Too much light?

daveb · 02-25-06, 12:33

I'm looking to install some excellent lighting in the my garage. I have a two car garage, with not a lot room to the sides but a little room in the back. I think it measures 20x25? Or something around that. Anyway, I was going to install 4 flourescent bars (2 lights a piece, for a total of 8) with cold start up. Also, two 150w (one from each side) halogens shining from the sides to the middle of the garage. The reason I'm asking is so I don't want to spend more than I have to and dont want to not use something.

Thanks for your reply.

Dave

Aurora40 · 02-25-06, 12:49

My garage is about that size, maybe a tad smaller (more like 20x20) and I have 6 dual 4' flourescent light fixtures and two 100w incandecents on the ceiling. I also have two 4' single flourescents on the wall. It's not too much light by a longshot. I really ought to have two more wall-mounted lights at least.

What size bars are you talking about?

Accumulator · 02-25-06, 01:09

You'll never have enough light, let alone too much

The part of the shop I use as a wash/detail bay is about the size you're talking about, or at least in between yours and Aurora40's.

I have three 8' twin-tube fluorescent fixtures on the near wall (total of six 8' tubes). It's OK but not as much as I'd like- not enough to spot the kind of light marring that really bugs me on my good cars.

I have a bunch of 8' tubes over the wash bay (twelve or 18 depending how you count the ones in the middle of the shop), but I have a high ceiling so maybe it doesn't really relate to your shop.

I too recommend incandescent lights, especially for swirl-spotting; they work *MUCH* better for me than fluorescents. Get high-wattage ones, I have three 300W fixtures over the wash bay and another three in the middle of the shop. Sometimes the ones that aren't right over the car are the lights that show the marring.

I have to *still* use halogens (two two-head units, 1000/1250W each) and a high-wattage (300w) incandescent trouble light to see marring clearly.

Those 150W halogens won't contribute much light. 1000w worth of halogens would be better, but not as impressive as you'd think.

Get more lights. You don't want unpleasant surprises when you see your "perfect" car under the lights in a parking lot at night

daveb · 02-25-06, 03:08

Thanks a bunch guys....

This being a new house I will have to run a new line from the CB box (20 amp) to the garage to power these new lights. As the lights I have now are two incandescent and the garage door opening light. NOT GOOD!

To answer Aurora's question, I was thinking the 4'. And I will go with more powerful halogens..I can replace the two incandescent with 300w (I think they are 150's now). I can see the power meter spinning like mad when I'm all lit up. 20 amps will be ok to do this?

Dave

MorBid · 02-25-06, 03:42

wow, someone else from Rochester NY is on these forums?

daveb · 02-25-06, 03:48

Of course! Rochester, NY...without heat, we have detailing season is 3 months long!

MorBid · 02-25-06, 04:05

ha ha, your too funny

It's sad but true. I moved here in '97 to attend RIT. My people back home (downstate NYC) can't believe it when I tell them about our weather.

The Autobody/painting season is even shorter. Your doing the right thing with a garage as it's a must up here. I want to buy a house but can't find one with a garage big enough for me to do restoration and painting.

My dinky one car garage now is "barely" enough to detail in. But I got plenty of heat in there. That's a must up here too.

Accumulator · 02-26-06, 07:02

daveb- I dunno about the power requirements, but I'd check with somebody before buying anything. If you also want to power any equipment you may well need a second line from the CB box. It's not that tough to overload a 20A circuit.

Also make sure you can safely replace your 150w bulbs with the 300w ones. The ceiling of your garage is not someplace where you want to overheat the electrical system

I greatly prefer the 8' tubes myself. Guess it's personal preference but I can't see using 4' ones instead.

MorBid · 02-26-06, 07:12

he can do a simple power budget. From what's been posted so far, it seems he's only running "resistive" loads. Of which the Halogens or Incandesdent lights will draw more the most.

If he throws in any "reactive" loads the might run into problems. They should always be run on their own leg (or a leg that's not in use by anything else at the time) anyway.

Accumulator · 02-26-06, 07:17

Ah, OK. I have only the most rudimentary understanding of this stuff.

Aurora40 · 02-26-06, 07:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accumulator

I greatly prefer the 8' tubes myself. Guess it's personal preference but I can't see using 4' ones instead.

For me it was a matter of which would more easily fit in the car to take home from Home Depot.

Accumulator · 02-26-06, 09:27

Aurora40- Oh yeah, didn't consider that. Heh heh, guess I'm too used to dog-hauling vehicles