# Garage lighting



## swimmer_spe (Apr 4, 2017)

I am building a garage. I will be wiring it up and a certified electrician to connect it to the panel.

I live in a northern climate. Which type of lights are better in the cold?
How many lights can be on one circuit?

For a 16x24 garage, what would be a good number of lights that would provide adequate lighting?


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## bud16415 (Apr 5, 2017)

Is the garage attached to the main building or free standing?

Is the garage going to be used just as a place to park your car and put the lawn mower or will it be used as a workshop etc. if it is just for the car 2 lights and one outlet is all I would want.


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## afjes_2016 (Apr 5, 2017)

swimmer_spe said:


> I am building a garage. I will be wiring it up and a certified electrician to connect it to the panel.
> 
> I live in a northern climate. Which type of lights are better in the cold?
> How many lights can be on one circuit?
> ...



I guess you are in Canada. The electric codes differ a bit from US to Canada so not quite sure what to advise you there. Do you know the CEC and the local codes?

As far as wiring the garage and having a "certified" electrician connect it to the panel. Have you discussed this with an electrician already? Many if not most do not want to take the liability of a home owner running wires etc and then hooking everything up. I know I don't do that. Before you start doing it be sure to discuss this with an electrician who is willing to take this on.

You say you are going to "wire it up". Are you just looking for advice on "lighting" or other advice. As there is much more that needs to be considered when "wiring up" a garage. This is why I say you should plan it out carefully with a licensed electrician. Then if he/she agrees with the plan and agrees to let you do the wiring then proceed; other than that I would not do too much on your own as it could be quire costly for you.


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## Snoonyb (Apr 5, 2017)

How many access points and will they be illuminated?

Mechanical ballasts in fluorescents, tend to be temperature sensitive, in colder climates.


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## Sparky617 (Apr 5, 2017)

I'd go LED and more light is generally better than less.  LEDs use such a small amount of electricity per lumen given.   Are you going to have a panel in your garage?  A single circuit for lighting could handle everything you need in lighting.  If you plan on using it for a shop one or more 20 amp GFCI protected circuit for outlets.   As I recall a 15amp circuit can have up to 10 lights on it based on incandescent bulbs, LEDs draw less 10% of the power of an equivalent incandescent.


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## JoeD (Apr 5, 2017)

In Ontario you are limited to 12 outlets per circuit. An outlet is defined as any point where power is used. The most common outlet examples are lights, receptacles, fans. If the circuit is exclusively lights then you can have more than 12 but the the total watts can not exceed 1440 watts. Use the maximum rated wattage of the fixture for the calculation.
Lighting MUST be on a 15 amp circuit.


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## bud16415 (Apr 5, 2017)

JoeD said:


> In Ontario you are limited to 12 outlets per circuit. An outlet is defined as any point where power is used. The most common outlet examples are lights, receptacles, fans. If the circuit is exclusively lights then you can have more than 12 but the the total watts can not exceed 1440 watts. Use the maximum rated wattage of the fixture for the calculation.
> Lighting MUST be on a 15 amp circuit.



Because LED is so much less wattage is there LED only light receptacles? Thus you could put a lot more on one circuit.  I would also think insulation requirements around lighting could also change as there is much less heat.


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## Sparky617 (Apr 5, 2017)

bud16415 said:


> Because LED is so much less wattage is there LED only light receptacles? Thus you could put a lot more on one circuit.  I would also think insulation requirements around lighting could also change as there is much less heat.



I'm not sure the codes have caught up to the fact that LEDs are becoming standard as incandescents are phased out in the USA (and I assume Canada). If it were a hardwired LED, not a regular fixture with a LED bulb I'd think you should be able to use the wattage of the actual fixture. With a replaceable bulb, you'd have to go with the max wattage for the fixture.


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## bud16415 (Apr 5, 2017)

Sparky617 said:


> I'm not sure the codes have caught up to the fact that LEDs are becoming standard as incandescents are phased out in the USA (and I assume Canada). If it were a hardwired LED, not a regular fixture with a LED bulb I'd think you should be able to use the wattage of the actual fixture. With a replaceable bulb, you'd have to go with the max wattage for the fixture.



Thats why LED lamps should have had a different thread maybe and a onetime adapter to fit the old sockets. Then the industry could have sold millions of new fixtures for new construction. Kind of like when they went from 2 wire outlets to 2 with a ground.


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## elbo (Apr 5, 2017)

My garage which serves as a garage and workshop had 6 two bulb fluorescent fixtures , each bulb gave the equivalent of a 40 watt incandescent bulb. Because of my age iI found it increasingly difficult to replace the florescent bulbs, so I got 6 cheap 2 bulb incandescent fixtures and 60 watt equivalent leds. The fixtures came with opaque light diffuses, which I replaced with clear plastic 8 inch diameter salad bowls that I bought at a dollar store. I just had to drill a hole for the threaded diffuser fitting
Works great with lots of light and I wont have to replace the bulbs in my lifetime. The bulbs were purchased at lowes for a very reasonable price


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## JoeD (Apr 5, 2017)

bud16415 said:


> Because LED is so much less wattage is there LED only light receptacles? Thus you could put a lot more on one circuit.  I would also think insulation requirements around lighting could also change as there is much less heat.



As soon as you put a receptacle on the circuit you are limited to 12 outlets. You can't control what might be plugged into a receptacle.

If your loads are all lights then you can use the maximum wattage of the fixture to load the circuit up to 1440 watts.

