Garage/Shop light question
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Garage/Shop light question
I have a few 4' flourescent lights (some T8, some T12) that I got from a friend when they sold their shop and I just bought a new T8. I read in the instructions (dont know why I read them, but I did) and it says not to surface mount the fixture. Is this true for all flourescent lights or not? Why cant you surface mount them? To much heat from the ballast maybe? I would like to hard mount them because I have seen to many times the cheap chain fail and the fixture fall. If I was to put a 2x4 block at each end would that allow me to hard mount them then?
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
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From: The Big, Oregon
Some of it is due to heat, but the big answer I have heard is noise. A mounted fixture tends to buzz a lot more.
They could just be pulling a CYA move, though, since you generally have to open the housing to surface mount.
They could just be pulling a CYA move, though, since you generally have to open the housing to surface mount.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,726
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From: Slatington, PA
Mount them with a short chain. It'll keep the vibration down (some cheap ballast can really buzz) and if you do happen to smack the light with something, they'll usually move instead of breaking bulbs (been there, done that many times). All of ours are also wired up with a cord and plug into an outlet in the ceiling (its the proper way of doing it, dad's an electrician).
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2008
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All mine are hardmounted. Probably got 8 or 10 T8 fixtures and 2 T12's. They are mounted to regular gypsum wallboard and I dont have any issues with noise and have checked the T12's occasionally for heat. No problems.
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 673
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From: Maryland
I have 4 surface mounted to plaster and hard wired; no problems in 15 years... I also added pull string switches on the two that are obstructed when the garage door is open. Ballast buzz is the last thing you would be able to hear in my shop!
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