Lighting in garage

[Bunky]

My 2 car garage has 2 sets of 2 8 ft fluorescent lights. I am considering doubling this (add 2 more units of 2) to get more illumination in the garage. Or I could consider getting the portable 500 W /1001W halogen type. The halogens seem very bright (more like spot lights), put out a lot more heat, and would get in the way if both cars are in the garage.



Comments?

[BlueZero]

First thing to do... put in 6500K daylight bulbs in the fixtures you have now and see how you like that. Halogens are great to have too, I just wish they wouldn`t throw off so much heat.

[Accumulator]

abnot- While I hate to do the "go search" thing this time it`s good advice. There are some good threads about garage lighting where we`ve kicked around a lot of idea.



VERY short-answer version: Fluorescents are generally awful for swirl-spotting, but they`re great for general illumination. Halogens are handy if only because you can position them where you want `em. I like ceiling-mounted incandescents for swirl-spotting.

[tom p.]

Guys, there are some major changes in lighting coming at us. I bought some specialty 8` Sylvania bulbs this past week. All of them were dead and I had an extended conversation with the shop`s product manager when I returned them. I guess due to all the new "eco" laws, many of the bulbs were familiar with have been or will be discontinued in the immediate future. He also said the big mercury vapor lights are going to be changing, too.



They have some killer lighting in their shop and he told me the price isn`t that high. He refers to them as T5. The light is far more intense than what we`re accustomed to from a traditional fluorescent bulb and it has a high CRI. The light is more efficient and more eco-friendly than the current generation of fluorescent bulbs. I`m going to look into these, but I am quite certain it requires a complete re-fit - - - you can`t slap these new bulbs into an old fixture.



The lights they have in their shop were by a company called Day-Brite. I think this is the light but cannot be certain: http://www.daybritelighting.com/brochures/232.pdf They had some 6 bulb units and some 4 bulb units. Lighting was amazing in this room with very high ceilings. Bulbs were 54W.



Also, you might want to stock up on your existing fluorescent bulbs while you can still purchase them per his commentary.



My motto: You can never have too much light in the garage!

[BlueZero]

I just went looking for some information on T5`s and came across this if anyone is interested...



All Questions | T5 Fluorescent Systems | Lighting Answers | NLPIP

[tom p.]

Good find! Even better that it`s from RPI !



That explains the lack of interchangeability between new and old.

[tom p.]

How can T5 lamps be used with direct luminaires for high-ceiling applications?

The high luminances of T5 lamps allow designers to use direct luminaires for high-ceiling applications, such as indoor sports facilities, gymnasiums, factories and warehouses, and retail spaces with high ceilings. These high-bay luminaires often have as many as six T5 high output (T5 HO) lamps in a small package with high-efficiency reflectors directing the light downward. Their high location decreases the apparent size of the high-intensity light sources, shields the light sources from the direct view of occupants, and therefore may reduce glare. These luminaires offer an alternative to high-intensity discharge (HID) luminaires. T5 lighting has a number of advantages over HID lighting. T5 lamps are dimmable if used with dimming ballasts, and they flicker less. They also have

• better color rendering
  
• longer life
  
• better lumen maintenance
  
• instant restrike capability
  
• shorter warmup times
  

Although the initial cost of T5 lamps and luminaires may be higher than HID lamps and luminaires, T5 lighting can use as little as 50% of the energy that HID lighting does, especially if the T5 lamps are used with dimming ballasts, photo sensors, and skylights (Anonymous, T5 Fluorescent Lighting Outshines HIDs, 2000).