Just wondering. I am wanting to add more lighting to my shop area. I have 2 regular light bulbs that are turned on by 1 switch. I would like to add a couple more, but I want flourescent lights. Can I connect 2 flourescent lights after the regular lights? Any help appreciated.
Any electricians out there?
- Thread starter renowb
- Start date
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Rick_G
Member
Yes but if you don't know what you are doing get someone that does to help.
Yup
Yes you can....You can also change the existing to flourescent if you want to, some flourescent lights will screw right into the incondescent socket. If you are adding additional lights on the line you'll want to pickup the feed from the last light on the line now. But, you'll want to get someone who knows a little bit about electrical work to either do it for you or help you. It isn't rocket science but it can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing and do it right.
Yes you can....You can also change the existing to flourescent if you want to, some flourescent lights will screw right into the incondescent socket. If you are adding additional lights on the line you'll want to pickup the feed from the last light on the line now. But, you'll want to get someone who knows a little bit about electrical work to either do it for you or help you. It isn't rocket science but it can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing and do it right.
lorbay
Member
Plus you need to know how many are on that circuit, in residential wiring you are allowed to have 12 on 1 circuit. (15 amp breaker).
Lin.
jttheclockman
Member
The job could be a simple one or it could be involved and hard to tell from a post on this forum. What kind of ceiling?? are the existing lights accessable??? How many lights and or outlets on this circuit already??? Were these lights added to the shop or were they part of an existing circuit??? Need more info.
Jgrden
Member
Count the amps. and see that they don't exceed the breaker amount.
P.S.: I am not an electrician so take this advice and have it verified by someone competent. Sorry, shouldn't have said anything.
P.S.: I am not an electrician so take this advice and have it verified by someone competent. Sorry, shouldn't have said anything.
bbuis
Member
Or you could get the ones that plug in. Then you could set it up to have the plugs be on a switch weather it is a Power Strip or just have to reach over and unplug it. These come in real handy and do produce some nice light.
ctubbs
Member
More than likely, there is more load than the two lamps you have on that switch. You first have to know the available amprage to use. That will be listed on the handle of the braker or top of the fuse that feeds the circuit in question. Then the total load of all devices on that circuit must be caculated. Breakers and fuses are limited to 80 percent of capacity for continious load. Any load on for three hours or more is considered a continus load. That is the hard part finding out all the data. PM me if I may be of any help.
Charles
Charles
Ankrom Exotics
Member
Also, be sure that when you begin adding additional wire that it's the same gauge as the existing wire. It's my understanding that using different gauge wires can cause some of the wire to heat where there is additional resistance thus creating a potential fire hazard.
New circuit
If things are easily accessable it might be easier to just wire in a new circuit. I usually do that in my basement. There is no ceiling so I can run new wires pretty easily and I just go all the way back to the breaker box with new wire and add one more breaker.
If things are easily accessable it might be easier to just wire in a new circuit. I usually do that in my basement. There is no ceiling so I can run new wires pretty easily and I just go all the way back to the breaker box with new wire and add one more breaker.
jttheclockman
Member
Why bother??
If he has access to the old lights and can run wire to new lights if under amperage he would be just fine. Besides I would replace the old incandescent lights with new enery efficient flourescent lights and get better output and less energy. If you keep running new cables all the time you need an outlet or light you run out of breaker room very quickly. Seen this many many many times. Then the tandom breakers come out and a whole new set of problems arise. Then they call in in an electrician. It is electrician not magician as I always say.
18 ....
I have a 5 year old house with a 40 breaker panel that was only about half used up when we moved in...after adding about 5 or 6 new circuits, I still have about 13 breaker spots left and while I might add a couple more circuits I don't think I'll run out.
I have a 5 year old house with a 40 breaker panel that was only about half used up when we moved in...after adding about 5 or 6 new circuits, I still have about 13 breaker spots left and while I might add a couple more circuits I don't think I'll run out.
ctubbs
Member
Smitty has a good idea as long as there is space left in the panel. Some research was done 10 to 15 years back that showed that if a house was wired one size wire larger than called for by breaker size (10 awg on 20 amp; 12 awg on 15 amp,ect) the savings in lost power from voltage drop in the wiring would pay for the added cost in under 18 months. That did not factor in the added cost of air conditioning to remove the excess heat from the structure. This was published in Electrical Contractor. I have long since thrown away that copy so please do not ask for exact dates.
Yes, Minotbob is correct in his info. Also, the old large fluorescent tubes we are so used to will be a thing of the past shortly too. Same legeslation.
Charles
Yes, Minotbob is correct in his info. Also, the old large fluorescent tubes we are so used to will be a thing of the past shortly too. Same legeslation.
Charles
Not quite
All bulbs must become more efficient under the federal legislation...they don't need to be fluorescent which while being more energy efficient have their own environmental problems.
All bulbs must become more efficient under the federal legislation...they don't need to be fluorescent which while being more energy efficient have their own environmental problems.