Outdoor lights provide a wonderful display of your yard’s features, welcome an evening guest, and even prevent intruders. However, outdoor lighting runs into many different types of problems. When lighting issues occur, it helps to know what to do to determine the cause. Simon Electric will share how to troubleshoot common outdoor lighting electrical problems and why it is important to maintain your home’s outdoor lighting.
Importance of Exterior Lighting Maintenance
Outdoor lighting is important for several reasons. It not only adds to your home’s aesthetics but also enhance your home’s security and safety. Not only will dark areas make thieves and intruders feel more inclined to target your home, damaged electrical wiring can also cause fires or increase a person’s chances of shocking themselves. To help reduce the risk of electrical shock, fire or chance a theft, you will want to ensure your outdoor lighting is in a good, working condition.
Troubleshooting Landscape Lighting
Hard Wired Lights: When hard wired lights are not turning on, you will first look to see if a light bulb has simply burned out. In most scenarios when a light fixture isn’t turning on, it is due to a burned out light bulb. If you check the bulb and they appear to be in working order and you’re confident that it is not the light bulb, then your next step is to check the wiring and see if any got disconnected or is loose. Make sure the power is turned off to prevent electrical shock. Also check the fixtures for any physical damages.
Solar Lights: If you have solar powered outdoor lights, and they are not turning on, it could be due to the hard wire lighting if one is installed near the solar lights. Hard wire lighting can interfere with solar light sensors which it uses to determine when it is night time and should switch on. To determine if it is due to the interference from a hard wired light fixture, move the solar light away from other light sources and see if it will come on. Another common problem is that the solar light’s battery can become dislodged and prevent the battery from developing or holding a charge.
LED Bulbs: Most people hear how reliable LED light bulbs are and can last years between replacements. However, like anything else, you can buy poor quality LED bulbs or even one that is defective. Regardless of a solar or hard wired light that is using an LED bulb, still check them and replace the bulb with a higher quality LED before you assume the worst. LED lights can also experience occasional flashing or flickering. This could be due to current or voltage fluctuations, especially when the lights flicker when another appliance or electrical system is in use.
Dim Lights: If your lights are on but they appear very dim, this can be due to a connection problem. If either the light bulb or wiring is loose it can result in dimmer lights. Same can occur if the wiring is twisted or pinched together. However, the same affect can happen from dirty glass covers or dirty bulbs. Check to see if they need to be cleaned.
Lighting Fixture Installations, Repair, Replacements & More in Delray Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter & Boca Raton & Palm Beach County Florida
If you experience outdoor lighting problems and cannot determine the cause, contact a professional. Simon Electric can meet all of your electrical needs, both small and large. Contact us to schedule a consultation today.
