Looking to upgrade the lighting in in the barn.
Would like to add lighting to the stalls as well as the aisle.
Small 4 stall with tack/feed.
Need safety first, practicality, and affordability.
Links would be awesome
Thanks!!
Also consider placement of the lights.
If you have open space over the stall walls and the aisle, consider placing lights there.
Avoid lights right overhead, because they cause the underneath and sides of a horse to be in shadows.
Better arrange lights where they will hit horses from the sides, so you can see more of the whole horse’s side and legs.
Some very bright barns have fluorescent type lights on both sides of the aisle, where they are also more protected from a horse rearing and hitting them overhead.
If long lights, better line them along with the alley, not across, except in the grooming/wash stalls, where you may want them lengthwise with the horses, but again, not right over the horses.
Here are some pictures:
We have had trouble with fluorescent lights in the aisle - too cold here in VA for them to work properly in the winter. Just replaced them with regular bulbs in cages.
Links to barn lights:
http://www.equinelighting.com/
http://blog.classic-equine.com/2012/12/barn-building-101-lights-and-electrical/
http://www.prolighting.com/hobariarli.html
Here are some pictures of barns without fluorescent fixtures:
Thanks!
Those are the kind of ideas I was looking for.
Bluey, I love those open stalls
I have the sealed lights by Orion West Lighting, but actually hardly ever need to use them. When we built our barn, the building supply sales person suggested we use a clear plexiglass-type (it’s something stronger and higher tech) ridge cap on our barn and indoor arena. That little bit of clear ridge lets in an amazing amount of light (along with one window in each stall or in the case of the arena, a narrow section of the same material that runs across the top of the sides) that I only turn my lights on when it is pitch dark outside. Love the stuff, worth every penny and would highly recommend it. Everyone who walks into my barn comments about how light and open it feels. It’s light normal daylight.
I have the same problem with my cold-ballast fluorescents that eventgroupie described.High humidity has the same effect.
Possibly enclosed bulbs would prevent it (along with making it easier to keep them clean).
Also agree with fjordmom on making the most of natural light.
I have 2’ eavelights in both my barn & indoor. They let in enough light so I never have to turn on the fluorescents as long as there is daylight.
There are basically incandescent bulbs, fluorescents and the new LED lights, that use much less electricity.
An electrician can determine which would be best for any structure.
For arenas, today, the T5 and T8 seem to be best.
I don’t know what would be best for barns themselves, depend on the area inside, how tall the ceilings, what colors and how that may reflect light.
We have some opaque roof panels on our barn that provide plenty of light during the day. For night or darker days, we have either T8 or T12 fluorescents (don’t remember which, but are instant start on days that have been 0 degrees), rated for moist/wet applications down the isle and above the wash rack. There are caged incandescents above the stalls. Florescents between the stalls, like in Bluey’s pictures, would provide better lighting in the stalls.
[QUOTE=eventgroupie2;8026791]
We have had trouble with fluorescent lights in the aisle - too cold here in VA for them to work properly in the winter. Just replaced them with regular bulbs in cages.[/QUOTE]
DH put electric and lighting in a friend’s barn this fall. He used cold start fluorescent. The come on about 90% power first and take a few minutes to warm up to 100%. That only takes a couple of minutes. Even in this below zero cold we have had this winter they come on every time.
He put one above each stall and two above the aisle. They are 2 tube fixtures. The tubes are covered in plastic sleeves. They are high enough that even if a horse reared they couldn’t hit one.
I have a string of “tube lights” on a timer set to go on at susk for a four hours great for night check low light kinder for horse but light enough for stall check
[QUOTE=eventgroupie2;8026791]
We have had trouble with fluorescent lights in the aisle - too cold here in VA for them to work properly in the winter. Just replaced them with regular bulbs in cages.[/QUOTE]
We use them without any problems here in Maine, but you have to get the type that is designed to be used outdoors.
