Workshop lighting - looking for advice

[beech1948]

I need to upgrade the workshop lighting and have realised I know nothing of much use about this subject so I have started the education process.

Front part of workshop is 19ftx26ft. Currently has old fluorescent fittings and a few task lights. Non of these can I think be upgraded with new ballasts and control packs.

I'm thinking that I need to put up at least 10 twin tube T8 4ft fittings. Tubes to be 4500k (daylight) or higher.

Questions
1) Will this be enough....
2) Should I go for T5 fittings instead
3) Are LED equivalents available
4) What wattage is available in 4ft tubes...is it possible to a higher wattage than whatever is average supplied (36w I think) as this could be desirable.
5) Fittings are expensive so could I use some used ones but change the ballast and controls to T8/T5

I've got this far but I'm not any clearer about what to do yet.

What do you all think and are there any experts on lighting here.

 

[Duncan A]

I have 8 x 5' single tube fittings in a workshop roughly half the size of yours, daylight tubes (6000k if I remember rightly), high frequency for instant start. Absolutely superb - like daytime in fact! In a large space like yours, I think I would go for more luminaires to get an even spread, sited to avoid shadows at your workplaces, as this is as important as outright lumen output.

I generally use qvsdirect.com to get a feel for what is out there - and often end up ordering from them.

These appear to be a good deal at the moment although they don't actually state that they are HF: http://www.qvsdirect.com/single-t8-anti ... ng-58w-5ft

Look closely at the lumen output, more important than the Watts, and, if considering LED striplights, remember that most of them have a directional light distribution so they may need quite different positioning to fluorescents. An alternative would be loads of LED GU10's.

Another source of info with various links: voltimum.co.uk

Good luck

Duncan

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I have a single garage to do soon - I shall just stick a couple of 4' tubes in the centre and put adjustable GU10 led's where I want good lighting. My eyes aren't 100% and I'd rather spend on having the light exactly where I want it.

 

[RobinBHM]

The qvs high frequency fittings with polycarbonate covers are pretty good prices, I bought a few earlier in the year and found the quality fine. I bought the T8 type, I considered the T5 but thats a really spindly tube in 6'0 length.

The idea of led downlighters sounds a good idea for focused lighting.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Hi Alan
I'm no expert, and I do wish I'd got advice beforehand, but I've just done this and I think I am going to be very happy with the results:
i-ve-finally-got-myself-shifted-t79315-788.html
S

 

[Wizard9999]

I have 8 x 5' single tube fittings in a workshop roughly half the size of yours, daylight tubes (6000k if I remember rightly), high frequency for instant start. Absolutely superb - like daytime in fact!

Duncan

Four twins would have been a fair bit cheaper than eight singles. Was the choice of singles to allow more even spacing of the lights to help reduce shadows, or is there another reason?

Terry.

 

[terrymck]

MY shop is 6m x 6m and was a double garage. I had the electrician install 8 off twin tube 5' T8 battens with 58 watt 6500K daylight tubes. They are more than bright enough for my shop and I do have additional task lighting - specifically Ikea JANSJÖ http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/00169659/ for the bench and http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/00169635/ clip on lights for machinery.

I arranged the overhead lighting in two banks so I could switch off one half of the workshop to save power. As you may know the T8s are instant on with no flicker. They do have a warm up period of around 5 mins when they go from 85% to 100% output. When first installed this is considerably longer and you wonder if you have bought the right thing. But patience really pays off and they get better as they get burnt in.

 

[woodpig]

My shop is 3m x 5m and I've used four 5 foot single sealed fittings. Light levels are good as all the walls and the ceiling are painted a light colour. It was suggested on another forum to use the sealed units to keep insects etc out of the fittings which seemed a good idea to me. They are largely plastic as well so rust won't be a problem.

 

[Yetty]

I have six of the 5 foot TWIN T8 tube fittings, in a 9ft x 22ft workshop. There's a fitting at each end, and four alongs the sides. The room lighting is very bright (as a reference in the pic below, the ceiling is white silk emulsion, not grey!) and always without shadow. Remember also that tube brightness generally fades with usage.

I thought it's better to overdo things, use twin tube fittings, and if too bright, I could remove one of the tube pairs, but have never needed to do this.

