Garage light - see the difference

[Bunky]

I did an ONR wash in the garage a couple weeks ago and noticed the difference in lighting in the "after" pictures. It was around 50 to 55 F in the garage with lights warmed up, etc.

I have 4 fixtures (2 tubes each) in the ceiling - 2 banks in front half, 2 nearest garage door. There is a floor beam across the middle parallel to the garage door not shown. These are T12 fixtures.

The fixture nearest the garage door are daylight tubes I added last when I added the additional lighting.

You can tell by shadows of the car that the rear lights nearest the door are brighter as well as better color. Or, the white balance was on auto but it selected something closure to daylight.



Time to upgrade.

[Todd@RUPES]

I think your car looks amazing btw!

[Bunky]

I think your car looks amazing btw!

Thank you.

[mjlinane]

I`ve been thinking of doing something similar. Thanks for the confirmation that it is a good idea.

[Old Pirate]

Looks great Al!

[TroyScherer]

It looks great Al. I have switched to the daylight bulbs as well.



I may take some pictures of mine and post them here as well if you don`t mind.

[PFix]

I have been considering upgrading my garage lighting. The florescent fixtures I see at Home Depot are T8 and I see yours are T12.

What is the difference between the 8 and 12`s?

[C. Charles Hahn]

Car looks awesome, Al! Definitely do yourself a favor and add more fixtures with the daylight (6500K) lamps.... you`ll love how much easier it is to work when there`s a ton of task lighting available, especially with a dark color like that MKZ.

I have been considering upgrading my garage lighting. The florescent fixtures I see at Home Depot are T8 and I see yours are T12.

What is the difference between the 8 and 12`s?

T12s are 40W per lamp, 1.5" in diameter.

T8s are 32W per lamp, 1" in diameter.

The T8s are more energy efficient and actually put out more light than T12s do. Also the ballasts generally are electronic and able to "instant start" in much colder temps than many of the T12s out there that have magnetic ballasts.

Eventually T12 replacement lamps will become pretty much impossible to find as they are being phased out; T8 is the new standard at the moment.

There are also T5s, but those are nowhere near as mainstream, at least not so far.

[PFix]

Thanks Charlie. Sounds like the T8 lights are what I will be getting. Home Depot has 48" 6 bulb T8 fixtures for $85.00 each. I think I am going to start out with 2 of these in the garage along with some 32 watt daylight 6500 kelvin bulbs to see how much light that gives me in the garage.

This post got me motivated to make a change.

[Pats300zx]

Car looks amazing Al . I upgraded all of my lights in my garage. I have 4 sets of T8`s in each bay. On the side bays I have 4 sets of T8`s over head and two sets of T12 running along the side. Lighting makes such a huge difference.

[CT3]

The car looks great!

I have one light bulb in my garage. We bought this house about 3 years ago, and believe me it`s not detailer friendly. Hard water, no lighting in the garage, and the sun sits on the driveway from sun up until sun down in the summer months. You literally have about 30-60 minutes to wash a car in the evenings. That is, if the mosquitoes don`t do you in first. At least I`ll know what to add to the list of "must have`s" on the next house in a couple of years.

[Jokeman]

Nice looks good, I have 10 T8s in my one car garage with 6500k bulbs. Its like daylight in there.

In the shop we have 20 T5`s and 16 T12`s. Even with the high ceilings its like an operating room!!

[Pats300zx]

I use 6500k bulbs as well. It is like an operating room. I get questioned by the neighbors all the time at. With two garage windows on the front of the house they always ask what I am doing in there.

[Old Pirate]

It even looks better when I`m on my laptop, this morning I was on my cell phone looking at this. Bunky your ride looks sick my friend!