New Workshop - Down Lighters or Light Fittings

[Geoff_S]

I’ve demolished my old workshop and I am building a new one in it’s place the same size of 6.5 x 5.0m x 2.4m.

Now, I was never very happy with the quality of lighting in my old workshop. I started off with multiple spot lights, it seemed a good idea at the time. It wasn’t.

I replaced these with LED strip lights and they weren’t much better.

In the new workshop I will have a plastered white ceiling so I think this will improve the situation but has anyone opinions or ideas about the best lighting to use for workshop type things. I want to be working anywhere in the space and not find that I get shadows of dull spots. I want full coverage.

Any ideas please?

Cheers

Geoff

 

[COWS]

I replaced these with LED strip lights and they weren’t much better.

Depends on how many you put up I guess. My workshop is about 6x4.2m and put in 6No. 5ft led battens. 28w 3230lm and don't suffer any noticeable shadows. I guess you mean these and not the led tape (strip)?

 

[Geoff_S]

Depends on how many you put up I guess. My workshop is about 6x4.2m and put in 6No. 5ft led battens. 28w 3230lm and don't suffer any noticeable shadows. I guess you mean these and not the led tape (strip)?
View attachment 156056

Yes, it was those. Thanks for the output information. I’m not sure what mine were but I only had two, thinking that would be enough.

Does the type of light make much difference? Soft white, warm white, daylight etc.

 

[sy-]

I have 6 60cm square led panels (also in 6x4 meter) and find it great, although a bit weird walking from outside to inside and the light being so similar but to me that's a good thing!

https://www.screwfix.com/p/robus-at...WmZlKPzZkpztVupanUhoCGCsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I made some wood brackets with groove in to hold them as the pre made aluminium ones were £25 each though

 

[Geoff_S]

I have 6 60cm square led panels (also in 6x4 meter) and find it great, although a bit weird walking from outside to inside and the light being so similar but to me that's a good thing!

https://www.screwfix.com/p/robus-at...WmZlKPzZkpztVupanUhoCGCsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I made some wood brackets with groove in to hold them as the pre made aluminium ones were £25 each though

Now there’s an idea

 

[Ollie78]

Lots of led strip lights/ battens is what I would go for ( and have gone for) they are pretty cheap so just get loads. Downlighters will produce shadows.
Many diffuse sources are best . Also a whiter light is much nicer for actually seeing what you are doing so over 4000k certainly.

Ollie

 

[COWS]

I think mine are white. Warm white are a bit yellow and too higher lumens are a bit blinding. Gives you a headache.

Working at either side of my bench I have light both behind and in front of me.

 

[TomTheToolMan]

Go for the 60x60 led panels. Placed in a grid pattern approx 1.2m apart (edge to edge not centre to centre) this gives pretty good lighting. This is what I did for my wife's optician practice. Generally tools and benches are against the wall so I would have a grid that starts close to wall (in the practice we have additional illumination at the displays). This would be 12 lights for your size workshop in a 4 x 3 grid. If that breaks the budget £30 ish per panel) you may want to consider placing directly above the key work areas so it becomes more like task lighting. My OCD wouldn't let me do that in the practice.

Regarding colour temp, I went for the 4500k lights. These are not to yellow and not too blue. Feel pretty natural.

Other things to consider.
Electrical supply. These are relatively low power (38w each on the ones I bought) so in theory even 12 would less than 2A so could all be connected and switched with a single switch. In practice however the drivers have a high inrush current so kept tripping the 6A mcb. Had to change to a type C mcb to stop tripping. My advice would be to split into 2 or three "circuits" and switches so that timing of switch on is staggered. This also allows you to reduce lighting if not required.

From a reliability perspective, I fitted the panels 6 years ago. They are on 8 hrs per day, 6 days per week and 52 weeks of the year. That is 15000 hrs so far for each panel. None have failed and there has been no deterioration in lighting quality.

Hope this helps

 

[Jamesc]

+1 for the 60x60 LED panels - personally I went for 6000K cool white. I find that as I get older this colour light suits me. I would recomend trying them out. B&Q (sorry to swear) used to have a test wall where you could see what different colout temperatures looked like. Or buy a couple of cheap bulbs and try them in the space. Colour temperature can have a huge impact. Also if in doubt go overboard - I have 14 panels in my 6m x 9m workshop and for me it is just about right.

 

[Spectric]

I find that as I get older this colour light suits me.

It does not mater how many lights you have above you as you get older because to clearly see markup lines and such I find I need a headtorch and bench lights right on the job, and have a couple of magnetic base lights that I just move from machine to machine to get the light where I need it. I also like daylight at around 5000 Kelvins.

 

[Droogs]

If you fancy the DIY approach then watch this, very cool

 

[Geoff_S]

If you fancy the DIY approach then watch this, very cool

Errr, yeh.

Wire+solder+me = disaster

 

[yngndrw]

I also quite like 5000k, but 4000k - 5500k is personally my allowable range.

In my previous garage (~25sqm) I had about 5400lm of LED lights which was okay but I think I'll be going with approximately double that density for my workshop. I think the main thing is to go for many smaller lights rather than a couple of massive ones in order to avoid shadows.

Keep in mind that LEDs lose brightness as they age - Cheaper LEDs age faster but even the most expensive LEDs still age in the same way so it's better to start off with more light than you need.

 

[Inspector]

This chart might help you decide on the level of light intensity you might want to have.
Mine is 625 sq ft/ 58 sqm and I have 64,000 lumens of 6,000K light from 16 baton fixtures in 4 rows. Nice and bright.

Pete

 

[Wood4me]

I agree that LED batten really do seem the best option, I have been pleased that I upgraded old lighting to batten about a year ago.
Can anyone explain why the lights get significantly ‘brighter’ not dimmer whenever the 2kw fan heat turns on; and stay bright for quite a while after it turns off
Anyone else noticed this ?

 

[ScaredyCat]

I bought a pack of 5 led panels and built a frame for a set of 3 and a set of 2. The difference between the standard fluorescent tubes and these 5 panels is startling ( Non Shadow Ceiling LED Panel Light Daylight Lighting for Workshop Garage Office | eBay ) - it's a bright as daylight and I can comfortably work with them on - helps with the eyesight too. ( I got the 48w ones - that's equivalent watts - I think the draw for each is actually 4w) Come with everything you need bar the wire