Pole Barn Lighting

[HR_Mutt]

The barn is FINALLY!! getting built. Looking at light fixtures from the Thomas catalog,(unable to find in their website),220volt, glass globe. There are a lot of options for watts, bulbs, hi-bay/lo-bay etc. Does anyone have a suggestion for 40X64X14 barn lighting? It may not be heated all the time so cold weather performance is important.Thanks

Regards
Mutt

 

[wroughtn_harv]

Down here in norte tejas we don't get near as cold as ya'll do. But I love my electronic flourescent lighting. They say they're instant on down to zero degrees and I believe them.

I have them outside under the shed over the welding table. I think they're the greatest. And I haven't had any problem with them and my autodarkening welding helmets as mentioned in another thread either.

 

[BOOMERANG]

Send us some pics of your barn as its being built. I'm getting ready to build one myself and am always looking for ideas. Thanks !

 

[weedsportpete]

I'm looking at flourescent lighting also, for cold weather. One electrician said High Output fixtures/bulbs will start in cold weather, and 'normal' ones will start slow in the cold and wear out the ballasts a lot faster than normal.

Is that what your 'electronic - instant on' lights are - High Output? Or is that a sub-category of high output lights?

Are they easy to install? I've got to put up 10 to start with, in the barn, and more later, in the arena. I've found them locally at Home Depot for $45 (8' two bulb fixtures), and the bulbs go for $5 or $6. That adds up to about $600 (w/tax) but he wants to charge me $750 total parts and labor. Is that fair?

Maybe it is, but I'd rather do it myself. I don't have any experience yet with lighting electrical work..

Pete

 

[Anonymous Poster]

14' of height dictates that you will need LO BAY fixtures if you go with any HID type light, Mercury, Metal Halide, or Sodium.
If color rendition is important to your work, you should use either color corrected MH or Flourescent. If cost of operation is a consideration, go with Sodium.
Flourescent should not be mounted more than 10 feet above your work surphace, as the wavelength of the light and tube output tend to be less than effective more than 10 feet from the fixture. If you go flourescent, you should use either a tube guard, or enclosed fixture.
HO flourescent come in at least 2 output ratings, 800 and 1500 milliwatt, so you need to be specific as to building use to make a correct decision. Tubes are only efficient for 2000 hours, and if not maintained, will destroy the ballast.
Traffic patterns in the barn will dictate the number of fixtures, and their location.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Pete,

Installing those lights is a project you can do yourself with minimum effort. Make certain your power is off to the connection you're making and it's black to black, white to while and the ground. Viola'! You've got lights installed. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[rockyridgefarm]

I'd use some of both LO bay HID and flourescent. HID's will shut down and take a while to come back on. Flourescents may have lower output when really cold.

I put HID's in a shop that is open 6 days a week over thee years ago and have yet to change a bulb.

 

[rdln]

Consider your mounting distance from a reflective surface. in a shop with a white cieling the $45 dollar fixtures are fine but when you say "arena" it sounds like you might need the reflectors that dont come with the Home Depot HO flourescents. That has boggled my mind for a while now, the fact that HOs that are needed for cold starts and likely not in a heated area with reflective interior finishes dont come with reflectors (from Home Depot, Lowes) but the standards fixtures do ???????.

 

[HR_Mutt]

Thanks to all with the good info. The original plan was to go w/ 4-6 HID w/ MH equally spaced. Each would be on its own switch. Maybe a couple of the electronic flourescents over the benches, mounted lower. Attached is only pic I have with a tractor in it/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif. (sand delivery)
Regards
Mutt

 

[Chillimau]

Franz, Would a 16' height also require a low bay? How big a difference is the operating cost between MH and Sodium? Any good web sites for lighting info?

thanks

Gary