When planning and designing construction or repairing a private garage, special attention should be paid to the organization of its full lighting and the availability of additional light for work areas, tables, equipment racks and shelves in tool cabinets. After all, the car in the garage is not only stored, but also repaired; some people have a basement there. Particular attention should be paid to lighting / lighting in the inspection hole in the garage. It must necessarily comply with all safety standards and rules, light must enter all corners of the room. The organization of the supply of electricity is necessary for three main zones: electricity for the room as a whole, a viewing hole, work desks and shelves.
LED lighting for the garage
It is preferable to opt for modern and popular LED light sources. They are widely used, despite the fact that their cost exceeds the price of long-known incandescent lamps.
Main advantages
LED garage lighting has the following undeniable advantages:
- Ecological cleanliness. Lamps are made of materials that do not harm the environment, so disposal is simple - you just need to throw it in a trash can.
- Durability. LEDs last up to 50 times longer than other types of lamps.
- Low power consumption - savings for the family budget.
- There is a white daylight which does not distract from work and does not spoil eyesight.
- Safe for human life and health.
- Use under any temperature conditions (relevant, as in some garages and garage cooperatives there is no heating system).
- Lamps do not deteriorate due to power surges.
- Do not blink and do not flicker from long use, like old lamps.
- Minimal risk of fire, unlike conventional incandescent bulbs.
- Such lamps in the garage do not heat up, there are heat sink systems.
All positive qualities do not lose their relevance, only if LED light sources are bought at proven points of sale, and they have all the necessary documents, certification.
What to consider when buying
When calculating the number of lamps for constructing a drawing scheme, when designing a lighting and power supply system, several factors important for the purchase and installation should be taken into account:
- The area of the room (you can calculate by measuring and multiplying the length and width of the room).
- Ceiling height (very important for calculating cable length).
- The paint color of the interior (preferably in light colors, since they reflect light from lighting devices, then fewer lamps are required, which in turn saves electricity).
- The number and location of work areas, tables.
- The presence and location of cabinets, shelves, especially with small details.
- Necessary power and brightness.
- Features and characteristics of various types of LED lamps.
- Availability of heating systems.
Lamp Distribution Levels
A typical distribution of lamps goes on the levels:
- Ceiling.
- At an altitude of about 1.8 m.
- At a height of 0.8.
- 0.5 meters from the floor.
You can come up with your own variation, which will correspond to the usual arrangement of tools, the situation in the garage. But the basis should be taken recommendations tested over the years and by many generations of motorists who almost live in garages, and just builders.
It is necessary to calculate everything as accurately as possible, to check the calculations several times and preferably not alone, because the wiring will be carried out in a hidden way and it is almost impossible to change the design after. The help of an electrician friend will come in handy. Wires must be laid primarily on the ceiling. Everything is done very carefully and carefully so as not to damage the cable insulation and not to get an electric shock. It is especially worthwhile to focus on creating additional insulation for the cable in those places where water ingress or a large percentage of air humidity is possible.
The standard calculation of a lighting lamp in a garage comes from a consumption of 15 W per 1 sq. m, but this is for classic cases, if LEDs are used, then you need to consider that they are several times brighter.
LED Lighting Options
- LED lighting (luminaires consisting of LEDs).
- Garage lighting with LED strip (flexible board up to 5 meters long, sold in rolls).
- Searchlight lighting. It is used for streets, warehouses, fitness centers, garages, halls. As an additional advantage, it has an affordable cost, while maintaining all the positive qualities of other LED lamps. Lighting a garage with spotlights has other advantages. Devices provide significant luminous flux at low electric power, have a long service life, you can install additional automation elements.
Step-by-step installation instructions
Consider how to make lighting in a garage. It is not so difficult to carry out electricity and install a cable, sockets, switches, light sources, you can do it yourself by following the step-by-step instructions, observing safety rules when working with equipment and electricity. Be sure to get acquainted with the recommendations and listen at least 65-70 percent, because all the tips are taken from examples and cases in real life.
- Before making lighting in the garage, as a preparatory work, it is necessary to draw a clear diagram showing the power sources, lighting devices, electrical appliances, the route of the wires, the location of the entry points of sockets and switches. Such an idea will help to find flaws at the design stage, when there is still the opportunity to fix it. It will help you buy everything, figure out what you need, without forgetting to purchase anything.
- Buy in stores electrical goods the necessary materials, tools, equipment.
