Lighting your shed / bike storage area

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gaz

Cycle Camera TV
Location
South Croydon
What does everyone do for lighting in your bike storage area?

I've recently changed where I store my bike and due to the sunset getting earlier, i'm going to need to think about lighting to allow me to see what i'm doing when it's dark.

I can probably sort out some electrical power to my shed and get a light fitting, this is probably what I will end up doing.
 

defy-one

Guest
Armoured cable all the way to the shed - distance of 100ft. Lights fridge and workbench. My haven
 

Davidc

Guru
Location
Somerset UK
These days I keep bikes in a brick locked garage with power, but I light my shed with the kit that used to do the bike shed.

Cheap low grade 12v (nominal) solar panel from ebay. About 0.09 sq m, produces about 300mA in bright sunlight and about 3mA if you're lucky on a dull cloudy 2012 summer day.

That charges a recovered ex UPS 12v battery, marked as 45AH but less than that now. (Tested into the light when it should have been fully charged gave about 35 hours run at close to 1A

The light is a 13w (nominal) fluorescent with a boat/ caravan 12v driver. It takes close to 1A when the supply is anywhere from 10v to 15v, needless to say the light's brightness changes with voltage. (It was a cheap thing from Maplin)

There's enough charge in summer to keep it going all winter, the PV panel is on the 45 degree (ish) roof facing a bit west of south.

Only issues are the need to clean the green growth off the panel a couple of times a year, and I've had to take the PV panel apart a couple of times and reseal afterwards when water has got in. I look at it when I get told by SWMBO to clean all the outdoor lights, so aboyt once a month.

I have a 1.5A solid state fuse on the battery. So far it's only tripped because of water getting into the panel.
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
Brick built locked garage, converted to a workshop (so no room for a car) it stores both bikes plus the motorcycle and has plenty of lighting (scene, task, anglepoise/ inspection ).

you can never have enough task lighting.

Also has inherited a fridge (although not by choice) and space for laptop for sessions on the turbo. I would happily live in my workshop if only it had heating and a decent dust extraction system.

I have plans to refit the workshop this year with a new system of storage and work-surfaces, rubberize the floor and really make it a full on workshop, its all a little heath robinson right now.
 

Miquel In De Rain

No Longer Posting
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I think my kitchen is lit pretty well.:tongue:

I wish I was as posh as gaz and had a shed.;)
 

summerdays

Cycling in the sun
Location
Bristol
I think my kitchen is lit pretty well.:tongue:

I wish I was as posh as gaz and had a shed.;)
My shed is bigger than my kitchen - there is only one place in the kitchen that it would fit - between the two doors! And if all the bikes were in there, there would be zero space to move:laugh:

As to lighting - we used a small standard solar powered light which Mr Summerdays then tinkered with so that it only comes on when the shed door is open and it is now linked to an LED light. Not the most powerful but it worked most of the year and it did have batteries in it that could be charged indoors in the depths of winter if there wasn't enough sun. Now several years on I suspect if he was doing it again he would produce something more powerful.
 

ohnovino

Large Member
Location
Liverpool
My garage has a solar light that's fine for getting the bikes in/out, but a little weak for doing any maintenance. TBH I usually forget it's there and just use my front light as a torch. If you fancy a cheap solar light, E-ON are doing them for £6 here.
 

G2EWS

Well-Known Member
Keep my bike in the bar in the garden next to the jacuzzi! Lit with electric lights and yes it has a large fridge along with racks for lots of beer, wine, spirits etc!

Fortunately I am too focussed on getting ready for the commute when I go in there!

However, a new shed/workshop will be coming very soon. Can't wait to be able to tinker as well.

Regards

Chris
 

400bhp

Guru
If you don't have mains then there are plenty of battery operated lights around for a quick and easy solution.

If it's a long term solution, then mains is the way to go. If you're not comfortable laying the cable and installing yourself, then at least (to save on labour) dig the trenches from the house to the garage yourself (after liaising with an electrician on where to route/lay them.

You could just run a ring main in and power lights off the plug sockets too.
 

Davidc

Guru
Location
Somerset UK
If all you want is lights to get in and out I'd expect the solar lights linked to to be fine, and easy to install as well.

If you want more light for minor maintenance and so on you need to think about more power storage and brighter lighting than they'll give.

Clearly mains is by far the best option. Even allows for some heating when needed in winter.
 
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