Making lighting in the garage: all the details of the process

Garage try to arrange very carefully. But if its strength, protection against attacks, moisture and temperature changes is paid a lot of attention, the lighting device is often underestimated. At the same time, the convenience of using the room as a whole, as well as individual zones, is very much dependent on the quality of the backlight.

In the garage, cars are not only stored, they are sometimes repaired there. It is very inconvenient to take every time to the street and takes a lot of time, that's why many motorists equip special inspection pits. But even on a bright sunny day, when the doors are fully open, the flow of light in this part of the room is insufficient for work. The lighting in the garage must also be thought out so that everything can be clearly seen even in the most remote corners.Almost everyone will be able to prepare and mount the necessary devices.

First of all, you should decide on the type of lamps you need. Traditional incandescent lamps should not be used, if only because their efficiency is low and too much heat is generated during operation. In addition, the emission spectrum of old lamps is represented by yellow and red tones, which distract from work. And the risk of fire when the incandescent bulb burns out is very high.

Halogen bulbs are pretty close to incandescent bulbs., but the flask is filled with bromine vapor. Thanks to them, tungsten filaments heat up more efficiently, give a greater luminous flux and can work up to 4 thousand hours. Fluorescent lamps - a bulb, the electrodes in which are surrounded by inert gases. The inner surface is covered with phosphors that glow with ultraviolet irradiation. It is recommended to choose light sources that meet the protection class IP-65, they are very resistant to dust and dirt.

LED lighting is very popular, and is considered by many experts to be a breakthrough in lighting technology.Such devices are quite expensive, but under the condition of high-quality execution, they can work 50 thousand hours. Compared to fluorescent lamps, LEDs consume less current and produce more attractive light. Diode lighting is versatile, fluorescent lighting is more effective in a heated room, and halogen lighting is in a cold one.

LED-based searchlights should be used to illuminate certain parts of the room — first of all, when working under the car and inside the inspection pits. Autonomous lighting is also best done on the basis of LEDs. It is always made on the basis of ribbons in plafonds (300 units on the plafond). The wires lead to the ceiling, switching is provided through the shield. When the garage is left without electricity, 12 volts from the battery will be provided for a while. When the power is restored, the battery will start charging again.

Motorists who follow modern technological advances often use another device that makes it less dependent on interruptions on the main networks. We are talking about a solar battery, which generates electricity in a day, and in the dark, the battery gives the resulting charge.The only problem is that you have to either be in the garage all day or pay for its solid security. After all, the number of people who want to steal the battery is very large, they are expensive.

In addition to choosing the type of luminaires and the configuration of the lighting system, it is required to correctly calculate their power. The easiest way to use light sources with a capacity of 16-20 W per 1 square. m

Also amendments are introduced:

• for ceilings not higher than 250 cm - zero;
• in garages with a height of 3 m and more - an additional 50%;
• the darker the finishing material, the greater should be the light power of the lamps.

It will be easier to save on energy if you make the walls, floor and ceiling as light as possible.

When the types of light sources and their power are determined, it is the turn of the choice of their placement. The basic requirement is that the light distribution should be uniform throughout the garage.In most cases, the lamps are set as they see fit and comfortable for themselves. The traditional scheme involves fixing lamps on the wall and ceiling, a more modern approach includes the use of autonomous systems. Battery-powered lanterns, not only can be moved to any convenient place, but also completely independent from the power grid.

It is recommended to make the lighting in the garage multilevel: a large lamp is placed at the top, and smaller side lamps are installed for each working area.

A typical distribution is:

• first level - ceiling;
• the second level - at a height of 1.8 m;
• the third level (working) - at a height of 0.75 m;
• fourth level - 40 cm from the floor.

Full garage lighting is done so that the shadow of the car does not fall on the lights. Side lamps are attached to the brackets, which allows you to rotate them in the desired direction. Stationary light sources are arranged so that at the entrance, exit and normal operation they do not blind the eyes. Another prerequisite for success is the use of ceiling lamps. This helps prevent the negative effects of glare and blinking.The main lamp is put not just on the ceiling, but where it will illuminate the hood, without creating a shadow.

It is particularly important to prepare the lighting in the viewing pit, where at any time something can roll. In this case, it is permissible to use only low-power light sources - LEDs and halogen lamps. After all, high humidity, which is difficult to get rid of, increases the risk of electric shock. The luminaires are placed in bottles covered with steel meshes, along the edges of the pit, in specially prepared niches. As a result, the lamps will not interfere with work, and will remain intact even if a heavy object or a sharp instrument falls from above.

Wiring is best done in a hidden way. - but note that after plastering the walls it will be impossible to do this. Calculate everything as carefully as possible so that the finishing material is not soon destroyed. Wires are made parallel to the ceiling, and before starting work they consult with experienced specialists. If you are not confident in your knowledge and skills, it would be better to hire a qualified electrician, especially when the garage is located in the basement or in another place where water accumulates.

When working independently, it is required to form a clear scheme, where will be indicated:

• power supplies or external inputs;
• fixtures;
• other stationary devices;
• wiring traces;
• sockets and switches.

You should always go to the store with this scheme - and it will be easier for sellers to figure it out, to prompt something, and there is less risk of forgetting the necessary items, confusing individual moments. On top of all sockets and switches you need to install distribution boxes. When the installation and connection are completed, it is advisable to immediately check the operation of the components and switches. And when you find the slightest problem you need to fix them immediately.