From esasafe FAQ page.



> Question
> I am having twenty pot lights with 60 watt bulbs installed in my basement ceiling. Can they all go on the same circuit?
> Answer
> Yes. Where the load is known the Code permits more than 12 outlets on a 15 amp circuit provided the total load current does not exceed 12 amps. In this case each fixture will draw 60 watts or .5 amps for a total load of 20 x .5 amps = 10 amps, which is below the 12 amp maximum.
> ...


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## swimmer_spe (Apr 5, 2017)

bud16415 said:


> Is the garage attached to the main building or free standing?
> 
> Is the garage going to be used just as a place to park your car and put the lawn mower or will it be used as a workshop etc. if it is just for the car 2 lights and one outlet is all I would want.



The garage is freestanding and will have it's own panel (100A). It is for storage and working on my toys. Although I can get my truck inside it, I will not be using it to do that.



afjes_2016 said:


> I guess you are in Canada. The electric codes differ a bit from US to Canada so not quite sure what to advise you there. Do you know the CEC and the local codes?
> 
> As far as wiring the garage and having a "certified" electrician connect it to the panel. Have you discussed this with an electrician already? Many if not most do not want to take the liability of a home owner running wires etc and then hooking everything up. I know I don't do that. Before you start doing it be sure to discuss this with an electrician who is willing to take this on.
> 
> You say you are going to "wire it up". Are you just looking for advice on "lighting" or other advice. As there is much more that needs to be considered when "wiring up" a garage. This is why I say you should plan it out carefully with a licensed electrician. Then if he/she agrees with the plan and agrees to let you do the wiring then proceed; other than that I would not do too much on your own as it could be quire costly for you.



I am in Canada.

I have specifically asked a company if they will allow it. What they will do is check every run. Redo any that are not to code. Then, after they have verified everything is to code, they will make the final connections at the panel.



JoeD said:


> In Ontario you are limited to 12 outlets per circuit. An outlet is defined as any point where power is used. The most common outlet examples are lights, receptacles, fans. If the circuit is exclusively lights then you can have more than 12 but the the total watts can not exceed 1440 watts. Use the maximum rated wattage of the fixture for the calculation.
> Lighting MUST be on a 15 amp circuit.



I am in Ontario.

Thank you, that helps me. Now I know the circuit rating.



elbo said:


> My garage which serves as a garage and workshop had 6 two bulb fluorescent fixtures , each bulb gave the equivalent of a 40 watt incandescent bulb. Because of my age iI found it increasingly difficult to replace the florescent bulbs, so I got 6 cheap 2 bulb incandescent fixtures and 60 watt equivalent leds. The fixtures came with opaque light diffuses, which I replaced with clear plastic 8 inch diameter salad bowls that I bought at a dollar store. I just had to drill a hole for the threaded diffuser fitting
> Works great with lots of light and I wont have to replace the bulbs in my lifetime. The bulbs were purchased at lowes for a very reasonable price




So, what I gather is too run LED bulbs.

So, if you were doing a new install, or if you were ripping out  and redoing your lighting in a 16x24 foot garage that has no windows, and will be used in the dead of winter, in the dead of night, and the heat hasn't turned on yet, and you want to work on your toys, how far apart should the bulbs be spaced?


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## elbo (Apr 6, 2017)

my garage is about the same size as yours and I have the fixtures spaced about 2 ft apart on either side. I find the light adequate, but it would be easy to add more fixtures if I need them. I just made sure that the garage door doesn't cover the fixtures when it is open, which it usually is during the summer months


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## Voldo (May 18, 2017)

swimmer_spe said:


> I am building a garage. I will be wiring it up and a certified electrician to connect it to the panel.
> 
> I live in a northern climate. Which type of lights are better in the cold?
> How many lights can be on one circuit?
> ...



I would definitely go for LED, it will be more economical in the long run.  you may be paying more upfront but more savings later on.


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## swimmer_spe (May 18, 2017)

Voldo said:


> I would definitely go for LED, it will be more economical in the long run.  you may be paying more upfront but more savings later on.



Sometimes they have deep discounted sales on the bulbs, so since I plan to use normal sockets and fixtures, they will in the end be cheaper.


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## nealtw (May 19, 2017)

How much power are you running out there?


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## swimmer_spe (May 19, 2017)

nealtw said:


> How much power are you running out there?



Eventually - up to 100A. I currently only have 100A service to my home. When I am ready to power up the garage, I will need to upgrade my service in the house. I know I will want some dedicated 20A plugs, and some 15A plugs around the garage, plus a garage door opener, and lighting. Probably not getting done till later in the summer. Till then, a short extension cord into the garage for lighting and basic needs.


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## zannej (May 19, 2017)

Have you seen those linkable LED shop lights? You can hang them from the ceiling and use cords to link them together-- I think you can link up to 10 of them and have one plugged in to a wall socket.

They have them at Costco https://www.costco.com/Feit-Electri...ith-Pull-Chain,-2-pack.product.100284402.html

Samsclub https://www.samsclub.com/sams/linkable-shop-light-honeywell-led/prod20590154.ip

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9AO7VI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I'm thinking of getting some to replace the lousy fluorescent ones in my workshop.
You might be able to find them cheaper somewhere else and it will save electricity and $ on bulbs (especially if you ever have trouble finding bulbs in the future). Some of them are supposed to last 20+ years without a bulb change.


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