# Shop Lighting



## agallant (Jul 1, 2010)

My head is spinning, T5, T8 ,T12 LED etc.

I have a 24X24 shop with 16 foot ceilings.

I think I want T8 due to T12 being phased out and T5 being expensive
The lights will be on 8-40 hours per week depending

How many bulbs will I need to light up the space?

I am open to recommendations.

Thanks for the help.


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## joey502 (Mar 30, 2014)

The spacing and lamp count depends on the distance the lamp is from the work surface, the output of each lamp, the color of the walls etc. Try this link, it is what I used in my garage. There are a lot of factors to consider.

http://www.gelighting.com/LightingWeb/na/resources/tools/lighting-assistant-toolkit/lighting-layout-estimator.jsp


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## chrisbryson (Jan 23, 2014)

Agallant … I am not sure how much I can help but thought I would share my opinion since I just went through the process of re-doing the lighting in my shop. First … I would just say be patient and do your homework. I can't describe how much nicer it has been to work in a shop with the proper amount of light. Its worth the time/investment.

Due to the low cost, availability, and high recommendations from so many LJs on thread after thread about lighting I went with T8 bulbs. I also have a 24×24 shop, but my ceilings are only 8 foot high. I have an exposed beams for a ceiling, and OSB walls that are not painted, so light is not reflected well throughout my shop. I purchased 5, 2 bulb 4-foot T8 fixtures from a home center, and placed them fairly evenly throughout my shop. I bought a 10 pack of T8 daylight (3000k) bulbs and my shop is the perfect amount of light for me now.

I know this is not what is recommended for brightness but I am really sensitive to light, I hate the blue super bright fluorescent light, and I was so pleased with the daylight bulbs and the amount of light! Good luck and I hope this helps you out.

Here is a pic of my shop the first night I had the lights on .. its not the best quality but it gives you an idea of the amount of light that is produced


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## brtech (May 26, 2010)

I was able to find an inexpensive T5HO fixture on ebay. These put out a tremendous amount of light. HO is the way to go if you can get the fixtures at a reasonable cost. I think I paid $40 a piece for a 2 lamp 8' fixture, with shipping, without lamps. The lamps are not that expensive and available locally at any lighting supply company.


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## todd1962 (Oct 23, 2013)

I have a 24×16 shop and I calculated the lighting requirements using industrial standards. I ended up with nine 4-foot, 2-lamp T12 fixtures. The lighting seems perfect and other people that come into my shop say the same thing. I have been very satisfied with my lighting for the past 2.5 years.


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## KCConst (Mar 15, 2013)

I have all T8's in my large shop but as a contractor the price was right. Just FYI for everyone. The price of LED lamps is coming down VERY FAST. Energy savings is great and the way I would go if starting new. I replace every bulb that burns out in my home with an LED. So far Zero LEDs have burned out. I changed out 2 big 500W Halogens that lit up our pool area with 2 - 50W LEDs (a little bit brighter) and 1/10 the energy use (no mentioning the energy I spent climbing the ladder 2 stories to change the Halogens once or twice a year.)


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## ElChe (Sep 28, 2014)

I have 5 T12 fixtures each with x2 8 foot bulbs. I can't even throw a decent shadow in my 16×24 shop. I'm in the process of pricing out conversion to either T8 or T5. And I'm going with x4 4 foot bulbs per fixture. I hate the 8 foot bulbs. I feel like I'm wrestling a python. And they don't fit all that well in my small pickup. My magnetic ballasts are starting to act up after 12 years so might as well make the move.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

There are some hidden advantages to T5 you might not have considered.
Yes they do cost more, but they produce much more usable light, especially in a high ceiling arrangement.
The ballasts are solid state and have a soft start feature that extends the life of the bulbs considerably.
T5 fixtures are what almost all manufacturing facilities are going to because the cost versus life versus output just favors the T5 and by a wide margin.

Having said that, I went to LEDs because I don't ever want to change another bulb and I doubt I'll be worried about that 20 years from now.


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## Garbanzolasvegas (Jan 15, 2015)

ONE WORD! LED!


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## intelligen (Dec 28, 2009)

I've been installing T8 because the fixtures and bulbs are pretty inexpensive. T5 fixtures and bulbs are not as readily available locally and when I have seen them they cost twice as much as T8. You can find better prices for T5 online but I'd have to buy a lot more bulbs than I need in order to make it worth buying the tubes online. It would have taken too long for T5 to pay off for me, but you should run the numbers through an energy savings calculator to see how long it will take to pay off for you.

I remember seeing a much simpler lighting layout estimator than the GE one, but I can't seem to find it right now. I don't have the foggiest clue how many foot candles I want or how many lumens I get per lamp…it seems like the calculator should have filled in some common values by default.

