When outdoor lights go dim or dead, there are five common reasons. You may have a voltage drop, corroded or loose connector, a tripped GFCI or breaker, a failed LED lamp, or damaged wire.
Seeing your outdoor lighting go dim is frustrating, especially if the system worked just fine last season. The good news with lights is that once they’re installed, they’re fairly easy to troubleshoot. There are only so many things that go wrong, which makes it easier to find the problem.
If your system is completely dark, then you don’t have a fixture issue. Something is going on with the power source. The first places to check would be the outlet, the breaker, and the GFCI. If it’s a tripped GFCI or breaker, that’s a very quick fix (and easy to overlook).
Voltage drop is the most-cited technical cause. It shows up as fixtures that grow progressively dimmer as they go farther from the transformer. It’s a sign the run is too long or too loaded for the wire or transformer feeding it.
Cut wires are also common problems. When it’s hot outside and the lawn is being mowed every couple of weeks, it’s very easy for the blade to catch a wire and take out the lights. When it comes to physical causes of light failure, this is number one.
Overgrowing landscaping can also give light systems trouble. If you aim fixtures at three-foot shrubs in April and find that they’re six-foot shrubs in August, the lights could simply be blocked. Re-aim them and you’re good to go. Likewise, lights can become dirty from grime and dust and just need a quick cleaning.
One more problem that’s a little trickier is corrosion at the connectors. The best way to deal with this is through prevention and buying quality fixtures. Solid brass tends to hold up better than plastic fixtures found at big-box stores. In any case, corroded fixtures and connectors simply need replacing.
These kinds of problems are all the kind that can be found with routine low voltage lighting maintenance. This is the kind of maintenance provided by Outdoor Lighting Perspectives after installation is complete across Strongsville and the southwest Cuyahoga suburbs, Brecksville, North Royalton, Broadview Heights, and Brunswick. To learn more, read about Outdoor Lighting Perspectives’ service and maintenance options or call (440) 336-8650.