Both in the large and in the small garage, open wiring will require the use of ducts (made of plastic or metal). A corrugated tube can make a replacement box. It is advisable when choosing an option to focus on the recommendations of professional electricians. In any case, the obligatory component is a general switch located at the entrance or entrance to the garage. It allows you to immediately turn on the upper light when entering the room, or to extinguish it when leaving.

For lighting in the inspection pits need lamps for 12 or 36 volts (the choice between them is largely a matter of personal taste). The power supply of the light sources must be done with a stranded cable with a cross section of 1.5-2 square meters. mm It is recommended to choose lamps with a color temperature from 4000 to 5500 K. The type of base - E27 and E40.

LED devices must have sizes:

• SMD 5730;
• SMD 5630;
• SMD 3014;
• COB matrix.

To reduce the cost of purchasing fixtures and energy consumption, in the darkest places you can put a mirror. Reflecting the rays, it will increase the illumination in the garage at no extra cost.

Electrical safety requirements prescribe the grounding of inputs to switchboards, with a maximum ground resistance of 4 ohms being made. Regardless of the specific organization of power supply, an electric meter is installed in a separate garage, and if the garage is connected to a home power grid, then it is not needed. The current of the input automaton is determined by the amount that is technically permissible in a given electrical network or permitted by the board of a garage cooperative.

Also in any scheme should be:

• safety shutdown device;
• step-down transformers;
• separate machines for chargers and welding machines.

Lighting lines should be correctly created on the basis of the VVG 3x1.5 cable. Power single-phase circuits are made of a wire VVG 3x2.5, and three-phase - from a wire VVG 5x2.5. Inside PVC pipes and ducts, cables VVGng 3x1.5 are used. An open installation on top of a fuel base requires the use of a solution of VVGng LS 3x1.5, which, thanks to the sophisticated isolation, makes it possible to dispense with enhanced protection. You can hold the track both vertically and horizontally. Whenever possible, choose the shortest diagonal gasket.

Important: turns are allowed to do only at an angle of 90 degreeswith a gap of at least 0.1 - 0.15 m from the floors and ceilings. Do not place wires closer than 150 mm from heating pipes and other heating, at least periodically, structures. Since water and dust are invariably present in garages, all electrical equipment must be protected from both factors. It is forbidden to bring switches to the gate, jambs and windows. The minimum mounting height of the sockets is 0.6 m.

The lighting device in the garage and the installation of electrical wiring requires the use of:

• tester;
• a set of insulated screwdrivers;
• insulating tape;
• dielectric gloves;
• safety glasses;
• pliers with insulation;
• construction knife or pliers (they cut the wire and cleaned it).

Wiring, installation of distribution cabinets and other components are impossible without perforators, drills and wall chasers.

It is also worth cooking:

• construction spatulas;
• jigsaws;
• saws for metal and wood;
• hammers, wrenches;
• drills for certain materials;
• circular saws;
• construction levels and measuring tape.

The exact list of tools is determined by what kind of work you need to carry out and what is their volume. One outlet should fall on 6 square. m. garage, and the switches of the general and local level must be divided. When a room has separate zones, the number of light sources at a general level can be reduced. But this means that you still have to connect private power supplies to the main power lines qualitatively.

Brick walls with plaster and lime plaster allow you to do hidden wiring. The center of the cabling is the internal distribution block. In the direction of the sockets spend shtroby for power cables.The strokes from the switches to the ceiling lights do necessarily vertical. When a suspended or fire hazardous ceiling is used, the lighting lines are supposed to be removed in a special corrugation, hidden by a false ceiling.

You can not expect that the arrangement of lighting in the garage will be cheap and high quality at the same time. Even more difficult to do this work in a metal structure. The frame garage, insulated outside and trimmed inside with several types of materials, is equipped with lighting systems with a combined route route.

The main nuances are:

• shields are put on non-combustible bases to the right of the door or gate;
• it is advisable to place electric routes hidden;
• when hidden installation is not possible, a plastic or metal box is used;
• these boxes are fixed to the walls as securely as possible;
• for installation of sockets and switches use open boxes;
• lighting devices put on special brackets, which are selected in accordance with the method of attachment.

When in the garage, in addition to the car, accumulate household supplies, spare parts, tools, things, or there are a number of working segments, you need to provide several points for turning on the light, one of which will be the main one. All devices in the inspection pits need to be connected only through a step-down transformer. If the calculations are made correctly and errors in the installation of wires and equipment are not allowed - the safe operation of the power grid is guaranteed for about 30 years.

There should be an emergency garage lighting. The simplest option is a pair of LED strips that connect directly to the batteries. It is not necessary to take a car battery, a computer uninterruptible power supply unit is also suitable for solving this problem. As an autonomous source of power supply, a wind generator can be used only in mountainous areas or on sea coasts, where the wind speed very often exceeds 6 m / s.At such a flow rate, a standard device in one hour generates 1 kW of electricity - quite enough for lighting devices.

If the solar battery and battery do not fit, you need to choose a “Philippine lantern”. This is a bottle of transparent plastic, which is put on a screen made of galvanized or stainless steel. The shape of the screen is both round and rectangular. Pure water is poured into the container and diluted with bleach. The device is placed on the roof, and the joints are filled with sealant or silicone. To have enough light in the room, you need to use several lamps.

Street lights should be equipped with a motion sensor. Then he will not spend the whole night to charge the battery or wind the disc counter. You can not use even the slightest part of the wiring without grounding. It is extremely dangerous to save on lamps, RCD and cables. If you do not plan to repair the car in the garage, or it will happen only occasionally, you can save money by refusing emergency lighting. Rarely people in the garage, it is worthwhile to mount only one lamp and use it as needed.

A little advice on lighting wiring in the garage, see below in the video.