shop lighting

[Bernmeister]

Would you guys have any suggestions for a light fixture for my garage? Right now my main problem is there's no door on it & a previous owner installed a junction box with a ceramic fixture, but birds keep making nests on it!

I'm thinking on a florescent type light & building something around it to keep the critters at bay & maybe even a wind chime to help scare them away lol.

any suggestions?

BTW I will post some pics of the wiring job out there now before I rip it out. It scared me enough that I killed the power the day I bought the place!

[Bernmeister]

Thanks for the info Bill.

I grabbed one of these today, just to see how it will work.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_184349-13537...uantity_sold|1

since it mounts "flush" i think i can set it up so nothing can get in/around it. this is just a temporary setup. to get me through some of the warm nights that are on there way.

the wiring will not be out in the weather, but since theres no door, i guess you could call it "exposed" I was checking out wiring that comes in a flexible metal tubing. (i cant remember the name of it) would that be ok for this application?

[dieseldan123]

Flex metal conduit may be ok. But since i work at lowe's i highly recogmend the use of solid conduit. I just think it lasts longer and if you need to replace wire(s) it should be easier to reroute through it than the flex. Just my worth

[Bernmeister]

Bill, as soon as my wife wakes up i will have some pics for you as i dont know how to load them on the computer.

I went this morning and bought the MC cable. (14-2 with green ground) I mounted the light and ran the wiring to a new switch with a metal box. I pigtailed the ground wire to the switch & box, but i was not aware that i needed different connectors so they will be changed before any juice goes to the circut.

& i'm guessing the "anti short bushing" would slide into the end where the wires come out?

thanks a million for this info Bill!

[Bernmeister]

here are a few pics of the original wiring.




sorry, the "birdnest pic" didnt come out but i'm sure that anyone would agree that the wiring was unsafe!

the 2nd pic shows a splice in the wiring where it goes through a metal wall, they didnt even use tape on the wire nuts!

[Bernmeister]

PLEASE NOTE: even though these are the "after" pics it wasnt fully complete at the time. the wiring is now supported by steel clamps & the proper MC connectors & redheads are now installed.

heres the bracket i made to hang the light from.



heres a shot of the wiring across the stud.





heres the switch. i bought a sealed cover since its outdoors.

[Bernmeister]

I have to put some plywood over the light bracket to ensure no birds will be making a nest on it, but other than that what do you guys think?

[Bernmeister]

Bill, the switch nor any of the wiring is in any contact with rain, i just figured since i was doing the job i would go the "extra mile"

one thing i'm concerned with though. where the cable goes into the MC there is a bit of a gap. the redhead is up against the end but could i put a dab of silicone on the ends to help prevent moisture from getting in?

[Bernmeister]

with any luck it will warm up later in the week. the day i ran the wiring it was 71 & its now in the low 30s!

I have to crawl under the house and run the wiring up to the breaker box & also i bought a GFI outlet for the one outlet showed in the pic. (its the only one out there)

then maybe i can get back to the important stuff like fixing tractors and drinking beer lol.

[108cubber]

I know what you mean about the weather. Be glad when it stabilizes. We all need to get to the important stuff.

KennyP