm up against.
    Lights 001.jpg

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Center Valley, PA USA
    Posts
    141
    I use the ones that Costco sells; they go on sale pretty often too.

    They are connectable up to four in a string and put out a load of nice bright light.
    ===========

    James Cheever
    Ga Tech NROTC - 1978
    Run Silent, Run Deep
    Commander, USN (Retired)

  15. #30
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    MA
    Posts
    2,253
    Code question:

    If daisy chaining lights across the ceiling, that means running the cords from one to the next across the ceiling (one light plugs into the next). Why isnt this a code violation? I thought any exposed electrical wires in a garage had to be in conduit?

    (disclaimer: I daisy chained my lights and simply tacked the wires to the drywall with supplied staples - but that doesnt mean it meets code).

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