Any ideas on how to get these T5's hanged??

[igotcorals]

Hey SCR,

I purchased these T5 Fixtures for the shop but i'm having a hard time finding a hanging kit that would be compatible with them..

As you can see the hanging wires are built in to the fixture so I need a hanging kit that can work with the existing wires.

Any Ideas?? My brain is fried right now.. Too much stuff going on as we try to get the shop up and running.

Picture for reference- I got them in black to match our custom stand doors.

VG_Multi_500x2500_V2 by I Got Corals, on Flickr


http://www.ebay.com/itm/25133867306...49&var=550281125389&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[ChanceReef]

what brand they

 

[rcreef]

You could try a regular chain they use to hang the fixtures in a warehouse ill try and get a pic

 

[oredith]

Just build a simple frame out of 2x4.

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[oredith]

each frame would take 3 pieces of 8' lengths of 2x4, in addition to about 4 feet (overestimate) of bracing pieces. this would allow for easy hanging of (2) of the 4' fixtures, and fits right over the frag tanks.

cost of wood - $12
cost of hardware - $5
cost of paint and anchor - $20 (but would be enough for 6-8 of the stands)

you'd be in for under 20 bucks per light stand.

 

[805reef]

If you want to hang them from the ceiling, the chain idea is simple. Use an S hook or that hanging hook you have pictured to loop onto the chain and through the hold on the hanging wire. Would make it easy to adjust the height also.

 

[oredith]

If you want to hang them from the ceiling, the chain idea is simple. Use an S hook or that hanging hook you have pictured to loop onto the chain and through the hold on the hanging wire. Would make it easy to adjust the height also.

problem with hanging from the ceiling is that you're depending on there to be studs at the right location above you. also, given that the store is in a commercial shopping mall, i'm betting there's drop ceiling, which means the actual structure will be 4+ feet above the ceiling, making finding the anchor that much harder. it's not like hanging a light in a house.

 

[BeanMachine]

What about a piece of steel ran across the studs above the drop ceiling, then attach the cables to that where you want?

I think the wooden light stands wouldn't look very nice.

 

[oredith]

What about a piece of steel ran across the studs above the drop ceiling, then attach the cables to that where you want?

I think the wooden light stands wouldn't look very nice.

you can get a whole bunch of different options if you want to use unistrut to attach to the roof structure above, the problem is that it won't be cheap. Depending on the distance to the roof above, it could be 2-300 bucks for each 8' long hanger after you put in the vertical brace and diagonal tie downs, not to mention having to climb above the ceiling to do all the work.

probably not something Bryan can do himself, which would mean paying someone to do it, which = $$$

attaching a unistrut directly to the suspended ceiling would be highly ill-advised. those things are NOT rated to handle much weight. EACH of the lights that are placed inside ceiling grid is independently suspended by the structure above, the grid is literally just supporting itself, and the ceiling tiles. if you try to hang 50 lbs of light, on top of a 10 pound unistrut, the ceiling grid won't like it.

 

[newtothis]

Ive hung these before for tim@colorful reef for both his personal and at his shop. Real PiTA.....I find that a square wood/aluminum/metal frame supported by ceiling light chains or steel cables with ferrels works best. The upside bout these fixtures is that you can daisy chain multiple fixture together. Also they come with GE 65k bulbs which are awesome bulbs for growth..

 

[805reef]

a lot of stores are drop ceiling and have stuff hanging everywhere. It's made to hang stuff through the drop ceiling. Get on a ladder and look move a tile and look above. There should be metal bars going across that you can attach wires to.

I just think it would look a lot nicer/cleaner hanging it from above rather than having a bunch of wood frames everywhere.

 

[Fly5150]

You should be able to hang the light from the t-bar ceiling, then just add a ceiling wire from the tbar to the structure. That's how everything is installed in tbar ceilings. I can help you out with that bryan.


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[oredith]

a lot of stores are drop ceiling and have stuff hanging everywhere. It's made to hang stuff through the drop ceiling. Get on a ladder and look move a tile and look above. There should be metal bars going across that you can attach wires to.

I just think it would look a lot nicer/cleaner hanging it from above rather than having a bunch of wood frames everywhere.

it really depends. I can tell you from an architect's perspective, that no client ever OVER-BUILD their store and spec out unistrut sub-frame for their drop ceiling.

if the owner is not planning on hanging anything of substantial weight, they will not have bothered with unistrut, and it'll only be compression strut + diagnal ties like this:

those metal bars running across are NOT meant to support any weight.

so, you may see a lot of stores with stuff hanging all over their drop ceiling, but it's not meant to support it. in this case, a failure means a t5 fixture dropping into a fish tank full of expensive coral.

i personally wouldn't want to risk that, but that's a personal decision.

 

[805reef]

We are not talking about the metal bars that are holding the drop ceiling tiles. Like Fly5150 mentioned, we are talking about the t-bar that is at the top and the structural support. In your drawing there, on the top left for the lay-in light fixture. It says to use chain straps or 14 gauge wire to connect to the above structure. That above structure is what I am talking about that he can use to hang his lights from.

 

[oredith]

We are not talking about the metal bars that are holding the drop ceiling tiles. Like Fly5150 mentioned, we are talking about the t-bar that is at the top and the structural support. In your drawing there, on the top left for the lay-in light fixture. It says to use chain straps or 14 gauge wire to connect to the above structure. That above structure is what I am talking about that he can use to hang his lights from.

i'm gonna bet that the store has wood framing. Further, i'm gonna bet that there's no "metal bars going across" the wood structure that you're talking about.

A majority of drop ceiling in wood framed structure just has the diagnal bracing going directly to the wood structure, and they drop the compression struts whereever it conveniently coincides with structure above.

regardless - as long as Bryan attaches the light THROUGH the drop ceiling, and connects directly to the structure above, he'll be good to go.

depending on the height of the structure above, and the access, that can either be really easy, or a royal PITA.

i just offered my solution as a cheap and fast way to hang the lights. if you spend the time to paint the frame, all the better.

 

[805reef]

i'm gonna bet that the store has wood framing.

I wouldn't take that bet because I didn't consider that. I'm used to my building that has full metal up above and we hang projectors and whatever else we want from there.

Well he asked for options and he now has options. he can look at his ceiling and see what would be best/cheapest.

 

[oredith]

also, wire management.

does the store already have switched power running to the ceiling?

i'm not sure which would look less attractive - wood frame, or loose wires going from the fixtures down to ground outlets with extension cords.

 

[rcreef]

Could we please see a pic of the ceiling so we could stop speculating and know what could be use

 

[Fly5150]

It's on his store build thread. T-bar ceiling.


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[oredith]

looks like there's already the metal version of what I sketched up installed. why not just copy what's already there? it costs more than the wood version, but it'll match.