Any lighting experts in the house?

[tdubnik]

I have 4 industrial type 8', 2 tube flourescent light fixtures that I want to refit. These were originally used in a huge grocery store. I got them about 20 years ago and they have been sitting in my basement waiting for me to do something with them.

I have one half of my basement well lighted and I want to use these fixtures on the other half. Before I do that, I would like to refit them with new ballasts and tubes.

My question to the experts is what kind of ballast would you recommend and what 8 foot tubes to use?

[curiousgeorge]

Check HERE (http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/Workshop/WorkshopPDF.aspx?id=2771) for a Fine Woodworking article on "Lighting for the Workshop". If it is a members only article they have a 14 day free trial you can use to download or read the PDF article.

[mbcabinetmaker]

I would go for electronic ballast. They do not hummmmmm like the older ones. If I ever replace any in my shop that is the way I will go. Mine are very noisy especially when it is cold.

Mark

[8iowa]

To the best of my knowledge, the old T-12 magnetic ballast fixtures cannot be converted to use the newer electronic ballists.

I would not use those old fixtures. True. They come to you very cheap, but if you are going to go to the labor and expense of wiring in new lighting, why use inferior fixtures with ballasts that are being phased out.

As important as lighting is in a workshop, I would recommend installing fixtures with electronic ballasts. They operate at frequencies high above the human visual and audible range - thus, no hum or flicker, or strobe effect.

Also consider the "daylight" type bulbs. they have the highest color rendering index (CRI). Mine are rated at 86. "Cool White" bulbs are well down into the 70's. Why is this important? The higher the CRI, the truer you can see colors of wood, finishes, and stains. I have even added some incandescent bulbs along with my T-8's on the ceiling to further boost my CRI.

[oldc6]

i have gone that route....... dont use old ones.... shop is 12x20 and eight feet high. have four eight foot lights.. mounted them every four feet starting four feet from end of 12 foot wall. bought at menards i think for less than $30.00 each.. electronic ballast with old fat bulbs.. lots of light and instant on. electricians tell me that the new thin bulbs are better light but, also more money.........had incandesant bulbs , six 150 watt.... not enough at all. article in wood magazine a while back talked about lights. i will try and find article for you. one thing it talked about is the older we get the more light we need by lots....... another one of those age problems but, compensate by putting in more lights. similar to clamps cant have too many lights.............

[rkh2]

I also am in agreement that electronic ballast are the way to go, but another issue you will discover is that to change out the ballast to anything other than what is now in the fixture will also mean you will have to change out the tube sockets, as the T8 and T12 tubes will not fit in any other socket except the ones they are designed for. Not sure what your 20 year old sockets are, 2-pin, single pin or HO (High Output), all different animals than the 2-pin on T8(Electronic ballast) tubes. Also recommend the daylight tubes. I have all electronic ballast fixtures in my shop and am quite pleased. No flickering while warming up and no humming at all. I am thinking that you probably can get new fixtures for as much as it would cost to try to refurbish these old ones. JMHO. Good Luck

[oldc6]

go to www.woodmagazine.com and type shop lights in the search box... click search and next screen will has some advertising at the top but, the third line down will say (fabfireplace page 1). click on it and it will bring up a good article. it looks like more are on the same page but did not look at them......

[a1gutterman]

I have 4 industrial type 8', 2 tube flourescent light fixtures that I want to refit. These were originally used in a huge grocery store. I got them about 20 years ago and they have been sitting in my basement waiting for me to do something with them.

I have one half of my basement well lighted and I want to use these fixtures on the other half. Before I do that, I would like to refit them with new ballasts and tubes.

My question to the experts is what kind of ballast would you recommend and what 8 foot tubes to use?The conversion is probably knot worth the effort. Either use them as is, or do knot use them at all.