We also installed the round florescent lights from Orion lighting just over two years ago. We paid a lot of money for these fixtures as we had to import directly from the USA and paid US exchange (ouch). These lights are CSA certified so good for use in Canada. I must say we are very disappointed in the length of time these light bulbs last. 4 have burnt out in the last 3 weeks with another 2 about to go…these should last more then 2 years! I expect them all to fail shortly. We will not be using these light fixtures again and are looking to replace them all. I loved the look of the round fixtures but we simply cannot keep replacing every single light bulb every two years in the entire barn. Just a word of caution for anyone considering them.
We’re having good luck with Cree bulbs sold at Home Depot. Not long ago, I would have recommended something else, but it only makes sense to go with LED’s now.
We have LED bulbs in regular incandescent jar light fixtures. I really like them so far! The bulbs should last damn near forever. They draw very little electric and we’ve not had any issues with the cold. I like the quality of the light.
If you go that route, DO pay attention to if the bulbs are able to use in enclosed fixtures (if your fixtures are enclosed.) A lot of those LEDs aren’t suitable for enclosed fixtures, and they’ll burn out more quickly. They don’t produce a lot of heat, but the elements are quite sensitive to heat and the bulbs are often designed to have air moving around them to dissipate the heat that does build.
None of the Cree bulbs I saw at Home Depot were usable in enclosed fixtures. We’re using Feit’s from CostCo.
I use the Feit ones from Costco for some things too. Their replacements for recessed lights are BRIGHT at 1140 lumens for 23 watts.
[QUOTE=Simkie;8030675]
We have LED bulbs in regular incandescent jar light fixtures. I really like them so far! The bulbs should last damn near forever. They draw very little electric and we’ve not had any issues with the cold. I like the quality of the light.[/QUOTE]
This is what we did. I put 75 watt equivalent Cree LED bulbs (warm light) in these fixtures in the aisles and stalls.
[QUOTE=Bluey;8026659]
Also consider placement of the lights.
If you have open space over the stall walls and the aisle, consider placing lights there.
Avoid lights right overhead, because they cause the underneath and sides of a horse to be in shadows.
Better arrange lights where they will hit horses from the sides, so you can see more of the whole horse’s side and legs.
Some very bright barns have fluorescent type lights on both sides of the aisle, where they are also more protected from a horse rearing and hitting them overhead.
If long lights, better line them along with the alley, not across, except in the grooming/wash stalls, where you may want them lengthwise with the horses, but again, not right over the horses.
Here are some pictures:[/QUOTE]
I second this. I have a small barn with a 46’ aisle and I have two 4’ fluorescent lights spaced out along each side, on the highest part of the walls. They do fine in Maryland winters and the farrier tells me every time he comes how much he loves having the lights on the sides rather than overhead.
For the stalls the builder put caged 100-watt bulbs centered on the inside of the stall’s front wall (my stall fronts go all the way up to the ceiling because it was modular/prefab). There are two benefits to this:
- In a center-aisle type barn with a sloped roof that is where you can put the lights and conduits highest and thus most out of reach.
- When you look into the stalls to check on the horses the horse can’t get between you and the light, so none of him/her will be in shadow.
One thing I didn’t do was put one set of lights on a dimmer switch for night check, so you don’t have to blind everyone. Red-tinted lights are another option that will let you see what you’re doing at night without being too bright, but obviously you would need another set of lights for daylight. Just a thought!
Check with a licensed electrician to be sure you barn is up to code. Some of the new light bulbs get very hot, even though they use less electricity. We had a lamp shade badly scorched by one. Maybe consult with the lighting designer at one of the big box stores?
Also, try not to have all the lights on one circuit. That way if you blow a fuse you still have some light. Example: aisle lights on one circuit, and stall lights on another
Do you need any exterior/flood lights, like motion detectors for security?
We’ve had excellent luck with the various lights/fixtures from Orion.
http://www.equinelighting.com
Our bulbs have lasted very well- west coast without cold, so that may make a difference in performance.
