Landscape lighting accentuates your home’s beauty at night and increases its value. But when lighting systems break it can be frustrating and costly.
Performing regular maintenance tasks will help reduce repair costs and extend the life of your lights. Contact Landscape Lighting Repair Orlando for professional help.
Landscape lighting adds mood and ambiance to your property, but it also makes outdoor spaces safer for children and seniors. Well-lit areas can help prevent injuries, and a well-maintained lighting system will also deter criminals from targeting your home or property. Keeping up with monthly maintenance will help ensure your lighting stays in working order. However, if you are having problems with your lights, it may be time for some repairs or even a full replacement.
One of the most common problems with landscape lighting is broken bulbs or fixtures. Low-quality fixtures can easily break or be damaged by environmental factors. This includes high temperatures, varying weather conditions, and the movement of plants. The best way to avoid these problems is by purchasing high-quality fixtures that are designed and engineered for landscape lighting, such as those made of copper or brass.
Another common problem is a corroded socket. This can happen when the metal of the fixture comes into contact with water or moisture. This is not only dangerous for your electrical system, but it can cause corrosion on the bulb and other parts of the fixture. If you notice that your landscape lighting fixtures are experiencing corrosion, it’s a good idea to replace them right away.
It’s also important to keep in mind that your landscape lighting system needs to be protected from debris and animals. If the wires that connect your lights to the transformer are exposed, it can lead to damage or tripping hazards. It’s important to rebury the wiring if possible to reduce these risks. This is a job that should be left to a professional electrician.
Lastly, it’s a good idea to check the light fixture itself for signs of wear and tear. This is especially important if you have LED fixtures, which tend to be more durable than traditional bulbs. You should also check for cracks in the glass and any other visible signs of damage or wear.
Many people don’t realize that their landscape lighting system requires maintenance, but it’s important to keep up with this task if you want your lights to work properly. It’s also a good idea to consider replacing your landscape lighting system if it is old or if you are having frequent problems with it.
Wires
When one or more landscape lights in your system stop working it can be difficult to determine what the issue is. Since most landscape lighting wires are buried in the garden to protect them from the elements and wildlife that may try to chew or dig on them, it can be tricky to find a problem unless you know where to look.
The first thing to check is whether or not the light bulb is good. If the bulb is fine but all of the other lights are not working, it could be that the socket is bad. If this is the case, you can replace the socket but it will probably be best to start with a new bulb.
Once you have checked the bulbs it’s time to look at the wiring. The first thing to do is make sure the power is off, even though it’s low voltage it should always be off when you are doing an electrical project. You can turn it off at the transformer or by flipping the switch on the fixture itself.
If you can see that the wire is damaged you’ll need to make a repair. It is best to use silicone-filled waterproof wire connectors made for outdoor use. They are available at most home improvement stores. You’ll need to remove about an inch of insulation from the two ends of the wire before you can strip them and connect them with a brass “butt-splice connector”.
Once the connections are made you’ll need to wrap the connection in some heat shrink tubing, and then put it all back together. This will help to ensure that the connections don’t come apart in the future. The other alternative would be to solder the connections but it isn’t as reliable.
One other point about the wiring is that it is important to have the correct length of wire. This is important to prevent the lights from being too close together and causing voltage drop. It is also important to have a clean, dry place to bury the wire.
Connections
Landscape lighting adds both aesthetic and functional value to your home, and it should be properly maintained to ensure optimal performance. If you aren’t getting the maximum value out of your landscape lighting, it may be time to consider replacement. Andy and the Green Impressions team can recommend new fixtures with modern technologies and installation methods to give you the best possible results for your Memphis home.
Wire connections are a key component to a well-functioning landscape lighting system. Copper wires, despite being great conductors, can experience some resistance that causes voltage to drop. The best way to identify problems with your wires is to use a voltmeter. This will tell you if your lights are receiving proper power and will help pinpoint what type of problem they might be experiencing.
Using the voltmeter, it’s also important to verify the proper wire size and length to prevent any issues. A professional landscape lighting specialist can inspect and ensure the integrity of your wiring to identify the source of any problems.
It’s also a good idea to verify that all light bulbs are functioning properly. Over time, they can burn out or need to be replaced with a higher wattage bulb. The lighting specialist can provide new bulbs that are the correct wattage and type to resolve any issues.
Another common lighting issue is a flickering or dimming light. This could be caused by a faulty transformer or by a problem with the wiring or lighting fixture itself. Luckily, these issues are often easy to diagnose and can be fixed by an experienced electrician or landscape lighting specialist. In some cases, however, the issue may require digging to access buried wires or dismantling light fixtures. In these situations, it’s always best to call a licensed and insured landscape lighting business for professional assistance.
Timer
Landscape lighting adds beauty to your home’s exterior while also enhancing security. It can even boost your property value, but like any outdoor lighting system, it needs to be properly maintained. If you’re experiencing problems with your low voltage lighting, a skilled technician can help. They’ll look for issues such as shrubs and trees that are preventing proper connectivity. They’ll also trim and prune overgrown plants to prevent damage and to ensure your lights are always functioning at their best.
If your lights aren’t turning on it may be time to re-program your timer. The first step is to make sure that you have power to the transformer. You can check this by using a voltmeter or phone charger. If the receptacle is working it means that your problem is either with your bulbs or your transformer. If you don’t have power to your transformer your lights are probably not going to turn on no matter what you do.
To reset your timer, open the door to your transformer. It should have a timer plugged into the back that looks like the picture shown above. Depending on the style of your timer it will either have green and red clips or it will have push-in tabs that you can pull out and in to adjust settings.
Once you’ve re-set your timer you can begin programming your ON/OFF times. The light portion of the dial represents the AM hours, while the darker shaded area indicates the PM hours. The numbers on the dial are the hour of the day and each of these have a green or red pin associated with it. The green pin shows when your system will turn on and the red pin shows when it will turn off.
If you’re not sure which setting to choose, it is a good idea to consult your manual or ask a professional landscape lighting technician for guidance. You’ll also want to be sure that you’re using the correct bulbs. The LED bulbs that Nite Time Decor uses in our outdoor lighting systems come with a seven-year warranty. However, the warranty does not cover bulbs that are replaced by a property owner or by another firm. It also does not protect against electrical shorts caused by cuts or slices in the wire.