OT: Garage Lighting

essex-commuter

Bit random but does anyone know how many fluorescent lights would be needed to light a double size garage nicely (i.e bright enought to work on a bike, DIY etc)?

I've been looking at HF fluorescents, thinking maybe 6 or 8 doubles, 5ft in length?

Anyone had to do this before?

Ta!

veronese68

I should have 2 5' doubles in my garage. I say should have as they've been driven around London and the South East for the last couple of months in the back of the sparks' van. I feel I can't grumble as he's doing me a favour. Hmmmm...

UndercoverElephant

I have one 5' HF double, and it's plenty in mine. Two would probably be better, but it's more than enough.

tgotb

Mine's L-shaped, probably about the same size as yours but a less compact shape. I have 7x 5' long singles, and it's fine.

If you use any rotating machinery (eg pillar drill, bench grinder) make sure you have them illuminated, at least partially, by incandescent lamps. Otherwise, at certain speeds, the strobing effect of the fluorescent lamps can apparently make the machinery appear stationary...

The cheapest lamps I could find, by far, were at Wickes; I've had them for a few years now, and they're fine.

While you're at it, fit about 4 times as many mains sockets as you think you'll ever need, including a couple directly above your main work area or workbench (unless it's against a wall).

essex-commuter

UndercoverElephant wrote:

I have one 5' HF double, and it's plenty in mine. Two would probably be better, but it's more than enough.

One 5ft double in a double size garage?

SimonAH

I've got eight double in my workspace with additional lighting specifically over the workbench. Seems sufficient.

A good tip is to have them switchable in sets - i have four and four on two switches and the workbench lighting on a third switch. Flourescents are energy efficient - but when you have a smart meter you realise how much juice they are still pulling.

UndercoverElephant

TGOTB wrote:

Mine's L-shaped, probably about the same size as yours but a less compact shape. I have 7x 5' long singles, and it's fine.

If you use any rotating machinery (eg pillar drill, bench grinder) make sure you have them illuminated, at least partially, by incandescent lamps. Otherwise, at certain speeds, the strobing effect of the fluorescent lamps can apparently make the machinery appear stationary...

The cheapest lamps I could find, by far, were at Wickes; I've had them for a few years now, and they're fine.

While you're at it, fit about 4 times as many mains sockets as you think you'll ever need, including a couple directly above your main work area or workbench (unless it's against a wall).

Not a problem with the HF ones, the switching frequency is way higher than the RPM of your tools.

essex-commuter

SimonAH wrote:

A good tip is to have them switchable in sets - i have four and four on two switches and the workbench lighting on a third switch.

Yep planning on doing that as the sapce will also house a turbo trainer and a treadmill, don't want bright lights for that. Might just wire up a regular bulb for turbo sessions actually!

UndercoverElephant

essex-commuter wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

I have one 5' HF double, and it's plenty in mine. Two would probably be better, but it's more than enough.

One 5ft double in a double size garage?

Yeah, I don't mind using power tools in murky darkness. It helps with my mad scientist cravings.

rjsterry

Hang on Simon, 16 tubes?! That's the same as about half of our office, which seats 18 people. No wonder you can see the meter going round - thats pushing half a kilowatt of fluorescent lighting. You could cut that down significantly if you painted the inside of the workspace white. Bare ceilings and brick walls don't half suck light.

essex-commuter

rjsterry wrote:

You could cut that down significantly if you painted the inside of the workspace white. Bare ceilings and brick walls don't half suck light.

That's a good point. I don't want to board over the ceiling in the garage as it's useful storage but I am thinking of fitting up something like a 15" strip of ply the same length as the light painted white above each strip. That's gotta help I reckon?

optimisticbiker

I have 4 x 5ft normal tubes with reflectors (aluminium foil stuck on ply) which gives good shadow free lighting overall in my 3m x 10m garage and 3 close up lights on goosenecks for the lathe, mill & bench grinder plus a floating inspection light for whereever I need it.

itboffin

OptimisticBiker wrote:

I have 4 x 5ft normal tubes with reflectors (aluminium foil stuck on ply) which gives good shadow free lighting overall in my 3m x 10m garage and 3 close up lights on goosenecks for the lathe, mill & bench grinder plus a floating inspection light for whereever I need it.

Admit it you're growing weed arent you?

optimisticbiker

itboffin wrote:

OptimisticBiker wrote:

I have 4 x 5ft normal tubes with reflectors (aluminium foil stuck on ply) which gives good shadow free lighting overall in my 3m x 10m garage and 3 close up lights on goosenecks for the lathe, mill & bench grinder plus a floating inspection light for whereever I need it.

Admit it you're growing weed arent you?

Yes, if you mean that infernal ivy stuff that seems to grow up through every frigging crevice despite the most powerful weedkillers short of napalm. the main bush is 20ft away at the other end of a concrete-based & tiled drive and has resisted all attempts to remove/kill the bugger...