- Place purchased appliances as indicated in the diagram.
- Install the junction box. Each switch and socket has a separate unit.
- Route the cable to each light source, outlet, and to the main electrical panel.
- The junction box should be soldered.
- Run a test run to troubleshoot and fix bugs.
- Eliminate found defects and malfunctions, retest.
- Engage in decorative finishing.
If electricity is not supplied, then you must select a power source and connect instead of an electrical panel. To organize your autonomous electricity you will need to purchase:
- Battery - a capacity of more than 1000 A / h.
- Inverter.
- Charger.
- Generator - power more than 7 watts.
A cheaper option is only suitable for organizing a power source for local lighting:
- gas generator - power about 2 kW;
- rechargeable battery - a capacity of more than 800 A / h.
What includes installation of illumination of a viewing hole
Installation of illumination of a viewing hole should additionally include:
- Hidden wiring.
- High-quality cable insulation.
- Installation of a protective grill for lamps.
- The grounding of the metal housing of the lamp.
Necessary materials
When arranging lighting for a garage, it is necessary to purchase materials and tools. Do this only in specialized stores. Otherwise, you can purchase low-quality products, which in the best case will not work, and in the worst, can lead to health problems (electric shock, poisoning by vapors of poor-quality non-certified materials that can be toxic), fire, disability, and death.
To make lighting for the garage, the installation of electrical wiring and lighting devices to carry out, you will need:
- a multimeter for checking electrical circuits;
- insulated screwdrivers for safety;
- insulation tape for winding wire joints;
- dielectric gloves, which are necessary to protect against electric shock;
- safety glasses for organizing safety of health and eye safety;
- insulating pliers;
- construction stationery knife for cutting wires;
- a large construction knife for cutting the cable;
- wire cutter;
- punch, in order to do everything inside the walls neatly, invisibly, beautifully;
- construction spatula for closing holes;
- jigsaw for cutting structures, insulating wires;
- drank metal to create lamp insulation;
- hammers;
- wrenches;
- drills of different sizes for metal, concrete and wood;
- circular saw;
- construction level to do everything smoothly;
- roulettes for precise design and calculations.
And according to calculations, buy a cable, plugs, automatic machines, sockets, switches, corrugation, metal grill and more.
Tips & Tricks
Let's consider some recommendations of specialists when arranging lighting for a garage. When drawing up the scheme should take into account the presence of:
- autonomous uninterruptible power supply (at least for a short time, so as not to burn out equipment and appliances that are powered by electricity when de-energized);
- protective mechanisms, isolation from electric shock;
- step-down transformers to convert incoming high current.
Rules for the implementation of electrical work:
- Lay wires in corrugation (indoors) and metal sleeves (street).
- Hidden cable must be laid in the gates.
- Choose sockets only with a high class of moisture resistance.
- It is forbidden to lay the cable with a snake or diagonally. This should occur strictly horizontally or vertically, turns are allowed to do only 90 degrees.
- The cable should run approximately fifteen centimeters from various utilities.
- For heavily loaded elements, a three-phase network is required.
General recommendations
To get good lighting in the garage, you should adhere to the following recommendations:
- Be sure to observe safety precautions and rules when working with electricity.
- If you make the room in bright colors, you can further save on electricity by reflecting and spreading the light.
- Each corner is required to be illuminated, and the shadow of the car should not obscure the light.
- Side lamps should be mounted on swivel brackets.
- Fixed luminaires should not blind at the entrance.
- The advantage of brightness and glare will be the use of shades.
- It is recommended to combine spot and general light.
- Shields should be installed on non-combustible substrates on the right side of doors or gates.
- The luminaires located in the inspection pit should be isolated, placed in some kind of bottle to protect them from moisture and the possibility of falling tools and spare parts on them.
- Turning on the lamp of the inspection hole must be carried out from the outside.
Tips for choosing the power and number of lamps
When choosing lighting for a garage, you must consider the power and number of lighting fixtures.
- 4 x 6 room - at least 8 light sources of 36 watts each.
- The room is 80 square meters. m - LED lamps with a total power of 200 watts.
- Room 5 x 12 - 12 lamps of 72 watts each.
- 5 x 6 room - 6 light sources of 36 watts each.
Tips for choosing a cable for laying in the garage:
- To connect the light - aluminum APPV with a cross section of 1.5-2.5 mm 2 or VVG-P 1.5 mm 2.
- To connect sockets - VVG 5 x 2.5 three-phase.