Shop lights

[Farrell]

I have 30, 4-foot, 2-bulb fluorescent fixtures in my 900 square-foot shop. They have electronic ballast and are quite quiet. If you care to jam your ear right up to them, I guess you can hear them, but they are NOTHING like the old-style HUMM-dingers. I bought mine at home depot I forget what the cost, but they were not too much (guess maybe $20 or $30 max). I don't have the exact model, but they are the cheapest ones with electronic ballast that have a cover over the bulb (plain white metal base with plastic snap-on "light diffuser" cover).

THE CRITICAL THING is that they will have two types of fixtures that look nearly identical. One will be rated "RESIDENTIAL" and the other will be rated "COMMERCIAL". Get the "COMMERCIAL" rated fixture. It is a little more expensive than the other, but THE LIGHT OUTPUT IS TWICE that of the "residential" rated fixture.

I am extremely happy with the fixtures I bought. They have a pull cord that dangles from them that I have at about 7 feet above the floor (I have 8-foot ceilings). The fixtures are hard-wired into two wall switches so that they are easy to turn off and on. I save electricity by only having pulled-on the lights I need depending on what I am doing and where in the shop I am working. When changing projects, it only takes 20 seconds to walk around the shop and pull on/off whichever light you need or don't.

Terry Farrell
  
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Christus4@aol.com>
To: <pianotech@ptg.org>
Sent: Friday, September 13, 2002 1:50 AM
Subject: Shop lights


> List,
> 
> Can anyone recommend a type of fluorescent fixture and/or bulbs for the shop 
> that  operate quietly?
> We've all heard the drone of the typical light set-up in many garages, 
> kitchens, and shops.  Would like to get the new shop as "hum-free" as 
> possible.
> 
> Thanks in advance for your help,
> 
> Chuck Christus, RPT
> Flagler Beach, FL
> 
>