Need Help w/ Garage Lighting

so without spilling ALL of the beans too early, im going to ask for help in regards to garage lighting. i have no garage at my house to work in, and working mobile is getting reallllly old. my parents house has a pretty large garage which i always thought would be perfect for working out of, but i always thought to ask them about using it would be imposing. well i got the balls to ask, and they are totally fine with me working out of. which means i'll be putting a few personal touches into place. the floor is already epoxy coated, has a "stereo system" in it (its a throw together POS). im going to be working something out as far as shelving for my gear and supplies (which im most excited about since everything in my arsenal is stuffed into huge plastic totes now, and piled up in my basement. anyways, the garage needs better lighting badly, so im looking for help with that. its got two little hanging fluorescent lights now, but they're really not even close to being enough. i need something much more suitable, as well all know, lighting is key. i was hoping to stick with having them hanging, but i might have to go wall-mounted also. the reason being the configuration of the garage door. ill get pics this weekend, but basically one ballast is running parallel with the garage, and the other is more towards the back and perpendicular, if you can picture it. can someone get me started with this. what kind of ballasts for both wall and ceiling mounted? any supporting hardware to support or regulate the extra power? bulbs? i have no clue what im talking about in this department....

im trying to keep the price down on this as well guys. i dont need a top of the line setup, but something thats suitable for detailing, without breaking my bank.

 

T5HO the best light output and most efficient! next to LED..

 

could you educate me a little more on what that means? i have no clue.

 

T5 is the bulb diameter (5/8") HO means High Output
4ft is 54watt and 10x brighter then standard T12 lighting.

 

sounds good. I have T12 lighting in my basement.

 

oh ok cool thanks for clearing that up. can ballasts and bulbs like this be had at say a home depot or something along those lines?

 

what do you guys think about this ballast:
(if its suitable, ill probably end up getting two)

Cheap T5HO Lighting high bay fixture - Warehouse Lighting

 

taht kit would work perfectly!

 

Did you happen to see this in the description?
Note: Fixtures must be mounted a minimum of 7.5-inches below ceiling

Just be careful how you hang them. :thumb: Could be a headbanger in a low ceiling garage when working on a SUV or large truck. :shead:

 

This is the one I have. It's a fully enclosed fixture can be surface mounted and is very bright!

YCH-FHB45HO-MT Fluorescent High-bay 4 lamp T5HO/MT @ YourCableHookup.com

 

yeah i did notice that. the ceilings in the garage are about 15 feet high or more so it should be all good.

thanks for the link ill have to look into that.

edit: does the surface mount option mean they can be mounted on walls etc?

 

Would those T5 bulbs fit into a regular ballast or do you need something different?

 

Billy ...

I'm glad you are getting an "official" place to detail. Like the guys said here ... T5 are the most recommended light for this setting ... just be careful which ones you buy. The fixtures are pretty much the same in the industry, but the ballasts make a lot of difference. You'll be replacing ballasts often on the cheap ones.

I'm working on replacing fixtures at the plant I work at and the Philips and Orion fixtures are the best ones for the money. They offer you a ballast guarantee for 5-6 years. I know you don't need anything fancy, but cheap ones also tend to run hotter, you have to watch for people getting burnt and melting covers.

I'll let you know if I find a decent fixture for cheap,
G

 

I don't even work in the garage if I can help it. I like Natural light(The Sun) Outdoors

I have 4 6ft Flouresants that have 4 bulbs each, I have no idea there brand. A freind of mine is an electrician, so I let him pick them out.

:shead: You might see if there is a "Wholesale" Building Supply Store in your area. See if they may have some scratch-n-dent, 1/2 off stuff :chips:

Are you gonna wire these yourself? :waiting2:

 

Depending on how many you plan on buying, check out T8s as well. Thats what I have in my shop and they are more than bright enough. When I bought mine, T5s weren't mainstream yet and were grossly cost prohibitive. T8s are the small bulbs as well and also use electronic ballasts. Look for a used building supply place in your area as well. You may be able to pick some up cheap with all the businesses going under.

 

I would have to agree with 911 on this one, T8's are much better and more efficient, they will last longer too which in the long run will save you some money...as far as price goes I honestly don't know...I went a bit over board in my garage and accumulated quite the bill but any who if you can get your hands on some of them I'd go for it, just my :2cents:

 

I agree with Nica and Ken. I ended up going with T8's in my garage. Like Nica I went alittle over board with the lights. My neighbors are always asking me whats up with the lights in my garage. With two windows facing the street, they say the amount of light coming out is unbelievable

 

Go with T8's .We replaced some T8 fixtures with a couple T5 units to try them out and we have had more bulb failures with T5's right now.I look for T5's to be the standard in the next 5 to 7 years and T12's to go by the wayside as they are now the turtle wax of the style.But from a master electricians standpoint and my own garage I think your best bet would be T8's.

 

thanks gianni. from what im hearing now, im probably going to go with the T8 setup, as it seems to be cheaper and just as suitable for the detailing application.

thanks for your input flash. yes i will be wiring these myself. the ceiling already has a couple T12 (i think) ballasts hanging, so im assuming i'll just be able to remove them and hang the T8s in their place. we have outlets in the ceiling as well, so ill just run the plug right into them.

thanks for your input ken. since im probably going the T8 route now, im thinking about getting three two-lamp ballasts. two running parallel and one perpendicular in the middle for even coverage.

thanks carlos!

thanks for the input guys. seems T8's seem to be the best choice for my budget.

 

Nica/Pat/Ken: What is it that you guys like about T8's over T5's???