Lighting options for new sap house

[mspina14]

I'm running a single circuit electric line from my house to the sugar shack this summer.

It's only 8X12 so I'm just going to have the electrician put in a couple of electrical outlets and some lights.

I was looking at lighting fixtures at Lowes today. I notice they had some call "vapor sealed". They were wrapped in a metal cage and shaped liked an inverted bullet.

I was planning on buying a simple fluorescent fixture, but now I'm wondering if I should get something that will resist all that steam that gets produced when boiling the sap.

Any suggestions?

thanks

Mark

[SeanD]

Yes, get the vapor sealed ones. God forbid a bulb breaks and pieces fall in the pans. Your building and or health inspector might even require it.

If it's not too late, have the electrician put in a sub panel at the sugar house and leave at least two slots for expansion. It's pennies now versus many dollars later if you need to expand. I never thought I'd need the extra room, but I'm glad I have it now that an RO is in the picture. All I have to do is add a 220v outlet.

Sean

[tuckermtn]

might be a bit pricey, but this is what I put in my SH 3 years ago - no issues so far

I have CFLs in em

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A7UQES/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[maple flats]

That's a good fixture but if you get the brighter LED bulbs (with the same base as an incondescent) you will get more light and use fewer watts, besides they last several times longer than the CFL's. I used that type fixture in my flue pan hood, it works great. I did use sealed fixtures for the newer florescent bulbs, that was before the new LED's were readily available. At some point I plan to switch to the fixture tuckermtn referred to, with the LED bulbs.

[mspina14]

might be a bit pricey, but this is what I put in my SH 3 years ago - no issues so far

I have CFLs in em

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A7UQES/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Yes. That's the light fixture I saw at Lowes.

So it sounds like the vapor sealed fixtures are the way to go in the sugar house.

Mark

[mspina14]

Yes, get the vapor sealed ones. God forbid a bulb breaks and pieces fall in the pans. Your building and or health inspector might even require it.

If it's not too late, have the electrician put in a sub panel at the sugar house and leave at least two slots for expansion. It's pennies now versus many dollars later if you need to expand. I never thought I'd need the extra room, but I'm glad I have it now that an RO is in the picture. All I have to do is add a 220v outlet.

Sean

Thanks Sean.

That's a good recommendation. I do have visions of adding a finishing room onto the sugar shack. If I do, that would require more lights and maybe a 220V outlet for an electric stove.

I'll ask my electrician what the cost would be to put in a sub-panel now.

Mark

[MISugarDaddy]

Mark,
Those vapor sealed fixtures are the type we used throughout our sugarhouse. The nice thing about them is that they have threaded openings for 1/2" conduit which allows them to be suspended from the ceiling by conduit to get the light closer to your work area. We installed 8 of them in our sugarhouse with 150 watt bulbs and have them suspended down to a height of 8' so they really provide light where we need it. Good luck with the upcoming season.
Gary

[PerryFamily]

I too used the same fixtures but I put in led bulbs. I think they are the equivalent of 60 watt bulbs but only use 10 watts of power?? Not sure but an eight pack at Home Cheapo was $24.

[mspina14]

Mark,
Those vapor sealed fixtures are the type we used throughout our sugarhouse. The nice thing about them is that they have threaded openings for 1/2" conduit which allows them to be suspended from the ceiling by conduit to get the light closer to your work area. We installed 8 of them in our sugarhouse with 150 watt bulbs and have them suspended down to a height of 8' so they really provide light where we need it. Good luck with the upcoming season.
Gary

Thanks Gary.

My sugar shack is only 8X12. So more like a sugar "shed" then a sugar "shack" (never mind a sugar "house"!)

Because it's so small, the cupola takes up most of the ceiling space. See photos below.

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I'm thinking maybe run a couple of vapor sealed light fixtures along the bottom of the box-out framing for the cupola? The bottom of the framing is about 8' from the floor.


Mark

[MISugarDaddy]

Mark,
Sounds like that will work great because the light will be down closer to where you need them. As far as your structure goes, it is leap years ahead of what we started with, a leanto roof. You can see how we did our lights if you click on the link in my signature. It shows our first structure and what we have now.
Gary