Fluorescent Garage (Firehouse) recomendations

Bogie

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We have a bit of a issue backing into the Firehouse during Bright daytime hours, with sun on the mirrors we are backing into a dark hole. Currently running a mix of unknown 8' & 4' fixtures. I want to replace with new units.
What is the best options 8' or 4' fixtures ?
Best bulb standard T5, T12 ?
Need as bright as we can get. Room is 11' ceilings 40' long & they need to be short in height clearance is tight as can be seen in the pisc.
Thanks for any options.

209+in+Quarters.jpg


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TEEJ

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Wow, that is a very compact 'lil firehouse.

Have you considered adding a rear spot light to back into dark places, onto the rigs themselves?



PS - If you want a small pump truck in great shape, another department is selling theirs to get a bigger one....and its going cheap. Just in case you need/want one.

:D
 

SemiMan

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6 or 8 lamp T5-HO is the most light for the money and a lot of light period. You really cannot touch it for output , size, cost and reliability not to mention meeting your height restrictions though you are still going to need to measure I think.
 

jhellwig

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Just go to something with 4ft t8 bulbs and fill the place till you get the desired light. That would be the cheap and easy to obtain option. You don't want something that is a very bright concentration of light as it will make it worse at night if you catch a light in a mirror.

It looks like you guys could bennefit more from a slightly bigger building. You probably have to put things in in the right order and get them setting just right from the looks of it.
 

SemiMan

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Just go to something with 4ft t8 bulbs and fill the place till you get the desired light. That would be the cheap and easy to obtain option. You don't want something that is a very bright concentration of light as it will make it worse at night if you catch a light in a mirror.

It looks like you guys could bennefit more from a slightly bigger building. You probably have to put things in in the right order and get them setting just right from the looks of it.

Hard to get the light density with T8. Most of the light should not be in the direction of the vehicle backing in with a specular reflector (mirror finish). Fluorescent in general do not come across as bright point sources even T5.

Semiman
 

jhellwig

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With as low as the roof it I don't see a much of a need for a reflector. It looks like it would benefit from a lot of fixtures everywhere. Once the the trucks have backed in you are going to loose most of your light on top of the truck (for any fixtures over the truck).
 

Bogie

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Yes we need a bigger building and its been in the works for 20 years, we are currently fighting city red tape for about 10 years as we received funding. The issue is backing in during the day with bright sunlight out side and not having enough light to see the passenger side wall to get in tight with the fire engine. Night time is ok even with the diminished light output of the current fixtures. I have even been looking at Skylight/Light tubes to brighten it up.

And while tight when parked correctly we can get either the fire engine or ambulance out at ant time without effecting the other one.
 

markr6

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Just go to something with 4ft t8 bulbs and fill the place till you get the desired light.

+1. Not that expensive even for the lamps that start down to 0°F. And I really like Philips 4100K bulbs (I forget exactly what they call them). Very nice tint for a garage or workshop.

p.s. If I had to back one of those trucks in there, there probably wouldn't be a firehouse still standing!
 

Ken_McE

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What is the best options 8' or 4' fixtures ?

I am partial to the 4's, not sure what's best for you.


Best bulb standard T5, T12 ?


Either T5 or T8, not T12. T12 is on the way out.


You only need to light the walls, not the whole room. A strip of fluorescent lights running down the top of each wall? An LED rope light running along the bottom of the sidewall? Could you put in a tall thin window along the back edge of each wall, let the sun light it enough to back in? Have a bright light shining down the wall in each rear corner?
 
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MichaelW

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Retro-reflective tape?
Glow-In-The-Dark tape?
GITD + retro-reflective tape? Ala 'Glo-Flex'
 
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Stop in at your local Home Depot. They have a new fixture- 4 tube T5 HO- for 89$. They also have a smaller LED based one for 192$, which is a pretty decent price.

The T5 and the T8 (6 tube) fixtures all have specular aluminum. I find 4 of them in my garage are bright enough to rival overcast daylight; 6 or more (which is what I spec'd on) would trump it.

They're very good and I'm sure you can work out a discount for the items.
The T5 unit: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia...nt-High-Bay-IBC-454-MV/202838871#.UhSvd38QNAM
[h=2] Model # IBC 454 MV
[/h] [h=2] Internet # 202838871[/h] [h=2] Store SKU # 640062[/h]
 

Bogie

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Thanks for the info so far guys. I was not up to date fixtures and will look into T5 stuff. Light tunnels / skylights will be added when we redo the roof. I might have a lead on LED street light heads as well. Also have our vehicle maintenance guys looking into triggering the work lights on the rig when in reverse.
 
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