 

[Giff]

5' fittings, 58w T8, but I think a must is the 6500k (daylight) tube. It looks 50% brighter than the standard tubes. Most of the fittings come with "cool white" or similar and you need to specify the 6500k tubes. Another point after fitting. Take them down and clean them now and again (they love sawdust on the non-seen side) and get your light back..Geoff

 

[Hickorystick]

I'm just finishing off my workshop from a slightly larger than normal garage : circa 19' x 10
I've built a workbench along one 10' end and have positioned a 4ft 36w tube above and then 2 x 4ft tubes equally spaced long ways down each side.
They are all cool white. Very importantly the walls and ceiling are off white and once the tubes warm up there is no shadows anywhere and excellent working light.
I will possibly supplement with a magnetic led when extra detail (turning) is required but overall I'm very happy with the light levels.

 

[Bradshaw Joinery]

ive gone for 4 5' twin HF Non corrosive fittings with delux daylight tubes in a shop 9mx10m. Its good if one of them is an emergency fitting, or have a bulkhead emergency fitting, incase the power trips when its dark and you have a saw running/doing something intricate/mid glue up

 

[Fromey]

I may be wrong here, but I don't think you get any more light by using a 6500K globe. All 58W tubes will produce the same amount of light. However, the temperature gives different spectra. Bog standard white tubes are at the equivalent of 3000 Kelvin; cool white are at 4000 Kelvin; daylight are at about 6500 Kelvin because that's about the upper temperature of the sun's photosphere (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosphere). If you perceive that there is more light, it's sort of an optical illusion. Some things will appear clearer under daylight compared to yellowish light. Daylight globes are best for when colour discernment is important; painting, finishing, etc.

To get more light, use longer globes and/or more lights.

 

[Giff]

Fromey you are correct but they do "seem" brighter because of the visible spectrum. If you measure the output with an exposure meter they will be the same but the amount of light that your eyes are sensitive to will be greater. Also if you are lucky enough to have a workshop with daylight as well, the higher kelvin output will give a more balanced ambient light overall….or it could be my dodgy eyes ! Geoff

 

[Duncan A]

I have 8 x 5' single tube fittings in a workshop roughly half the size of yours, daylight tubes (6000k if I remember rightly), high frequency for instant start. Absolutely superb - like daytime in fact!

Duncan

Four twins would have been a fair bit cheaper than eight singles. Was the choice of singles to allow more even spacing of the lights to help reduce shadows, or is there another reason?

Terry.

Terry,
yes I was aiming for good distribution without too much power requirement, and it worked well for me although I could have done as Yetty said and just had twins with one tube removed if not required. Daylight tubes suit my eyes, which are poor in low light levels, but some people find them too white and report a loss of contrast, making it hard to see surface blemishes on wood. Bit like a whiteout in snow conditions I suppose. I went for 5'/58W luminaires because they appeared to give the most lumens/£ as well as lumens/W, and I see quite a few others have done the same.

Duncan

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The best idea of all - paint the walls and ceiling white before you even think about lighting.

 

[beech1948]

philp,

Thanks for the reminder. We have been in this farm building for 4 yrs and it can be a bit bleak. In Jan ( because I have deliberately kept us a bit quiet to have time to do this) I'm going to insulate the front workshop, replace lighting and do some painting....a white wall and ceiling painted on OSB or Ply should work wonders.

I'm still looking at light fittings though. I saw the idea of using GU10's.....it just struck me that a fluorescent fitting is about £44 and a GU10 is about £4.

Anyway the local Osram dealer is sending his Lighting Consultant round next Thursday to do a survey and make some recommendations. I'll let you all know whatever he says.

 

[aesmith]

Daylight tubes should be a little brighter that warmer temp tubes. I think this must be due to the way a fluorescent fitting works, the initial light is UV then the fluorescent surface absorbs the light and re-radiates at a lower frequency. The difference in energy goes as heat, and logically that would be a greater proportion if the visible wavelength is lower. I've seen some product data that supports this, quoting more lumens for the same wattage at higher colour temperatures, but other makes quote the same output whatever colour.

 

[beech1948]

aesmith,

Colour temperature does bother me a bit. 6500k temperatures are apparently more a blue white and so would affect the appearance of finishes applied in the workshop. I'm told that 4500k temps give a more neutral light and that 3000k gives a more yellow light.

The terms cool white for 6000k+ and daylight for 4500k ish and warm white for 3000k seem to be a bit misleading.

I'm looking today for some under cabinet lights and will get one of each temp and give them a try as well as look at some of our typical finishes under them.

Minefield in a minefield is what comes to mind....why can't it be simple.

 

[Wizard9999]

Bumping this thread back up as I am about to buy lights for my workshop. The workshop is nearly square at c.4.0m x 3.5m and I was thinking of 4 twin 5ft fittings with 58w 6000k daylight tubes. Do people think this reasonable lighting? I did originally think about six singles (same tubes), but would end p covering almost the entire ceiling with light fittings if I go down that route.

Thanks in advance,
Terry.