The Importance of Outdoor Lighting Maintenance and How You Can DIY It
Your outdoor lights require regular maintenance. It gets dirty and experiences wear and tear just like any equipment. And, like any poorly maintained equipment, it can deteriorate faster, waste electricity, or cause a hazard in your home. Because of these, you need to maintain your outdoor lighting system regularly.
Why You Need To Maintain Your Outdoor Lights
Poorly maintained outdoor lights are often a waste of electricity since they are usually blocked by plants or too dirty to provide adequate visibility for your property. This poor visibility creates a security risk for your home since there are now poorly lit areas in your home that give intruders a place for hiding or entry.
Moreover, some unkempt plants can creep up and around light fixtures. This can cause your light fixtures to deteriorate faster by damaging the finish or the wire’s insulation. And, if you still have non-LED bulbs in your outdoor fixtures, dried-up growth on your fixtures can catch fire due to how hot these bulbs can get.
In some cases, there might already be significant wear and tear. This could present a potential hazard since light fixtures make a contained environment for the light bulb and the electrical components inside it. If the casing is broken or the wires are exposed, there is an electrical hazard right in your yard. If you have children or pets, they are at a greater risk since they are more likely to poke around and touch these damaged parts.
Outdoor Lighting DIY Maintenance Checklist
01
Cut overgrown plants and branches that are blocking the light.
Check how your lights look at night and take a picture of any greenery blocking the light. By morning, use the photos you took as a reference for which plants or branches require some trimming to let the light through.
02
Clean the outdoor lighting fixtures of any debris.
Your outdoor light fixtures will inevitably get dirty over time. There will be a build-up of mud, leaves, dead insects, dirt, and other debris. Clean these up so there will be none blocking the light, creating unsightly shadows, or causing faster deterioration for your fixture.
03
Replace burnt-out light bulbs.
Although LEDs last long, they will still eventually stop working and require replacing. So, while you are doing your regular maintenance, check for any burnt-out bulbs and change those that require a new bulb.
04
Check the fixtures for any damage or exposed wiring.
You should not find any cracks on the casing or wire insulation of your fixture. The fixture should have no wobble and be firmly fixed in its place. You should also make sure that the bulb is screwed securely on the fixture and not hanging by the wire.
05
Reposition the light fixture.
After the previous steps, make sure that your light fixtures are shining a light on where you want them to do so. You can reposition them if it’s easy to do so or point them where appropriate if it has a directional feature. Otherwise, if it requires a more complicated process, you might have to call in a contractor to do it for you.
06
Start using timers for your outdoor lights.
If you still do not use a timer for your outdoor lights, it’s time to start using one. You know the time when you will need your outdoor lights on so it is only logical to use a timer to automate switching your light on and off.
Contact Us!
You can easily see the importance of outdoor lighting maintenance from what you have just read. And, with how easy it is to do without professional help, there’s no reason for you not to do it regularly. As long as you are careful and know when to call the professionals, you will have no risk in doing it by yourself at least once every few months.
