YOur ideas on LED lighting in garage?

[tonykarter]

Anyone with any info on LED lighting in a garage? I've got a 40x40x16 metal building I'm just now getting around to wiring and lighting. White insulation on walls and ceiling. A friend of mine a couple of hours away from here just replace their church gym lights with high bay LED lights and loves them. BIG reduction in energy cost too. Any suggestions? How do you go about calculating how many and how powerful. I completed my rites of passage with dim shop lights long ago. I want the light in there to be somewhere between a welding arc and the Burning Bush. I want to be able to see down in my cylinders with the spark plugs removed. With the hood still on and the motor still in the truck.

 

[havasu]

I do know I just saw those huge LED lights for sale at Costco. Unfortunately, I didn't look close enough at the directions to help you.

 

[Chris]

I just built my garage and wanted to go led. Problem was the cost. Each 2'x4" light was 200 bucks. I'll get the brand in a few. I ended up going with 8' T8 fluorescent with 6500k bulbs and now I don't have to even pull the spark plug to see the piston.

View attachment image.jpg

 

[Chris]

The T8 8' lights are 40 bucks a piece and a case of bulbs is 25.

 

[havasu]

I hate those breakable bulbs though.

 

[Chris]

Stop jumping on the ceiling?

 

[havasu]

Nope, no jumping. Just doing pull up's on them.

 

[Chris]

You should stick to push ups.

 

[StingRayCaretaker]

I think fluorescent is still the way to go. Just add more fixtures. The new series throws out a lot of light for the cheap operating cost. Also helps to have white reflecting walls / ceiling.

 

[Chris]

It cost me 290 bucks for my fixtures and bulbs. Would have cost me 2400 bucks to get the same light in LED form. I think I can afford the extra power and occasional bulb for a while.

 

[tonykarter]

and now I don't have to even pull the spark plug to see the piston.

Damn...that's nice. I'd look into buying some lead underwear though...

 

[tonykarter]

Havasu...is this the lights you saw at Costco? http://www.costco.com/Feit-Electric-4’-LED-Shop-Light-2-pack.product.100155638.html. If not would you please consider getting the SKU number next time you are in there? I'm not a member, but I'll research it and if the cost savings justifies it I'll join and drive over to Houston to get them. Thanks so much for your post! Your use of the word "huge" in your post intrigues me...it may be just what I am looking for. Thanks again.

 

[havasu]

Yes, those were the 4' lights I saw. They were on sale at what I believe was $40 a piece. You can also go to Costco.com and find many items not normally sold in their warehouse, but shipping is very cheap and often free.

 

[cruzn57]

I got two of those from costco,
got so tired of the florescents not lighting, or burning out, or flat not working when its cold!

think they were on sale $25 ea,

very nice, brighter than the 4 ft florescents, and instant ON.

I also bought some 15ft leds from china, plus a power supply,
haven't done them yet, but plan to buy some flashing and put them in there,
90 degree , galvanized,x 15 ft will put two strips in it,
there are 3 size led lights, I got the largest, as they produce the most light.
plans are for work bench where I do valve grinding/assembly.

you tube of example.....[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JAwS8nQ0Rs[/ame]

 

[oldognewtrick]

Did you get your LED's up and running yet?

 

[cruzn57]

when I bought them , I thought they were
"self installing"

so I'm waiting!!!!!!!


gimme time ,I'll find an excuse somewhere.

 

[WyrTwister]

LED light fixtures are coming down in price , but not as rapidly as you would wish .

As you all have discussed , it comes down to price . I can tell you , if you think you can get lots of lights for nickles and dimes it is not going to happen , no matter what kind of light fixtures you use .

If you do not like florescent lights , fine . But do not complain about the cost of LED's . At this point , they are probably the cheapest to install . That may change as time passes .

LED's use less energy , a cost savings . Whether that works out ( to a break even point ) depends on the number of hours they operate per day .

A different set of circumstances , if considering lamp life . T8's are not that expensive to replace and a DIY'er can do it in a place like a garage . Noe consider a high ceiling , like a church auditorium . Or pole lights in a parking lot . Paying a contractor to use a lift , is not cheap . The long life of LED's becomes significant .

Have fun , be happy .

God bless
Wyr

 

[AlanE]

I grabbed some LEDs from Beeslighting. They are 4' T8 replacement bulbs. You can either remove your ballast and rewire the tombstones or just remove the fluorescent bulbs and stick these in. I chose to remove the ballast since they were decades old and tbh one less thing to fail.

These are the ones I bought for my kitchen and garage: http://www.beeslighting.com/product-p/t818w1200bixxdf40f1.htm

Or search for this number at beeslighting dot com: T818W1200BIXXDF40F1

 

[Chris]

I need to look into some LEDs for my new shop. It only has old light builds sticking out of the ceiling.

 

[Flounly40]

I got mine from oznium...they have good led's stuff too