Lighting improvements

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crackedback

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Moved into a new house and the garage was dark. Only bulbs in the place were one 60watt on rear wall and the garage door opener. Even with the door up it was hard to work at the bench. Sun goes down or close and it was over.

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Spent about $250 on fixtures and fresh bulbs. Also helps to have a friend that is a kick *** electrician, much better.

Let there be light! :)

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We put up 5 8ft fixtures in a W or M pattern. My buddy said I would need sunscreen to work in there now!

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The access hole is getting a folding ladder to use the attic as a bit of extra storage.
 
Std.

I couldn't justify the increased cost of LED. The fixtures were greater than 2x the cost and bulbs were 7x IIRC. I don't care how much more efficient they are, no way I'd recoup the additional outlay for the amount they are used. If they were on 10+ hours a day... maybe.

I can buy a lot of replacement std bulbs for the $400+ difference.
 
Looks great. Did the same.
Think you need a bigger garage though...
 
LEDs are not expensive if you shop around. Costco has fixed (non-removable) two-tube LED shop lights for under 40/each. Four of them light up my garage like it's daylight...
 
Awesome! Now you can see all those things you can't get to. :D
 
Oh, and I used three of the 4 foot dual LEDs from Sam's Club. I might grab two more for the front of the garage.
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Ok, so the pictues didn't come out too well, but you get the idea. Lol.
 
hey, how about this...i will BUY you some shelves to put all your stuff on, AND haul aways those old cars your using as shelves now, for free

deal?
 
+1 for the warehouse club 4 foot LED option. It's great for lighting up a single area like a work bench and doesn't require any wiring because it just plugs into the wall power. Also no hum like the fluorescent lights. Full disclosure: I also have several 8' fluorescent lamps in my garage.
 
22dog22 said:
I bought a twin pack of 4 foot led bulbs at our local Costco for 16.95 they are super bright and saves a lot on the power bill !
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Dunno where the OP lives, but LEDs come on at full brightness even in sub-freezing temperatures. A big plus with an unheated shop in northern New England. If you live in the south, probably not so big a deal.
 
LOL, maybe some of you need to take the time out of your day to go shopping for me to find LED's. I also wanted something that has replaceable bulbs and many of the cheaper LED are not a true bulb.

I don't have time to waste going to "join" a club store that I'll never shop at to buy LED lights. :) I don't need industrial size packages of anything! Those 4 footers are still twice as expensive and I have to wire 2x and install 2x the fixtures for coverage.

Temp is not a big deal here, I live in the desert in Southern California. If it ever gets below about high 30's, it's REALLY cold for here.

I'm cool with what I bought, so have at it beating that LED dead horse, they would only take about 20 years to pay off! Quite the savings!
 
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Nothing wrong with T8 fixtures. They use about the same amount of power as LEDs anyway. Those cheap costco LED fixtures use 44 watts and give 4000 lumens. The cheap 4' T8 shop fixtures use (2)-32 watt bulbs with each one giving off about 3000 lumens. If you do the math, the t8's actually give you more light for your money, you just have to replace them every 20 years. LOL

Looks like you need some shades on when you hit the switch now, Rob.
 
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crackedback said:
LOL, maybe some of you need to take the time out of your day to go shopping for me to find LED's. I also wanted something that has replaceable bulbs and many of the cheaper LED are not a true bulb.

I don't have time to waste going to "join" a club store that I'll never shop at to buy LED lights. :) I don't need industrial size packages of anything! Those 4 footers are still twice as expensive and I have to wire 2x and install 2x the fixtures for coverage.

Temp is not a big deal here, I live in the desert in Southern California. If it ever gets below about high 30's, it's REALLY cold for here.

I'm cool with what I bought, so have at it beating that LED dead horse, they would only take about 20 years to pay off! Quite the savings!
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Awe, c'mon. We're just bragging. Lol. Your storage unit looks very well lit. (Probably better than mine.)
If it makes you feel better, I still have my double 8 footer (maybe six, I forget) fluorescent as the main light in the center of my 2 car oddity collector.
 
You got the same lights I put in my garage. Plenty of light without breaking the bank. The good thing is, when the FAA investigator gets there to investigate the plane crash....he/she will be able to see! :p :D (says the guy who's basement looks like a bomb went off!)
 
nice, lit like a dentist office. it's nice to see what we are doing.
 
fishmens67 said:
nice, lit like a dentist office. it's nice to see what we are doing.
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looks like my garage does, but wait, you have cars in yours. I live in florida where contractors believe that garages should be no wider than 9 feet wide. I would kill for a 2 car garage. I guess mine was built for a fiat.
 
Got some shelving up. Went on craigslist just for sport. Found this stuff and the seller wanted $15, showed up, said give me a 10 spot. SOLD!!!
Looked on HD website at the closetmaid heavy duty items. All this stuff would cost almost $175 if bought new. I was pretty happy with it.

Cool guy, offered me 4 ceiling fans for free if I took them down... Might have to head back over to grab a couple.

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You gonna patch that plugged hole or what? :poke:

Gettin' organized...wow...who'd a thunk it!:lol:
 
Yeah I need to either hang a clock over it or patch it.

Next up is an attic ladder.
 
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