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I'm looking to improve the lighting in my shop and thinking about using CFL bulbs and wanted to get some inputs from those who are using them.
My shop is 30' x60' concrete block with 10' walls. The bottom rafters are at 10' from the floor. The shop is currently lighted with two rows of 8 incandescent lights with pull chains and large (200W?) incandescent bulbs. Not sure exactly what the bulbs are, they don't have any writing on them, and are original from when my dad built the shop in 1956. The socket is a standard bulb size, but the bulbs themselves are about 6-8" long and 1.5X larger in diameter than a standard bulb.
The lights are on ~ 6' centers and the two rows are ~ 10' apart, and ~ 10' from each wall, running the length of the shop. These are supplemented with hanging 4', 2 bulb flourescents over the work benches. I've got a 4' fixture hanging just over the lathe and the mill, along with incandescent lights on goose necks.
I've read the posts on lighting, and realize that most people are using 4' or 8' flourescents, but to do that would be a considerable expense since I would have to do a lot of rewiring and getting new fixtures, so I'd rather try something that would work with my current fixtures.
I'm thinking about getting a few of the largest CFL's and giving them a try. The only thing I don't like about the CFL's I have in the house are the delay in achieving full brightness.
Is anyone using CFL's, and if so which ones and how do you like them? I'd really be interested in ones which come on fairly quickly. Another thought I had was LED's, but I don't think they have 200W+ equivalent ones that are affordable yet??
Any inputs greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
John
My shop is 30' x60' concrete block with 10' walls. The bottom rafters are at 10' from the floor. The shop is currently lighted with two rows of 8 incandescent lights with pull chains and large (200W?) incandescent bulbs. Not sure exactly what the bulbs are, they don't have any writing on them, and are original from when my dad built the shop in 1956. The socket is a standard bulb size, but the bulbs themselves are about 6-8" long and 1.5X larger in diameter than a standard bulb.
The lights are on ~ 6' centers and the two rows are ~ 10' apart, and ~ 10' from each wall, running the length of the shop. These are supplemented with hanging 4', 2 bulb flourescents over the work benches. I've got a 4' fixture hanging just over the lathe and the mill, along with incandescent lights on goose necks.
I've read the posts on lighting, and realize that most people are using 4' or 8' flourescents, but to do that would be a considerable expense since I would have to do a lot of rewiring and getting new fixtures, so I'd rather try something that would work with my current fixtures.
I'm thinking about getting a few of the largest CFL's and giving them a try. The only thing I don't like about the CFL's I have in the house are the delay in achieving full brightness.
Is anyone using CFL's, and if so which ones and how do you like them? I'd really be interested in ones which come on fairly quickly. Another thought I had was LED's, but I don't think they have 200W+ equivalent ones that are affordable yet??
Any inputs greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
John