I considered LED but even though they've come down a lot in price, they're still not cost-effective compared to fluorescent, and the manufacturers' "replaces a ## watt incandescent bulb" claims are grossly exaggerated if you actually look up the EPA's lumens vs. incandescent watts comparisons. For example, the brightest LED flood I could find on Amazon for my driveway motion light claimed to replace a 90W incandescent bulb but it's actually equivalent to a 75W bulb based on lumens. The only reason I bought LED bulbs for that fixture is that CFL floodlights are not very well-suited for use in motion-activated fixtures (they take a while to warm up, and they can fail prematurely if you turn them on and off excessively).


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## MikesProjects (Mar 11, 2013)

t8 here, last a long time & cheap. Very bright. 32w X 36 4' bulbs = 1152 watts . My shop is light up nicely.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

12 foot ceiling here, with T5's. I'm happy.


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## the_other_ken (Apr 3, 2010)

My shop is 18×24 with 10 foot ceilings. Bright white ceiling and walls. I was aiming for 100 foot candles and ended up using 32 4' T8 bulbs in two banks. I think my calcs put me at 28 bulbs for the 100 foot candles. I put them in 4 rows, 16 feet long, equally spaced 4' apart and 2 1/2' from the walls. I have one bank of the 2 inner rows and one bank of the two outer rows. I usually use just one bank (the inner rows) but if I'm doing fine, precise work I put on the second bank … makes quite a bit of difference.

Light falls off at the inverse square of the distance so if you keep your lights up at 16' you losing more light at bench height thanI am. I would recommend you go with at least what I have.

As for LEDs, look at the lumen output of the LED bulbs compared to the T8 bulbs. It takes a pretty bright, higher wattage LED to equal the 2800 lumens of a T8. Efficiency is about the same for either bulb but cost isn't.


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## Bluepine38 (Dec 14, 2009)

Costco in Montana is offering Feit LED utility shop light for $31.99 this month rated at 3700 lumens. This 
deal might be available elsewhere. I am going to try at least one of these.


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## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

Research LED's, especially if you have AC in your shop. The wattage difference decreases heat load. Standard T12's put out ~2100 lumens/bulb. The Felt electrical LED's are 3700 lumens - these do not have a shade or shield and will provide "uplighting" - lights up the ceiling, which if it is light colored will reflect and provide more light. LED's will last much longer than flourescents, so include that in any calculation. Also, LED's do not attract bugs, so if you leave doors and windows open in the summer evenings, almost zero bugs.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

For the new shop my business just relocated to, the plan is to wait 1-2 years then install LED's. They should be an affordable option by then.


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## JeffP (Aug 4, 2014)

KC, please, where were you able to find such a high wattage LED bulb? I have not been able to find anything even close to that. Efforts to google for high wattage LED are constantly foiled by the whole "equivalence" thing.



> I have all T8 s in my large shop but as a contractor the price was right. Just FYI for everyone. The price of LED lamps is coming down VERY FAST. Energy savings is great and the way I would go if starting new. I replace every bulb that burns out in my home with an LED. So far Zero LEDs have burned out. I changed out 2 big 500W Halogens that lit up our pool area with 2 - 50W LEDs (a little bit brighter) and 1/10 the energy use (no mentioning the energy I spent climbing the ladder 2 stories to change the Halogens once or twice a year.)
> 
> - KCConst


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## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

I recommend a three or four bulb t8 hung ceiling fixture from Home depot. They also have a 4 bulb one.

These screw to the ceiling, don't buzz, are well made, and have a hinged diffuser on them that makes the light that much better. This one is $43.

I have them in my shop (24×24) btw, and they work great. I took some plywood and made some frames to cover the sides to make them look better. A cost effective way for a lot of quality light.


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## JeffP (Aug 4, 2014)

technically, that's three words…light emitting diode

(just saying)



> ONE WORD! LED!
> 
> - Garbanzolasvegas


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## HMWWAWCC (Jun 26, 2011)

More than enough lighting is never too much. Employ multiple switches to allow for using more or less - you got windows that let in light during the day? You can turn a few bulbs off. My fixtures are high bay, 6 * 4' T8 in each of 9 fixtures - 30' x 50' shop. I intend to add 2 or 3 more fixtures to fill in some dark spots. A mixture of 3, 5500K and 3, 6500K for a nice, naturalish color tone. Each fixture is split switched to allow either the 5500, 6500 or both to illuminate. I did have to replace one ballast after only one year but that doesn't concern me. Got a new ballast at the Orange home store for <$20 and put it in. Good luck.


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## HMWWAWCC (Jun 26, 2011)

JeffP, technically LED is an acronym which is a form of abbreviation which in itself is not a word. Therefore LED is neither a word nor is it three words. If something is neither nor it is therefore nothing… I think I just commented myself out of existence.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

LED ~ Light Emitting Diode
I think LED is easier to say


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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

I have a 20×22' shop with open ceilings. I have eight sets of double T8 fixtures (total of 16 bulbs) mounted a bit over 13' off the floor. No complaints about the quantity or quality of the light. What I like most is that I don't have a problem with shadows because the light is diffused.They've been up for almost four years, and I have not replaced a single bulb yet.


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## DIYaholic (Jan 28, 2011)

> ....I think LED is easier to say….
> 
> - crank49


I *know* LED is easier to type!!!

