Any idea how to determine how many fluorescent light fixtures I need to lit
a garage 22'x22'x8'H?

I am thinking of getting this:

http://www.lightmart.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=19062

Parabolic Surface Troffer 18 CELL 3x32 T8

I wonder if I need 2 or 4 (or more) of these...any thoughts?

Thanks!

MiamiCuse wrote:
Any idea how to determine how many fluorescent light fixtures I need to lit
a garage 22'x22'x8'H?

I am thinking of getting this:

http://www.lightmart.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=19062

Parabolic Surface Troffer 18 CELL 3x32 T8

I wonder if I need 2 or 4 (or more) of these...any thoughts?

Thanks!



Per my previous post, I think if I were to use those fixtures I would
stick with the 1'x4' version and arrange them around the front and sides
of the garage.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...
MiamiCuse wrote:
Any idea how to determine how many fluorescent light fixtures I need to
lit a garage 22'x22'x8'H?

I am thinking of getting this:

http://www.lightmart.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=19062

Parabolic Surface Troffer 18 CELL 3x32 T8

I wonder if I need 2 or 4 (or more) of these...any thoughts?

Thanks!

Per my previous post, I think if I were to use those fixtures I would
stick with the 1'x4' version and arrange them around the front and sides
of the garage.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Nate thanks but that would require a lot of extra wiring and cutouts?

MC

MiamiCuse wrote:
"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...

MiamiCuse wrote:

Any idea how to determine how many fluorescent light fixtures I need to
lit a garage 22'x22'x8'H?

I am thinking of getting this:

http://www.lightmart.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=19062

Parabolic Surface Troffer 18 CELL 3x32 T8

I wonder if I need 2 or 4 (or more) of these...any thoughts?

Thanks!

Per my previous post, I think if I were to use those fixtures I would
stick with the 1'x4' version and arrange them around the front and sides
of the garage.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel


Nate thanks but that would require a lot of extra wiring and cutouts?

MC


Sure would, but you ever try to see under the hood of a car when the
light is in the middle of the ceiling?

nate


--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...
MiamiCuse wrote:
"Nate Nagel" wrote in message
...

MiamiCuse wrote:

Any idea how to determine how many fluorescent light fixtures I need to
lit a garage 22'x22'x8'H?

I am thinking of getting this:

http://www.lightmart.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=19062

Parabolic Surface Troffer 18 CELL 3x32 T8

I wonder if I need 2 or 4 (or more) of these...any thoughts?

Thanks!

Per my previous post, I think if I were to use those fixtures I would
stick with the 1'x4' version and arrange them around the front and sides
of the garage.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel


Nate thanks but that would require a lot of extra wiring and cutouts?

MC

Sure would, but you ever try to see under the hood of a car when the light
is in the middle of the ceiling?

nate

well good point!

"MiamiCuse" wrote in message
...
Any idea how to determine how many fluorescent light fixtures I need to
lit a garage 22'x22'x8'H?

I am thinking of getting this:

http://www.lightmart.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=19062

Parabolic Surface Troffer 18 CELL 3x32 T8

I wonder if I need 2 or 4 (or more) of these...any thoughts?

Thanks!

No simple answer. What do you want to do in the garage?

One fixture is plenty to light the area enough to walk through or find that
box of stored away garden tools. If you have a workbench, put one over the
bench. If you plan to work on cars, put one near the front of the hood so
light will get under it a bit.

I have 3 in a similar sized garage. One over the bench, one over my sander
on the opposite side, one near the rear. Plenty of light to do anything I
want to do.

In article , MiamiCuse wrote:

Any idea how to determine how many fluorescent light fixtures I need to
lit a garage 22'x22'x8'H?

I am thinking of getting this:

http://www.lightmart.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=19062

Parabolic Surface Troffer 18 CELL 3x32 T8

I wonder if I need 2 or 4 (or more) of these...any thoughts?

There are some different approaches:

1. Suppose you want the garage to be really bright, like classrooms or
brighter retail areas.

How much light is that? One fine day I took a light meter to a big-box
home center, and brighter areas came up around 1300 lux, which is around
120 footcandles (120 lumens per square foot).

32 watt T8 lamps mostly have "design lumens" (light output when of
"average age and condition") around 2700-2800 - I would say 2750 as a
"1-size-fits-all".

The ballasts probably have a ballast factor around .88 for 3-lamp
fixtures (guesstimate). The fixture could trap and lose 10% of the light.
.88 times .9 times 2750 times 3 bulbs is close enough to 6500 lumens.
(You could easily get anywhere from 6000 to 7000 lumens from this
fixture.)

So, to illuminate a 22 by 22 foot area to 120 footcandles requires
58,080 lumens - requiring 8 or 9 or so of these fixtures.

