Which workshop lighting to buy ?

[judder]

Sorry if this has been covered before. I've just sheeted the ceiling in my garage/workshop and need to put up lights, but dont know which to choose. The workshop is 6m X 3m and is only 2.3m high. I had 2 fluorescent lights fixed to the ceiling joists, but am thinking about mains voltage downlights.

SO - what do you think I should get ?

15 downlights fr screwfix - £71.25 + bulbs - £39.75 = £111
or
5 1.8m Striplights(complete pack) fr B+Q = £110

thanks
Stephen

 

[Anonymous]

Hi judder

i would install fluorescents as they diffuse the light around the workshop which is better than spot lighting

 

[Gary H]

Hi m8.

Yes, striplights with daylight tubes are generally best for all round light.

Its being discussed as we speak

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8086

Then use anglepoise or halogen spots for direct lighting ie. on the bandsaw/drillpress etc. This is a pretty common setup, I think.

It's what I have planned anyways

HTH

Gary

 

[PowerTool]

I agree with the fluorescent option - in my workshop,I have a couple of ordinary incandescents for instant light as you walk in,then fluorescent tubes over the main work areas.
And paint the walls white,if you haven't already

Andrew

 

[pooka]

On this forum, and elsewhere, I have seen high frequency fluroescent tubes recommended, as the strobing effect of standard fluorescent tubes may make moving blades appear stationary. From searching locally, such lights seem only to be availabe from electrical wholesalers but they do not appear to be much more expensive than standard fluorescent tubes (I was quoted 62euro for a double 5' unit, with diffuser, including bulbs).

As a matter of interest, are daylight tubes more suitable to a woodworking environment, or warm white tubes? The supplier that I spoke to suggested that warm white gives better visibility, but I have seen daylight tubes recommended on here (as per Gary's post above).

 

[ike]

I've got a mixture of standard and daylight tubes in my workshop at the moment. Daylight tubes are MUCH better. I find I can see the work with more clarity and pick out surface detail better. I will definitely replace all with daylight tubes eventually.

Incidentally, I have 4 x 58W 5ft tubes in 5m x 3.2m shop. It's bright but with all daylight tubes it'd be very good indeed. I also use an anglepoise type lamp (ex drawing board) with a 20W L.E. bulb over the bench.

Ike

 

[les chicken]

The most natural light is obtained by using a double fitting with one daylight and one warm tube fitted with a diffuser cover.

But needs regular cleaning to empty the sawdust out.

Les

 

[judder]

Thanks for all the input guys, guess it'll be the tubes then. To be honest, I was in a room approx the size of my workshop today with 12 downlights and I was'nt impressed wuth the light they gave. Where can I buy the daylight tubes ?

Thanks

Stephen

 

[tim]

I've just taken delivery of some 1500mm daylight strips and some energy saving normal bulbs. The effect is incredible and highly recommended. Because they aren't cheap, I have split each double strip into one daylight and one warm white. I think in time I'll change the ww ones to daylight.

I got mine from here: http://www.lightbulbs-direct.com/.

If someone knows somewhere cheaper I'd be interested.

Cheers

Tim

 

[mudman]

I've just taken delivery of some 1500mm daylight strips and some energy saving normal bulbs. The effect is incredible and highly recommended. Because they aren't cheap, I have split each double strip into one daylight and one warm white. I think in time I'll change the ww ones to daylight.

I got mine from here: http://www.lightbulbs-direct.com/.

If someone knows somewhere cheaper I'd be interested.

Cheers

Tim

How about these?

Looks good especially as you can buy them singly as opposed to the strange packs of three which would mean me buying two packs when I only want four.

 

[pooka]

The most natural light is obtained by using a double fitting with one daylight and one warm tube fitted with a diffuser cover.

But needs regular cleaning to empty the sawdust out.

Les

Hi Les,
This may be of interest to you: I bought a high frequency fluorescent light fitting last week from a local electrical wholesaler, complete with diffuser (although it may be more accurate to call it a protective cover rather than a diffuser). It is a corrosion-proof 5' twin unit. It's IP rating is 65, so it claims to be totally protected against dust ingress (further info on IP ratings here for anyone not familiar with them). The diffusser/cover attaches to the body of the fitting with 10 metal clips (there is no visible air gap at all), and the fitting comes with a sealing plastic nut/bolt coupling for where the power cable enters.

I haven't fitted the light yet, but by the looks of it it would eliminate any need for regular cleaning to remove sawdust. The unit came to 64euro (inclusive of VAT), including two 58W daylight tubes.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Pooka

That sounds the same as the ones that I purchased. I have four doubles in my single garage workshop and the lighting is excellent. This is the one I bought.

Both of my bulbs are the same, I'm sorry but I can't remember which I bought.

Cheers
Unhelpful Neil

 

[pooka]

That looks exactly like the unit that I bought Neil, although the price on the site you linked to looks like better value than what I paid (I can't remember off-hand, but I think that my unit was about 54euro excluding the bulbs).

About the only issue that I exepct to have with it is that the unit is designed for the wiring to enter at one end - my existing wiring comes out in the centre of the ceiling, which is where the centre of the light fitting will be located. So, if I want to avoid boring a hole in the centre top of the unit (and therefore sacrifice it's ability to keep out dust), I'll need to extend the existing wiring to the end of the unit and feed it in the suggested way. Not really a problem, but something that didn't occur to me to factor in when I was buying the unit. My plan is to run the extended wiring between the top of the unit and the ceiling, as a quick and easy fix (I don't want to have to go chasing plasterboard or lifting floorboards to drop the wires down elswhere in the ceiling), but I am not sure that this method would conform to wiring regulations. Although, now that I thinkg about it, I guess that drilling a hole in the top of the light fitting and sealing around the wires would actually work too.

Out of interest, did you feed your wiring in from the ends of the light fittings, or did you drill out an entry hole elsewhere in each unit? Also, did you run wiring from one unit to the next, in daisy-chain fashion, or feed wires to each unit directly? If the former, did you encase the wiring in ducting between the fittings? Thanks.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Pooka

Out of interest, did you feed your wiring in from the ends of the light fittings, or did you drill out an entry hole elsewhere in each unit?

IIRC, it has centre entry points.

Also, did you run wiring from one unit to the next, in daisy-chain fashion, or feed wires to each unit directly? If the former, did you encase the wiring in ducting between the fittings? Thanks.

They were daisy chained. No ducting, I have an mdf ceiling and they run between the joists.

HTH.

Cheers
Neil

 

[pooka]

Thanks Neil.

 

[judder]

ok - ready to get the lights, but which ones do I get - lpf or hpf ?

Stephen