Need advice - fitting fluorescent lights in garage

[davidni]

My detached garage currently has an ancient 4ft (ish) 35watt fluorescent over the workbench & 2 standard rose fittings operating standard bulbs...

Above the garage door is also an outside light that switches from the house & a security light that doesn't switch off anywhere I can see...

All the electrics run from the house...there are no fuse boxes etc in garage.

The light inside the garage is crap so I want to replace all 3 interior lights with fluorescents...

I rent the house (long term though) so want to do it cheaply...A guy locally is selling some 6ft 70 Watt (single tube) cat 2 louvre fluorescents for £10 each (inc tubes) which seems potentially a very good buy. They are almost new but he reckons they were no good for their original purpose as the emergency batteries wouldn't last the full 3 hours as expected...

I dont care about battery back up...I just want good cheap lighting so...

My questions are...

Is it a simple straight swap to replace the old fluorescent and the 2 standard lights...or is there a bit of wiring involved???

Reason I ask is because, although I am no fool, I am not experienced with household electrics bar wiring a plug, straight swapping light fittings etc.

Also...If I wanted to add a fourth fluorescent...is it difficult?Is it safe enough?


Just to mention...I was going to go for some of the dustproof fluorescents but a few people mention the cat 2 lights were actually very very good for lighting up the garage.

 

[the repair man]

Yes should be simple straight swap. Check the existing wiring first, you may have switched neutral or switched lives, just make sure you note what is what, it's easy to forget! Try switching off trips in house to find out which ring its on and you will have an idea how much you can load it.
You can just run a wire from one light to add a new one.
Lighting is as easy as wiring plugs, only two way switches catch people out.

 

[ford34/2]

Lighting

Emergency style Fluorescent lighting, there is a possibility that when the units are switched off the battery pack will kick in, it may be possible to bypass this part of the lights circuit.
Hopefully a more knowledgeable electrician will confirm or deney their suitability quite soon. If not, do double check.
Stan

 

[wheresmejumper]

you will have to be careful when fitting the lights,as there will probably be energy stored in the batteries,thatll give you more than a tickle

 

[davidni]

Yes should be simple straight swap. Check the existing wiring first, you may have switched neutral or switched lives, just make sure you note what is what, it's easy to forget! Try switching off trips in house to find out which ring its on and you will have an idea how much you can load it.
You can just run a wire from one light to add a new one.
Lighting is as easy as wiring plugs, only two way switches catch people out.

Ok thanks for your quick reply...so can I just confirm...

Pulled fuse for downstairs lights in house...garage is on this circuit as lights are now off...

Old fluorescent has wall switch to itself and has 2 grey wires entering it...

2 ordinary fittings operate of another single switch...one light has a single grey wire to it, the other has '5' running into it...

So...your saying the wiring should be a simple straight swap to replace these with fluorescent fittings...

What about the standard rose fitting with 5 wires into it?

Can you just elaborate on 'switched neutral or switched lives' you mentioned for me please.

Emergency style Fluorescent lighting, there is a possibility that when the units are switched off the battery pack will kick in, it may be possible to bypass this part of the lights circuit.
Hopefully a more knowledgeable electrician will confirm or deney their suitability quite soon. If not, do double check.
Stan

Dont mind them kicking in at all as wont bother me when door is shut as long as is safe enough.

 

[bump]

The battery is switched into circuit when the permanent live fails.

Usually these have a perm live, a switched live, a neutral and earth. For your purpose just remove the batteries completely.

 

[davidni]

The battery is switched into circuit when the permanent live fails.

Usually these have a perm live, a switched live, a neutral and earth. For your purpose just remove the batteries completely.

If I remove the batteries - do I need to ammend any wiring?

 

[davidni]

So can I just confirm...

This should definitely be a straight swap job??? ie-just wire new lights in same way old ones are?

 

[the repair man]

The 5 wires on the rose are probably just where wires spur off to other lights.
The 2 grey wires ( switched live or neutral ) will tell you whether it is switched live or neutral, it doesn't really matter, just handy to know.
Yes just wire your lights up to existing wiring, if your unsure with the 5 wires, this is when you need to figure out which is which. Is one an earth? Chances are it is, live, neutral & earth, with a live and neutral spurred of to another fitting or two. When you look at the rose fitting closely you will see, 2 or 3 of the wires are just joined together in a block connector. 1Kw or 1000watts is around 4 amps, so fitting a few 75 watt lights isn't ever likely to put too much load on.

 

[brightspark]

they can hardly be nearly new if the batteries are knacked. if they have cat 2 louvers they will kill most of the reflected light as they dont reflect apart from straight down not much dearer for a new fitting

 

[davidni]

they can hardly be nearly new if the batteries are knacked. if they have cat 2 louvers they will kill most of the reflected light as they dont reflect apart from straight down not much dearer for a new fitting

I think the batteries were not up to scratch...they are in their boxes. Besides, locally the same lights are £39 without tubes...

So for a tenner I might even just buy one to replace the knackered fluorescent over the workbench and see how I like it.

Are you saying they are not great??? See a few people have told me they are a great job for a garage...

But you know...they will be sitting quite low when fitted as beams are only about 2/3 foot above head level...

Maybe not great for all round then??? I thought they would be a good job as most of the light will concentrate downwards rather than out sideways towards the roof...but maybe not???

 

[bump]

Instead of a cat2 you would be better off with reflectors

 

[davidni]

Bought one of the cat 2's already...

Will fit it above workbench in morning...

Something you need to know...the old fluorescent it will be replacing was installed when the house was built...IN 1953!!!!

And I'm going from 35 to 70 watts so surely anything is going to be better?

 

[davidni]

Just fitted the light...

It was straight swap as you say...

Switch lives were already isolated in a connector so just marked the live befor removing the old fitting...

Connected the new fitting...connected brown(light fitting) to red(fixed wiring).
Connected Blue(light fitting to black(fixed wiring).
Isolated the 2 earths(fixed wiring) into seperate part of connector(exactly as done on old fitting).

Only difference is new fitting has earth from reflector to metal casing...ensured this was connnected ok...

Power on...switched on...NOWT!!!

It was working when bought as guy stuck a plug with wires to it and it worked immediately.

Any ideas folks?

Checked all wiring...nothing broken...all connected correctly...stumped?

 

[ford34/2]

options

sometimes theres a wee fuse incorporated in the choc block connector, it is still in place, has the light a plug in starter?? round thing about 20mm diam it is screwd in its hole?? and the tube is located into the holder at both ends, sometimes needs to go in then a turn a few degrees.

Stan

 

[Robotstar5]

Is there an unused connector next to the live one you have put the red wire into?, some emergency fittings need to have the switched live and permanent live connected together if being used as a normal light.

 

[davidni]

sometimes theres a wee fuse incorporated in the choc block connector, it is still in place, has the light a plug in starter?? round thing about 20mm diam it is screwd in its hole?? and the tube is located into the holder at both ends, sometimes needs to go in then a turn a few degrees.

Stan

Dont think so...just electronic ballast unit.

 

[davidni]

Is there an unused connector next to the live one you have put the red wire into?, some emergency fittings need to have the switched live and permanent live connected together if being used as a normal light.

Yes there is but...

The guy removed the emergency gear for me...

But he tested it afterwards and it lit up.

He just used a plug with bare wires and touched them to it...but it lit up n prob.

 

[Robotstar5]

Have you got a voltage tester? preferably a meter, NOT a neon screwdriver to test there is voltage at the connections you have made.

 

[davidni]

If need be I will get one as only have the basic mains tester.