I will be replacing my T12s to LED tube lights, as bulbs/ballasts decide to take a permanent vacation.
That and slowly replacing/incorporating LEDs as incandescent/CFL bulbs fail.


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## Johnny_Yuma (Nov 29, 2009)

T-8s are fine, but T-5s put out so much more light that they are IMO worth the extra money


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## kelvancra (May 4, 2010)

There really isn't a wattage difference between LED's and florescent.

I'm swapping out existing florescent lights with LED's and adding a few more. They don't flicker in the cold, don't have to warm up and do not cost any more.

I buy my four foot LED's from Costco and, by the time I buy the base and the bulbs, the price is the same, or better. I pay $29.00 for a four footer. Currently, I have fourteen and will be adding about seven more. Add to that the difference in longevity and the improved lighting, why not?

You might even be able to get some rebates from the electric utility for going with them.


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## Wack (Mar 10, 2017)

A great deal depends on your ceiling and walls reflectance (sp). But a general rule of thumb without going into all kinds of lighting theory and making you eyes glass over is one T-8 lamp per 25 square feet. Adjust up or down for what you like as far as lighting level. One shop I did for a friend was 60×40 with 11 foot ceilings. We put in (22) 4 lamp strip fixtures. That is 27 square feet per lamp. These were high quality lamps with high quality ballasts. Drywall painted white ceilings and OSB walls also painted white. Yielded just under 100 footcandles new and maintained above 80 4 years later. Dirt/dust and age will lower light levels over time. 16 foot ceiling won't matter much depending on wall covering.


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## clin (Sep 3, 2015)

> A great deal depends on your ceiling and walls reflectance (sp). But a general rule of thumb without going into all kinds of lighting theory and making you eyes glass over is one T-8 lamp per 25 square feet. Adjust up or down for what you like as far as lighting level. One shop I did for a friend was 60×40 with 11 foot ceilings. We put in (22) 4 lamp strip fixtures. That is 27 square feet per lamp. These were high quality lamps with high quality ballasts. Drywall painted white ceilings and OSB walls also painted white. Yielded just under 100 footcandles new and maintained above 80 4 years later. Dirt/dust and age will lower light levels over time. 16 foot ceiling won t matter much depending on wall covering.
> 
> - Wack


I've got 8 dual fixtures (16 T8's total) in my 300 sq-ft shop. Puts me at 1 T8 for about every 19 sq-ft. White ceiling, walls, and cabinets. And yes it looks like an operating theater. I believe I'm in the range of 135 lumens/sq-ft (135 footcandles). But I love being able to see things clearly.

While we all know that with brighter light, our pupils get smaller. What many might not understand is that the smaller your pupil, the easier it is to focus. The extreme being a pin-hole camera which needs no lens at all to focus an image. I've read that the amount of light, that we need to see clearly, goes up by multiples as we get older. And since woodworking is popular with older folks, most shops need a lot more lighting than you think.

I'm sure there's such a thing as too much light. But for some perspective, the sun on a clear day is about 98,000 lux (lumens per square meter) which is equivalent to about 9,100 lumens/sq-ft (9,100 footcandles). Or in the range of 70X brighter than my very well lit shop.

I see so many shop pics where somebody is working in a two-car, 600 sq-ft garage with nothing more than a couple of 4 ft florescent fixtures. Makes my eyes ache just thinking about working like that.


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## jimintx (Jan 23, 2014)

I'll try to explain what I did:
I have white walls and ceilings. Except for cabinet doors which are light natural wood. The flooring is light gray epoxy coated concrete. The ceilings are 8 ft, and the shop is 21 x x21. I personally like the feel and color of incandescent bulbs, but I also wanted true color lighting, high ambient light levels, and nearly-no shadows.

I put in 9 regular, bare bulb sockets, spaced out in three rows of three. Each has a 150 watt bulb.

I also have spread out and mounted on the ceiling, six T8 fluorescent fixtures, four ft long with 4 bulbs each, so that's 24 of those bulbs in 441 sq ft, or one tube per 18.38 sq ft.

In each of the fluorescent fixtures, I mixed in tubes if different color temperatures, from 3000 to 6000. In addition to all this I have assorted task lighting fixtures scattered around, some of which are smaller LED fixtures similar to undercounted lights but long, like fluorescent tubes, not the pucks.

I bought a case of the 150w incandescents, and haven't quite used them all up. I have replaced a couple of these with either 100 or 150W equivalent LEDs. I did check the lumens output compared to the 150w GE incandescents and they are the same or higher. I think they are going to work well, and cut on energy use and heat output.

I am very, very happy with this assortment of light sources and the resulting light levels.


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## pontic (Sep 25, 2016)

Menard's homestore now sells a 8' 3200 lumen led shop light for 120somthing dollars. Can't beat that.


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## r33tc0w (Jan 27, 2017)

I saw a 500w 17000 lumen yesterday. Brightest thing Ive ever seen - use it for post and pylon signs. Had a regular socket fixture and I think retails for 230 a bulb


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