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Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop

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John - NY

06-03-2002 09:55:17




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I recently built a workshop (inside dimensions - 36'x 51') with 14' high ceilings. I put in a metal ceiling and wired it (12 ga - with two lights on a switch) for 6 ceiling mounted lights spaced approx 8' from the sidewalls and 17' from fixture to fixture. In order to obtain the most "color correct" light and lumens, I'm looking into "Low Bay" 400W Metal Halide lighting. It appears that these light fixtures run between $200 and $400 each and weigh between 30 - 40 lbs. each! OUCH! Does anyone have any sources for less expensive fixtures ($200 or less) or other suggestions. Thank you, once again, for your thoughts!

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Mark

06-08-2002 13:13:30




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 Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to John - NY, 06-03-2002 09:55:17  
John, I just put up a 40x64 pole barn/shop with a 14' ceiling and installed 400W low bay lights in mine. 12' centers 6 for the full barn. I wouldn't go with less than 400W at 14'. I got mine off ebay from a guy in Indianapolis. Joe Hurrle. VERY good guy to work with. He buys lights from warehouses or shops that are going out of business. My lights are multitap, with real nice reflectors, white colored. I paid about $75 per fixture. I am VERY happy with the outcome. If you don't need instant light, I'd recommend them to anybody with a shop. The light output per watt is impressive. Give him a note! [email protected]

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JRN

06-05-2002 15:45:26




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 Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to John - NY, 06-03-2002 09:55:17  
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How about $485 a pop! These must be very nice! Flush mount, and 25" wide. I'm sure you could find them for less than Griot's has them for but they are fun to dream about.

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John - NY

06-06-2002 09:21:14




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 Re: Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to JRN, 06-05-2002 15:45:26  
You're right! They're just the ticket, except for the price. I've got a great wife, but she wasn't thrilled about the $200 - $300 per fixture cost, let alone the $500 per fixture price on these. You know, a well equipped workshop ain't cheap, as I (and my wife) are slowly finding out - not to mention the increase in my property and school taxes. They remind me twice a year!

I told my wife about the new air compressor I want to get next ($1450.00). ...and then there's the fittings, etc. for that!!! OUCH!

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LanceM

06-04-2002 09:46:07




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 Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to John - NY, 06-03-2002 09:55:17  
I put up 4-400W MH lites in my 18X30 shop with 15' ceilings. It is great, no need for a trouble lite working on just about anything. You often see them used on Ebay going for about a quarter of the price of new. Mine were removed from some factory and work great and I only paid $35 each with bulbs.



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JerryU

06-04-2002 05:31:06




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 Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to John - NY, 06-03-2002 09:55:17  
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I found an inexpensive alternative. A company called Lights of America makes a flourescent yard light-very white light-62 watts per fixture but out does HPS, Metal Halide, etc. The fixtures are relatively inexpensive-$29 ea with bulb and will fire at cold temperatures (I live near detroit). I use these in my pole barn/garage and they work out well.

I bought them at a Menards, but I see the market area is expanding. I will try to post a pic, but you can go to their web site and find them as well.

JU

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John - NY

06-04-2002 07:38:05




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 Re: Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to JerryU, 06-04-2002 05:31:06  
Thanks for the link! It confirms that a workshop should have 50 - 100 foot candles of light and speaks to the color rendition problem. The wattage on the fluorescent fixtures seems to be on the shy side to provide the amount of light needed. Thank you for your thoughts!



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chris mf35

06-03-2002 19:24:06




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 Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to John - NY, 06-03-2002 09:55:17  
400 watt mh is way to much at that hight. granger cat reccomends a max of 250 with a 175 ideal. local parts supplier here carries an Atlas mh175 canopy fixture (square box like on gas stations only about 14 in square) for about $120. also could use 8 foot two tube high output strip (be sure to space down from conbustable surface) they are about 65 each plus 8 or so for each bulb. be sure to use cold weather bulbs, brighter and good to zero degrees starting.

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Mark

06-08-2002 13:20:08




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 Re: Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to chris mf35, 06-03-2002 19:24:06  
I think that Grainger's recommendations are flat wrong. I'm not a lighting expert, but Grainger recommended 175W fixtures for my shop as well, and I'm happy to say my 400W fixtures are just right. Remember, your bulb output will get lower over time, and your eyesight will get dimmer over time too. Go overkill, you can always turn one or two off at times.



