I'm wondering what type of light and how many should I install for a pool table (4x8) in my basement. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

 

Fluorescent. Four feet long. Dual bulb. With a hood. Hung three feet above the table.

Hopefully, the hood will be a cool leaded-glass style shade advertising Budweiser.

Hopefully with Clydesdales.

And hopefully, you will have a cold Bud or two in the fridge (which is on a 20a dedicated circuit, of course) when I come to play pool at your house!

 

I agree with the light type, BUT HAVE MGD on hand.

 

Make sure that the bottom edge of the globes or lights that you get have a nice smooth edge to them. The reason is because, invariably, somebody will raise a cue up after a shot and this will nick the shaft/cue if the light has a sharp edge. A lot of the lights sold by billiards stores as pool table lights have these sharp edges. (Can I request Michelob Light?!)
Sandie

 

Thanks so much for your replies.
Yes, you are all invited and Bud, MGD and Michelob Light will be ready if you can make it to Northern Virginia.

 

If you invite anyone that plays pool like I do, I would suggest a metal cage around the bulbs... you spend a lot less replacing bulbs that way.

 

... And if you invite someone who drinks beer like I do, please put padding on the floor so I don't hurt myself when I fall down.

 

We built a pool table light a few years ago, and we went to a supply place to look at fixtures. The sales guy at the pool table supply store told us specifically NOT to use fluorescent because it fades the felt on your pool table. He even had a little disply with incandescent and fluorescent compared to one another, and the fluorescent one was faded more.

I don't know how much you plan on using your table, but I suspect the light will not be on as much as it is in a bar, but incandescent is better for the felt.

So, if you choose to go incandescent, 3 bulbs, 60 watts each, 3 feet above the table works great.

 

Interesting. I can't see any reason why the salesman would lie. In fact, if he kept his mouth shut he'd sell more felt!

Still ...

How many years before the felt is too faded to use?

How much will it cost to replace the felt versus how much the electric bill rose during those years because there were 100 more watts being consumed by the 3 x 60 inky's instead of the 2 x 40w fluorescents?

UV filtering has become a standard in better-quality fluorescent bulbs, too. If we're talking 30 years ago, they spewed enough UV to be used as grow lights.