Battery Powered Lighting

[krspa9]

I want to put a light up in the shed and run it off a battery as the shed is at the bottom of the garden and I need some light in there. Does anyone know what would be the best thing to do. I was thinking of just getting a car battery and connecting it to a flourescent tube that I was going to attach to the ceiling of the shed. Would this be the best thing to do and if so how long would the battery last. I may need to leave the light on for a couple of hours a night.

Thanks

 

[bernardgreen]

Use a 12 volt leisure battery. Like a car battery but designed for charge- discharge-charge-discharge use that you will be using it for.

You will need a 12 volt caravan or similar light for working from 12 volts.

Best range and quality is LabCraft ( the UK company ) which caravan shops will supply. ( I worked for them 40 years ago and still have one of their lamps in working order ).

Provided you don't mind carrying the battery for recharging this is the easiest option.

8 watt lamp ( about 50 watt bulb equivalent ) takes about an Amp worst case. So a 50 amp hour battery will run the lamp for about 40 hours ( 50 and the battery will be flat ).

 

[toasty]

Maybe a bit longer as most batteries have their capacities quoted at the 10hour discharge rate, so in the case of a 50Ah then 5 amps for 10 hours, 1 amp for more than 50.

Also look at sealed lead acids (the ones used for golf buggies etc..)

I've just bought a load of 17Ah ones for a scale landrover model I'm building for my daughter, they come in at about £20 each are designed to be cycled (i.e discharged and recharged regularly) and don't have any acid to spill out etc..

You do need specialist chargers though, although have you considered a solar panel on the shed roof to trickle charge the battery.

As ridiculous as it seems, I feel obliged to tell you that even this comes under part P so you *should* contact your BCO etc..

 

[Ruggie]

I saw in B and Q at the weekend a solor power shed light pack...might be worth a look at as it is a 'kit in a box' solution. Don't know how good they are, but might be worth checking out.

Also I seem to remember a post on here a little while ago about building your own kit. If I remember correctly the original poster seemed happy with the result.

R.

 

[krspa9]

I've just purchased one from Maplins but they only give 45 mins of light when fully charged after 14 hours

 

[sm1thson]

^what Ah is the battery you bought from maplin, and what is the wattage of the light you have connected?

 

[Steve]

One guy posted pictures of a solar panel trickle charging a car battery. The car battery then ran an invertor that powered an 11 watt energy saving lamp. The beauty of this design was that he had 230v available, and therefore could run low powered appliances in there (laptop, radio, telly)

 

[Tim 77]

Also I seem to remember a post on here a little while ago about building your own kit. If I remember correctly the original poster seemed happy with the result.

R.

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