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John - NY

06-04-2002 07:12:38




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 Re: Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to chris mf35, 06-03-2002 19:24:06  
Actually, based upon lumens, I figured that 250W High Pressure Sodium (HPS) or 400W Metal Halide (MH) would give me almost 50 footcandles of light. The color rendition of the HPS is not complementary to the human eye, and although you actually have the same amount of light from either bulb, the human eye perceives the HPS light to be less. Personally I prefer more light in a workshop, and using the switches, I can control where I need the light. I am using the Grainger book as a guide too, but I'm not sure where you got that recommendation. I'm using catalog # 393. The gas station lights sound interesting. Thanks for the reference!

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chris mf35

06-04-2002 18:03:08




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 Re: Re: Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to John - NY, 06-04-2002 07:12:38  
i have cat #392 page 900, first page of light industrial high bay light fixtures.the canopy lights look like granger # 5MM41 (cross in back of book to page. local supplier can ship. email me if you need there number.



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John - NY

06-06-2002 09:07:27




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to chris mf35, 06-04-2002 18:03:08  
I dug out my older Grainger catalog (#392) and found your reference. It is in the new catalog also. I see what you're referring to, but unless I but in more lights I will not get the amount of light I'm looking for. When I wired it and put my ceiling in, I thought that 6 lights would be enough - especially at the cost per fixture. Now I'm finding out that the fixtures extend about 2' down from the ceiling height and that changes calculations too! 12' from light to floor - 9' from light to workbench height. Why can't things just be simple? Thanks again for taking the time to help me sort through this quagmire! (First time I've ever used that word! - just seemed appropriate.)

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Jiff

06-03-2002 14:24:22




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 Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to John - NY, 06-03-2002 09:55:17  
I wonder how one of the "sun tunnels" would work to focus light over a workbench, or an area that you would be spending time in one place? You could then use more conventional lighting in the rest of the space.



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Mark Kw

06-04-2002 12:29:27




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 Re: Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to Jiff, 06-03-2002 14:24:22  
HPS are good for outside and warehouses but are useless for shops because of the color as someone else stated.

My shop was natural colored concrete walls and floors. When I moved in, there were only some standard 8' flourecent fixtures in here and you could not see a dang thing. I removed these aged lights and installed 400w MH low bay's. I closed the suggested spacing by 5' on each one and it was still not quite right. I painted the walls and ceiling pure white which about doubled the light and what a difference. The next problem was shadows caused by the overhead fixtures, this was cured by adding some 8' HO flourecent fixtures between the rows of MH's but mounted on the walls about 48" down from the 16' ceiling. The HO's come in handy for instant light too when you only need to see enough to get around like after business hours. No waiting 3 to 7 minutes for the MH's to fire off before you can see.

You can get 400w MH's for around $175 if you buy more than one or two at a time. Hubble are pricy and can run upwards of $350 each depending on style. Personally, I used Regent brand from NIC Products, Inc. Good lights, no problems and about 20 - 40% cheaper than Hubble. Very reasonable replacement parts prices factory direct on these too (smashed a couple lenses) with minimal shipping costs.

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John - NY

06-04-2002 13:08:41




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 Re: Re: Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to Mark Kw, 06-04-2002 12:29:27  
Thanks for the recommendation. I tried searching both the Regent Lighting and NIC Products, but couldn't find anything that you described. Would you help me out with more specifics? Hubbell was the most pricy that I found too!

Good idea about a few conventional lights when you just need to get around. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

John



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Mark Kw

06-05-2002 05:36:17




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to John - NY, 06-04-2002 13:08:41  
Sorry, typo. The correct name is "NCI" not "NIC", my boo boo.

Here's a link below that's listed on thier catalog, never tried their web site so I can't give you any feedback on it. Phone number for NCI is 800-660-2148. Got mine from a dealer in south NJ who has since retired. May want to try Link for prices, I think they carry them but not sure, have not pruchased any since I did my shop. (if that link does not work, remove the dash, I don't recall if this is correct or not.)

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John - NY Thanks for the Info!

06-05-2002 07:19:48




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to Mark Kw, 06-05-2002 05:36:17  
That link was good, and they're located in Glens Falls NY. Price is OK! I've got to give them a call! Thanks again!



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Mark Kw

06-05-2002 05:38:02




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Metal Halide Lighting for Workshop in reply to Mark Kw, 06-05-2002 05:36:17  
For some reason, the link for NCI did not come up on the above post, will try again but just in case it's.... Link



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