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Garage lighting consensus?
sdh2903 - 15/3/16 at 08:15 PM

Just about to order my lecky bits for my new garage and I have to decide on my lighting. I'm torn between standard fluorescent fittings with t8 tubes or led battens. Yes I appreciate the energy savings with the leds but it's not as though as they're going to be on 24/7 so I'm more interested in the quality of light.

Thoughts?

big-vee-twin - 15/3/16 at 08:23 PM

Good quality LED is excellent, cheap LEDs not so.

If you have tight budget go for Fluorescent T16 lamps

mark chandler - 15/3/16 at 08:24 PM

My garage has a handful of cheap strip lights in it, maybe 7 different units of varying ages as I collected them over the years walls painted white and grey floor... It's still dark

My shed whic is a little smaller, 4m X 6m has a couple twin 5' t8 units and it's as bright as day!

I have not found LED,s to be that good apart from the ones Dan on here recommended for our bathroom, these are great but very expensive.

nick205 - 15/3/16 at 08:38 PM

I've fitted LED bulbs in my house. The light is good, better than older low energy bulbs in my view. The electric saving is noticeable as well, although my family still get annoyed with me harping at them to turn the lights off when leaving the room.

JoelP - 15/3/16 at 08:51 PM

I've fitted led bayonets throughout my house. They seem to flicker slightly. Fast moving objects look like they're under a strobe. They were cheap ones though.

sdh2903 - 15/3/16 at 09:02 PM

I have led lights all through the house, in fact not a single incandescent bulb remains all are either gu10 or bayonets with no issues at all. I have no experience of the led battens tho. I'm tempted just to chuck in 4 of the 5ft fluorescent fittings with the modern t8 tubes.

chillis - 15/3/16 at 09:07 PM

I used HF fluorescents as they were cheaper than led.s and like you said its not as if they're on all the time, at work we use the leds because they are on 24/7. Fluorescents do use more current on start up so don't keep turning them on and off whereas led's work well with motion detector systems as they dont take hardly any current to turn on.

Canada EH! - 15/3/16 at 09:09 PM

20'x30' shop 6, 8' double tube 6' in from each long side. 4' double tube over both work benches. If going to flurencent tubes buy the ones for cold weather or they will buzz, very annoying when working at 10 C. Lots of light.

prawnabie - 15/3/16 at 09:13 PM

just out of interest, what size wiring is used for the above lighting?

big-vee-twin - 15/3/16 at 09:14 PM

If you use fluorescent go for high frequency gear and colour 4000 Kelvin lamps which are white, less than that i.e.3500K will appear golden/yellow.

You also want 4000k if you go LED.

matt5964 - 15/3/16 at 09:36 PM

I have 4 of the below in my garage light is excellent very white no flicker . You won't pay the web price if you talk to the guy behind the counter of your local branch

http://www.neweysonline.co.uk/5ft-70w-twin-standard-led-batten-7000lm-5000k/1052080303/ProductInformation.raction

As said befor good led is the way to go, cheap LEDs will only annoy you.

daniel mason - 15/3/16 at 10:01 PM

The 600mm led panels are pretty good and cheap

gremlin1234 - 15/3/16 at 10:03 PM

quote:
As said before good led is the way to go, cheap LEDs will only annoy you.
ditto.
cheep ones in a garage will be dangerous if you have moving machinery. (grinders, drills, lathes, wheels, engines etc.)
actually I was taught to use dc lighting for machinery

edit, though multiple 'out of sync' high frequency lamps will do the job now

[Edited on 15/3/16 by gremlin1234]

Ugg10 - 15/3/16 at 10:17 PM

I am looking to get some of these for my garage when I have it re built later this summer, led strip lights that can be daisy chained from one plug

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_Menu_Index/Ultra_Slim_KBU/index.html

sdh2903 - 15/3/16 at 10:33 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ugg10
I am looking to get some of these for my garage when I have it re built later this summer, led strip lights that can be daisy chained from one plug

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_Menu_Index/Ultra_Slim_KBU/index.html


Had seen those ugg, just a bit concerned they are a bit 'too' cheap?

Ugg10 - 15/3/16 at 10:53 PM

Tlc are a trade shop that also sell to the public, got to add 20% vat as well. Had some bits from there before and were OK.

big-vee-twin - 15/3/16 at 11:41 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ugg10
I am looking to get some of these for my garage when I have it re built later this summer, led strip lights that can be daisy chained from one plug

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Lighting_Menu_Index/Ultra_Slim_KBU/index.html


Kitchen unit lights, not particularly bright. A 5ft flourescent outputs 4800 lumens. That's the problem with cheap LED- they reduce power used but give much less output.



[Edited on 15/3/16 by big-vee-twin]

coyoteboy - 16/3/16 at 12:56 PM

I have a PIR-switched CFL in the middle for general use (i.e. when walking in and carrying a pile of stuff in your hands) and 4x 5ft IP65 strip lights that make the garage look like I'm trying to represent AM0 conditions - with them in the 4 quadrants of the garage I never get a full shadow on anything really. Love it.