Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    downrange's Avatar
    downrange Posts: 55, Reputation: 1
    Junior Member
    		  
    #1

    Nov 9, 2010, 08:42 AM
    Adding light to my garage
    I have an aproxmently 28x32 garage. I currently 8ea 27 watt CFL bulbs and 1 8 ft flourscent running off a 15 amp breaker. Would it be better to add more of the CFL bulbs to get better lighting or add another breaker and run 4 ft flourscent light. What I was thinking is to have about 15 of the CFL bulbs or I could do about 12 of 4ft flourscents. Looks like to me the 15 CFL would be eaiser and I could still run off the one breaker. Am I right or wrong? Does anyone have a better idea?
    ma0641's Avatar
    ma0641 Posts: 15,675, Reputation: 1012
    Uber Member
    		  
    #2

    Nov 9, 2010, 01:55 PM
    You really need to know the lumen output of the bulbs. In total wattage, 15X27W CFL is 605 watts and 12 tubes at 30W is 360 or 40W is 480. CFL's will cost more to run and you will need to put in a lot of ceiling boxes. Most bare bulb CFL's don't radiate light down and a troffler of shop fluorescent have reflectors so you would probably get better light saturation with the tubes. In any event, your 15 AMP line is OK assuming you don't load a lot of power tools. Is the garage heated? Fluorescents are very slow to operate in cold conditions.
    Missouri Bound's Avatar
    Missouri Bound Posts: 1,532, Reputation: 94
    Ultra Member
    		  
    #3

    Nov 9, 2010, 08:37 PM

    The most bang for your buck will probably be fixtures using T8 48" lamp with reflectors, and electronic ballasts. The bulbs are cheap, cheap to operate and the electronic ballasts will start at 0 degrees. Check Home Depot or Lowe's.
Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions
 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search

Add your answer here.


Check out some similar questions!

Adding a bathroom to an old garage [ 5 Answers ]

I currently have a 2 bedroom, 1 bath house, built in the '50s with a garage that has been converted to a workshop. There is plumbing for a washer-dryer in the workshop area. I want to convert the workshop into a bedroom and add a bathroom, but because the workshop area is on a slab (the rest of...

Adding Laundry Sink in Garage [ 8 Answers ]

I'm asking if it is possible to add a laundry sink in my garage. The laundry room is inside the house across the hall, so there are no laundry fixtures in the garage. What I have is a hot water tank on a platform about 18" above the garage slab. There is a clean-out plug coming out of the wall...

Adding on a bathroom in a old garage. [ 2 Answers ]

How mush will it cost me to add a bathroom in a old garage?

Adding GFI outlet to garage light switch [ 2 Answers ]

I have a switch that controls the outside garage light and would like to put an outlet next to it. The switch has a black wire and a wite one marked black. So do I just add the switch in to the hot (black) wre then make a "jumper" wire from the white side to the black hot side of the switch, and...

Adding heating/ac to the garage [ 3 Answers ]

I would like to add AC and possibly heat to my garage so that I can work there. There seems to be two choices: (1) add a portable unit, or (2) extend the duct system from my house. I still need to be able to open and close the garage door so the garage is not energy efficient. Does anyone have...

View more questions Search