Each garage, no matter how intensively it is used, needs high-quality, reliable and safe lighting. Today, the market offers a large number of different types of fixtures with their own characteristics and scope, but there are special requirements for garage rooms, and not every type of lighting is suitable for them.
LED lights for the garage
LED fixtures are most suitable for a garage, because they have a number of significant advantages over analogues. This is an economical and energy efficient way to organize light. This type of lighting is completely safe for human health (both during operation and after their disposal), LED elements are quite durable (high-quality LEDs last up to 11 years), they can withstand any mechanical damage. In addition, they hardly heat up, which reduces the risk of fire, and this is the most significant argument for the place where valuable and flammable things are stored.
For LED lighting of garages, LED strips and lamps (ceiling and wall) are used. They differ in the type of cap, the number and power of lamps, as well as the price. The most commonly used LED lights for garage ceilings, as they perfectly illuminate the entire space. You can install them both on the ceiling and on the walls. LED wall lights for the garage are used to illuminate places that are characterized by visual load. These include tables, shelves, etc.
The importance of good garage lighting
Good garage lighting is crucial for all car owners. No one has the desire to move in the dark or to search for the right tool in the twilight. In poor lighting conditions it is difficult not only to carry out daily maintenance of the car, but also to navigate well. In addition, you can even damage the vehicle when parking.
Advantages of LED Lighting
Modern LED ceiling lights for the garage - recessed, overhead and spotlights - significantly differ from traditional lighting devices: incandescent, gas-discharge and fluorescent. Accordingly, in comparison with them, LED lamps have both advantages and disadvantages. Consider their advantages:
- First of all, such lighting devices are characterized by a minimum level of electricity consumption. An LED lamp consumes on average 10 times less electricity than an incandescent lamp, and almost 3 times less than a fluorescent counterpart. Therefore, the installation of LED lamps can significantly reduce the cost of lighting the garage.
- The design of such devices does not have consumables and requires the replacement of lamps, chokes, and so on, so you do not need to spend time and money on replacing and disposing of lamps.
- LED garage lights instantly turn on and do not flicker during operation.
- Long term of operation. The nominal life of the lamps used in LED lamps is about 100,000 hours (more than 10 years of continuous operation) without reducing the quality of lighting.
- LED lights for the garage they do not contain mercury and other toxic substances, which makes them absolutely safe from an environmental point of view.
- LED lights provide high quality garage lighting. LEDs with frequent turning on and off do not fail. They can be used in both cold and hot conditions.
- Easy to install. The overhead lighting fixture on any ceiling can be mounted in a few minutes.
- The 12-volt LED lamp for the garage has an extremely low voltage, almost safe for humans, and with a short circuit in the circuit, the probability of fire is almost zero.
Disadvantages of LED lights
- The luminous flux is not high enough brightness (in comparison with traditional light sources).
- The spectrum of the emitted light is rather unpleasant and narrowly targeted, so you may need to install a larger number of lighting points per unit area.
- LED ceiling LED lights for a garage have a relatively high cost. However, such equipment pays off due to reduced energy costs and a long service life.
- Gradual "degradation" of LED lamps. Inexpensive models may lose their brightness over time.
Variety and technical indicators of LED lamps
Modern LED garage lights, photos of which show all their diversity, can have different sizes, shapes and connection options.
The main technical indicators include:
- Rated power of products. Each light element can have a power of 1-24 watts, the brightness of the luminescence in this case is comparable to ordinary incandescent lamps of 20-150 watts.
- Connection options. Manufacturers offer lamps with the ability to connect to electrical networks with different voltages (these data are indicated in the instructions on the packaging of each lamp).
It is important to consider that if 220 volt wiring is installed in the garage, then you can install LED lamps with a standard base, designed for such a voltage. If the wiring has not yet been done, then it is better to choose a 12-volt LED lamp and a power supply that allows lighting to work both from the city electric network through the unit and from a car battery.
LED fixture design
The classic LED ceiling light is arranged as follows:
- The light source of any LED lamp (both built-in and overhead) is a lamp that consists of LEDs. Their number and type are the main factors determining the power of the lamp and, accordingly, the lamp itself.
- In one lamp there can be a different number of LEDs: from one to several dozen.
- All LEDs in the luminaire, as a rule, are included in a single circuit, which is connected through the power supply to the control circuit.
The design of luminaires based on LED lamps necessarily includes a heat sink (radiator) of various types, since heat is generated during operation, which requires mandatory removal. It depends on him, first of all, how stable and long the LEDs and the entire lamp as a whole will work.
DIY garage lights
Such a lighting device can be made with your own hands. First of all, you need to stock up on all the necessary materials. It is very important to consider their price so that the cost of a home-made product does not exceed the finished one.
Necessary materials
To make a LED lamp, you need to purchase:
- used halogen lamp without front glass;
- several bright LEDs (depending on the planned size of the product);
- limiting resistors;
- aluminum sheet;
- high-quality glue.
Manufacturing sequence
From the halogen lamp we remove the used lighting element. To do this, use a screwdriver to pick out the seat from the side of the contacts and clean it. Then, without damaging the outer case, we get rid of its remains.
We make a reflector from an aluminum sheet into which we install LED lights. Here you will need glue, with which we attach the LEDs, each individually. For convenience, it is advisable to attach the reflector to some holder.
We solder the LEDs with each other, observing the polarity. We bend the conclusions of the LEDs, cutting off the excess. We make sure that there are no intersections, otherwise a short circuit will occur . Solder the limiting resistors. The conclusions are reduced to "plus" and "minus", after which we solder to thick copper wires. To give rigidity and additional protection of the wire from short circuit, we envelop and solder the contacts with silicone.
After doing these procedures, we move the LED tube directly into the case itself, and fill the sides of the base with silicone in the place where the remains were removed with a screwdriver. Using a marker, apply polarity to the base. The lamp leads are again shortened with wire cutters. The LED lamp itself is connected to the battery in polarity. After that, if everything was done correctly, it lights up brightly.