Lights for a mechanic garage pit

[delfadelfa]

I am bidding a job to replace 7 - 2 tube fluorescent light in a mechanic garage pit. There is ventilation in the pit and I think the receptacles in the pit are controlled by a sail switch in the vent but not the lights. I am looking for ideas to replace the lights with fluorescent or LED. They are piped in with rigid and there is a seal off where it leaves the pit. The existing lights look like they have moisture proof covers, the ones that do have covers. I took some pictures, thanks.

 

[kwired]

Do you need to replace the entire luminaire for some reason? If not just put in retrofit LED tubes in existing luminaire.

 

[delfadelfa]

Do you need to replace the entire luminaire for some reason? If not just put in retrofit LED tubes in existing luminaire.

The light covers are in bad shape with half of the covers missing or broken. But that is an option, I could get a model number off the lights and see if I can order new replacement covers and then retrofit the LED tubes. Thanks

 

[david]

"and there is a seal off where it leaves the pit". "The existing lights look like they have moisture proof covers,"

Are you sure this is not class 1 division 1 or class 1 division 2

Most of the vents I see in pits do not pull air from 12" or less from the floor.

 

[delfadelfa]

Are you sure this is not class 1 division 1 or class 1 division 2

Most of the vents I see in pits do not pull air from 12" or less from the floor.

It is class 1 for sure because it is an auto mechanic garage and I would say division 1 normal because they are not storing hazardous material, and group D. The pit is 4 feet deep, 4 feet wide, 75 feet long, and the vents are about a foot up. The existing fittings and fixtures are vapor proof.

 

[kwired]

Older codes did not have difference between "major repair garage" and "minor repair garage"

Now if it is a minor repair garage it can be unclassified.

What kind of repairs are done in this garage?

75 foot pit - possibly a lubrication and inspection area for larger trucks and not necessarily a major repair shop?

 

[delfadelfa]

Older codes did not have difference between "major repair garage" and "minor repair garage"

Now if it is a minor repair garage it can be unclassified.

What kind of repairs are done in this garage?

75 foot pit - possibly a lubrication and inspection area for larger trucks and not necessarily a major repair shop?

The garage is 200' by 300' and 25' ceiling. They work on large semi trucks.

 

[kwired]

The garage is 200' by 300' and 25' ceiling. They work on large semi trucks.

And is it just a lubrication and minor repair facility? If so I'd say the pit need not be classified at all. Otherwise more details are need for classification.

 

[delfadelfa]

And is it just a lubrication and minor repair facility? If so I'd say the pit need not be classified at all. Otherwise more details are need for classification.

They do major repairs, replace engines. transmissions, body work, and the pit is also for major repairs because I did not see a lift in any of the 16 bays. I think any area below 18 inches in a commercial garage is class 1 and needs air exchanges per hour to remove low gas vapors.

 

[kwired]

They do major repairs, replace engines. transmissions, body work, and the pit is also for major repairs because I did not see a lift in any of the 16 bays. I think any area below 18 inches in a commercial garage is class 1 and needs air exchanges per hour to remove low gas vapors.

That was the general rule until more recently that all commercial garages have a class 1 area at 18 inches and below. The presence of air exchange may allow it to be division 2 instead of division 1 though. But either 2008 or 2011 they added the major and minor repair garage definitions and the minor repair garage can have areas that do not need classification.