With some light reflecting around from the walls, etc. and lack of need
to have every square foot of the garage quite that bright, you could
probably get that garage nice and quite bright with 6 of these fixtures.
(Though probably a little short of 120 footcandles in most areas and
more than a little short in a few areas)

2. Just get the garage fairly evenly illuminated, as brightly as hallways
in office buildings (roughly 50 footcandles / 550 lux):

It appears to me that 4 fixtures will get the garage fairly evenly
illuminated. Four 3-lamp fixtures should easily achieve 50 footcandles
over nearly all of the garage.

3. See what is done in office areas of office buildings (brighter, maybe
around or over 100 footcandles): What I think is common is for a 4-lamp
fixture to be in a 2-by-4-foot ceiling panel for every 5 of these panels
without fixtures. That is a 4-lamp fixture per 48 square feet.
I suspect your 3-lamp fixture is intended to be used in such situations.

It appears to me that doing this for 484 square feet means 10 fixtures,
and that sounds to me like overkill for a garage.

I would go with #2 (4 fixtures), and have a little task lighting also.

-------------------------------------

I would look for fixtures that have a high amount of diffusion or
otherwise are good for lighting wider areas if only 4 are being used,
unless you won't have any problems with uneven illumination. Otherwise
you could need 9 fixtures to get even illumination.

------------------------------------

- Don Klipstein )

MiamiCuse wrote:

Any idea how to determine how many fluorescent light fixtures I need to lit
a garage 22'x22'x8'H?

I am thinking of getting this:

http://www.lightmart.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=19062

Parabolic Surface Troffer 18 CELL 3x32 T8

I wonder if I need 2 or 4 (or more) of these...any thoughts?

Thanks!



Miami, you have a lot of work going on, don't you?

Here is a situation where you let the experts solve your problems
for you. Contact a real electric supply in your area. Tell them
that you are going to install some lights in your garage and want
to get the correct sizes and spacing and ask to talk to their
lighting expert. He may be in house, or they may use one of
their suppliers. Talk to the person they give you and you will
know you have the right guy when he asks you questions like; Do
you want to be able to read a newspaper in every area, or do you
just want to be able to walk around without bumping into things?
How high are the ceilings? What fixtures do you want to use?
Etc, etc....

When you talk to this guy, he can design a light layout and spec
that will give you what you want. Anyone else, including me,
would just be guessing as to your needs and you may or may not be
satisfied.

These guys do these designs for a living. Let them solve your
problems. They know what they are doing. They know how many
lumens each lamp will give you. They know the spread that each
light gives at each ceiling heighth. They know how much overlap
to allow to achieve the desired results. I don't even WANT to
have to know all that stuff, when there are people that do it for me.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

On Feb 17, 12:45*pm, "MiamiCuse" wrote:
Any idea how to determine how many fluorescent light fixtures I need to lit
a garage 22'x22'x8'H?

I am thinking of getting this:

http://www.lightmart.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=19062

Parabolic Surface Troffer 18 CELL 3x32 T8

I wonder if I need 2 or 4 (or more) of these...any thoughts?

Thanks!

HI,

I have a two car / double garage about your size. I have two, eight
feet long double flourescent lights mounted in the celing just behind
the garage door openers. Each light has two tubes of I think about 65
watts each. I think they are the cheapest ones available at Home
depot.

I found this to be sufficient. My ceiling and walls are white. I have
managed to change the oxygen sensor in my honda using this lighting no
problems.

Best, Mike.

"MiamiCuse" wrote in message
...
Any idea how to determine how many fluorescent light fixtures I need to
lit a garage 22'x22'x8'H?

I am thinking of getting this:

http://www.lightmart.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=19062

Parabolic Surface Troffer 18 CELL 3x32 T8

I wonder if I need 2 or 4 (or more) of these...any thoughts?

Thanks!


I wouldn't use that type of fixture in a garage. That style is for use in
offices to reduce glare. You are better off with a wraparound type which
will spread the light out over an area. I recommend the Lithonia LB low
profile series with electronic ballast and four T8 lamps. Home Depot has
them for less than 60 bucks. Use warm white bulbs for a nicer look.

Like others have mentioned, the amount of light needed is based on how you
will be using the space. I recently roughed-in a three bay detached garage
with the center bay oversized and deeper for a boat. The ceiling is 10'.
The owner just wants one LB over the center of each bay and then a row of
three over his workbench area. There will be 20 amp GFI receptacles all
around for whatever needs may arise.

"Don Klipstein" wrote in message
...
In article , MiamiCuse wrote:

Any idea how to determine how many fluorescent light fixtures I need to
lit a garage 22'x22'x8'H?

I am thinking of getting this:

http://www.lightmart.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=19062

Parabolic Surface Troffer 18 CELL 3x32 T8

I wonder if I need 2 or 4 (or more) of these...any thoughts?

There are some different approaches:

1. Suppose you want the garage to be really bright, like classrooms or
brighter retail areas.

How much light is that? One fine day I took a light meter to a big-box
home center, and brighter areas came up around 1300 lux, which is around
120 footcandles (120 lumens per square foot).

