Wiring question - Garage lighting

[googlerandy]

I was thinking about installing 4 ceiling shop lights in my garage. The garage has 1 standard ceiling outlet just above the garage door opener (which is also plugged into outlet) and I was hoping to power the 4 shop lights from this outlet. I know very little about electrical.

Is this okay?

Lights look like this:

"...Lithonia Lighting

36 In. 2-Light Strip Fluorescent Fixture Model C 2 30 120

This 3 ft. fluorescent fixture has a 120 volt ballast and uses two 30 watt T12 lamps..."

Thanks...

[Harry Everhart]

4 lights with a total of 8 - 30 watt tubes equals - 240 watts.

A normal outlet is rated at least at 15 amps or roughly 1500 watts.

Therefore you could run roughly 48 of those light tubes on 1500 watts.

Check the amps or watts on the garage door opener and throw it into the equation - I doubt if it will draw anymore than 300 watts and only when it is running.

Remember this equation - volts x amps = watts

So - watts/volts = amps

So - watts/amps = volts

In your home - volts = 120

In special home circuits - volts is 220

In a minimum outlet - 15 amps

Many outlets are - 20 amps

You can check your fuse box to see the amp rating of each breaker and circuit.

In my opinion - the outlet will run your lights with plenty of power left over. The worst it could do is pop the circuit breaker.

Harry

[googlerandy]

Thanks for all the info...

[SQLit]

You will hate yourself in the end if you buy 36 inch tubes. Stick with the

48 inch tubes. 48 inch is the standard, they are cheaper and usually less expensive.

As for the circuitry, who knows what is on that circuit. You need to do some research before you make the decision to add load to that circuit.

[Joseph Meehan]

First I suggest you consider the problem of a switch to turn it on or off.

Next I would rethink your choice of lights.

30W T12 is odd size old technology. The lamps and parts for a 30W fixture are not going to be easy to find. 40W is the standard and I would look for T-8's designed for cold temperatures. Garages tend to be cold and the T-8's handle the cold better and more efficient than the usual T-12 at any temperature.

[Andy Hill]

Power-wise, unless the rest of the circuit is highly loaded (unlikely, but it's always good to check), you should have no problem -- you're looking at under 3A draw.

Do you have access in the attic so you can wire up the junction boxes for the fixtures? Don't want to do something stupid like string extension cords all over the ceiling of the garage.

BTW, 240W of fluorescent lights strikes me as a being quite a bit of light for a garage, even if it's a two-car bay. You sure your plan isn't overkill?

BBTW, those look like magnetic ballast units (offhand, I can't remember if you can get T12 bulb fixtures with electronic ballasts or not). If they are, I'd recommend spending a bit more and getting units that use T8 bulbs and electronic ballasts -- the rapid startup, lack of flicker, and somewhat reduced energy costs make them more than worth the extra material cost (IMHO, of course).

[AutoTracer]

I did this last year with no problem. I actually installed a few receptacles on the cieling and plugged each light in with the supplied cord.

My only complaint is that on very cold days the fluorescent lights do not like to start. Make sure you select a bulb/starter appropriate for the temp range.

[xrongor]

oh really

randy

[Joseph Meehan]

That is why some of us have suggested the T-8 lamps with electronic ballast. I got my garage lights in right before the T-8's came out. :-(