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When you do, make sure you get ones with "cold weather" ballasts. Makes a big difference in how quickly (or even if) they start up in a really cold garage. I'm guessing yours gets cold.

The dudes at Home Depot and such may not know what they are and steer you toward a "heavy duty" ballast. My understanding is that these cold weather ballasts are something different (tho they still take the regular bulbs); worst case, you may have to talk to someone at an electrical supply house.

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Carl Fisher

Be Cool to the Pizza Dude:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=4651531

Ditto on the fluorescent lights assuming white walls and ceiling plus a light beige or gray floor. My 22 by 22 uses 5 relatively cheap fluorescents with diffusers (i.e. not the hanging bare bulb with reflector type). I have standard ballasts and support the idea of cold temp type if you can find them. I mounted two units over each "bay" in line with the car centerline and the 5th unit over the workbench area (front corner on one side).

Regarding GFCI's: I put receptacles in the ceiling for both the garage door opener and for a drop light cord reel and for an extension cord reel. GFCI's for both cord reel circuits are a GOOD thing even though they aren't required in the ceiling. Think drop light and/or cord on floor and unexpected water/coolant . . . been there, done that, watched bulb shatter just before GFCI tripped making sure I didn't get electrocuted in addition to being "bathed in hot coolant"!!!

Dick

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

Also,

If you end up with an area which needs a little more light such as under a shelf over a work bench, one of those cheap under counter cord connected fluorescents (Bright Stix, etc.) works.

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

Just a word of caution on using those convenient cord reels. If you use them for high current applications be careful to pull most of the cord from them. The cord actually heats up a little under high current use, and if most of the cord is on the reel it can get hot enough to melt the insulation. (like Dick, I spent some time at UL, too)
Charlie G

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1998 BMW Z3
1987 BMW 325is
2000 BMW
1996 F250 Turbo Diesel

When Bob Kendrick built his 2 bay garage he used florescent lighting. He used the 4 foot fixtures that take the t8 32 watt bulbs. each bay has 6 fixtures in the celing layed out as so.


There are also some fixtures mounted to the side wallsat about 6 feet high. The wiring terminates with outlets near the fixtures and each fixture has a cord that plugs into the outlets. This makes it easy to move a fixture or replace a bad fixture with out much rewiring. The only downside is that Bob did not split up the lights on different switches. If he goes into the garage to get a Pepsi he turns on about 32 florescent tubes. I would suggest having a separate switch with some plain old incadesent bulbs for just going through the garage. This is an even better idea if you want to use Mercury vapor or Sodium fixtures for you main lighting.

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George Bright Member # 141
One of the youngest of the old farts.
Yes I voted against you joining the club.

What Charlie said is true also with coiled extension cords.

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

There's still a lot of life in the old style stand: pipe with a plate on top welded into an old wheel filled with concrete for tools like a bench grinder. By tipping it you can roll it around yet unlike casters, it sits solid as soon as you stand it up and doesn't move easily while you use it. For automotive work I'd recommend investing in a sheet of 18ga steel for a benchtop surface, have the metal shop bend a 6" kickup on the rear and a lip on the front to cover the edge of the undersurface, two layers of 3/4" ply is excellent undersurface. Makes an easy to clean extremely durable surface that's fireproof and is real convenient if you plan on doing any electric welding, just clamp the ground clamp to the benchtop and lay the piece to be welded on top the bench. No having to try and figure out where to put the clamp on a small piece or bumping into the cable and knocking the setup all to pieces. Even if you're not welding you can use inexpensive welder's magnetic triangles to hold pieces on the bench while working on them, and magnetic bowls are great places to put down fasteners, small parts so they aren't falling on the floor and disappearing under things. That brings up another point, don't close in workbenches or floor cabinets on the bottom, leave at least a 6" open kick space under them so you can easily retrieve dropped items. You'll be surprised how small a crack things can roll or slip under. I find a pack of 1/2" thick rubber mats that look like giant picture puzzle pieces (Sam's club) to be on of the best $20 investments I ever made! make great kneeling and laying pads, can be stacked or hooked together as needed. I cut one in 1/2 for in the AX trailer and use it as a knee pad when changing tires. They are lightweight, oil and waterproof, easily cleaned and very durable.

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SPIN or WIN!
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