32 watt T8 lamps mostly have "design lumens" (light output when of
"average age and condition") around 2700-2800 - I would say 2750 as a
"1-size-fits-all".

The ballasts probably have a ballast factor around .88 for 3-lamp
fixtures (guesstimate). The fixture could trap and lose 10% of the light.
.88 times .9 times 2750 times 3 bulbs is close enough to 6500 lumens.
(You could easily get anywhere from 6000 to 7000 lumens from this
fixture.)

So, to illuminate a 22 by 22 foot area to 120 footcandles requires
58,080 lumens - requiring 8 or 9 or so of these fixtures.

With some light reflecting around from the walls, etc. and lack of need
to have every square foot of the garage quite that bright, you could
probably get that garage nice and quite bright with 6 of these fixtures.
(Though probably a little short of 120 footcandles in most areas and
more than a little short in a few areas)

2. Just get the garage fairly evenly illuminated, as brightly as hallways
in office buildings (roughly 50 footcandles / 550 lux):

It appears to me that 4 fixtures will get the garage fairly evenly
illuminated. Four 3-lamp fixtures should easily achieve 50 footcandles
over nearly all of the garage.

3. See what is done in office areas of office buildings (brighter, maybe
around or over 100 footcandles): What I think is common is for a 4-lamp
fixture to be in a 2-by-4-foot ceiling panel for every 5 of these panels
without fixtures. That is a 4-lamp fixture per 48 square feet.
I suspect your 3-lamp fixture is intended to be used in such situations.

It appears to me that doing this for 484 square feet means 10 fixtures,
and that sounds to me like overkill for a garage.

I would go with #2 (4 fixtures), and have a little task lighting also.

-------------------------------------

I would look for fixtures that have a high amount of diffusion or
otherwise are good for lighting wider areas if only 4 are being used,
unless you won't have any problems with uneven illumination. Otherwise
you could need 9 fixtures to get even illumination.

------------------------------------

- Don Klipstein )

Thanks Don very very much for your thoughtful reply. I learned something
new everyday.

MC

"Robert Allison" wrote in message
news:RC%tj.4953$kD3.3029@trnddc08...
MiamiCuse wrote:

Any idea how to determine how many fluorescent light fixtures I need to
lit a garage 22'x22'x8'H?

I am thinking of getting this:

http://www.lightmart.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=19062

Parabolic Surface Troffer 18 CELL 3x32 T8

I wonder if I need 2 or 4 (or more) of these...any thoughts?

Thanks!

Miami, you have a lot of work going on, don't you?

Here is a situation where you let the experts solve your problems for you.
Contact a real electric supply in your area. Tell them that you are going
to install some lights in your garage and want to get the correct sizes
and spacing and ask to talk to their lighting expert. He may be in house,
or they may use one of their suppliers. Talk to the person they give you
and you will know you have the right guy when he asks you questions like;
Do you want to be able to read a newspaper in every area, or do you just
want to be able to walk around without bumping into things? How high are
the ceilings? What fixtures do you want to use? Etc, etc....

When you talk to this guy, he can design a light layout and spec that will
give you what you want. Anyone else, including me, would just be guessing
as to your needs and you may or may not be satisfied.

These guys do these designs for a living. Let them solve your problems.
They know what they are doing. They know how many lumens each lamp will
give you. They know the spread that each light gives at each ceiling
heighth. They know how much overlap to allow to achieve the desired
results. I don't even WANT to have to know all that stuff, when there are
people that do it for me.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX

Yes Robert I have substantially gutted a 3800SF house so I have been busy.
I will try your route too. Thanks!

"hobbes" wrote in message
...
On Feb 17, 12:45 pm, "MiamiCuse" wrote:
Any idea how to determine how many fluorescent light fixtures I need to
lit
a garage 22'x22'x8'H?

I am thinking of getting this:

http://www.lightmart.com/index.asp?P...D&ProdID=19062

Parabolic Surface Troffer 18 CELL 3x32 T8

I wonder if I need 2 or 4 (or more) of these...any thoughts?

Thanks!

HI,

I have a two car / double garage about your size. I have two, eight
feet long double flourescent lights mounted in the celing just behind
the garage door openers. Each light has two tubes of I think about 65
watts each. I think they are the cheapest ones available at Home
depot.

I found this to be sufficient. My ceiling and walls are white. I have
managed to change the oxygen sensor in my honda using this lighting no
problems.

Best, Mike.

Thanks Mike.

In article , "MiamiCuse" wrote:

I have a two car / double garage about your size. I have two, eight
feet long double flourescent lights mounted in the celing just behind
the garage door openers. Each light has two tubes of I think about 65
watts each. I think they are the cheapest ones available at Home
depot.

I think that's about right. I have a 3-car garage with 4
lights each containing two 4ft T-12 tubes. It's just about
adequate -- but only just. It's certainly an improvment
over the single 150 watt buld the builder installed ;-)

I didn't think it was worth going for T-8's in a garage.

--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~