Grilling season is upon us since I can already smell the barbecues firing up. This means that we will be outside more, especially in the evenings. It's a great time to have your landscape lighting system serviced before the spring rush hits. Regular outdoor lighting maintenance helps ensure you get the optimum performance out of your lights year after year and its working properly so you can enjoy your evening outdoors.
Today on the blog, Keith, our service technician is sharing some signs that indicate it's time to schedule a maintenance visit for your outdoor lighting system. Plus, he's included some do-it-yourself tips.
Your Fixtures are Misaligned or Out of Place:
Over time, fixtures get knocked around by pets, kids, mowers, even snow can shift their placement as well as many other culprits. Misaligned fixtures can ruin the intended impact of your lights. It is good to have all of your fixtures straightened and adjusted back to their proper alignments.
Your Lights are Dim or Out:
Dim lights could mean that your lenses are dirty; it's important to keep the lenses of your fixtures clean. Minerals deposits, dirt, and debris can completely dim or block the light from a fixture. This is especially true for low sitting ground fixtures. You can clean the fixtures using a nonabrasive cloth and a CLR type of cleaner. Sometimes it takes a bit of elbow grease to get them clean.
When you have lights that are out it's because the bulbs need to be replaced. You'll want to make sure that you get the correct bulb and wattage when replacing your lights. Also, it is important to change a bulb as soon as possible when it burns out. In a low voltage system, each bulb draws a small amount of voltage when all lights are properly working. As bulbs burn out, the good bulbs nearby receive more voltage. This can shorten the bulb life.
You Notice Exposed or Cut Wires:
Sometimes during landscaping or plant removal projects, wires can accidentally get cut or damaged. Plus, the freezing and thawing of the ground during the winter months can cause a wire to work its way to the surface. When this happens, the wires need to be reburied and it's important to inspect the wire first. Any visible copper wire will need to be repaired before it gets buried. We recommend contacting us for service if the wire is damaged in any way, and our technicians will find and repair any damage.
It's Been Awhile Since Your Lights Were Installed or Serviced...
If your landscape lighting system was installed several years ago and hasn't received regular maintenance, scheduling a visit to have it checked out would be beneficial. Especially if you have lights installed around your trees. Simply put, trees grow and landscape changes. This may require adjusting staples to allow slack in areas. Sometimes wire needs to be re-routed on the tree, or just re-stapled. Falling branches or animals can knock the fixtures out of adjustment too.
These simple maintenance tasks can really help with the longevity of an outdoor lighting system. A simple lighting repair now can save money and hassle down the road. We recommend regular service to ensure the functionality and beauty of your investment.
Landscape Lighting Maintenance Programs
We believe you have better things to do with your time than buying and changing light bulbs or adjusting fixtures. That’s why we offer ongoing service programs. When you enroll in our Annual Service Program, a service technician will visit your property once each year to change out all of your bulbs, ensuring proper bulb wattage and beam spreads, and clean all of the lenses. You can then call us throughout the year if any bulbs go out. The cost of the replacement bulbs covered under warranty. They also straighten and adjust all of the fixtures back to their proper alignments, ensure that all timers are reset and adjusted properly, perform different maintenance checks, and make repairs where needed.
Our customers can rest assured knowing that their family is safer because we take care of their lighting systems. As the lead service technician, it is my highest priority on a service visit to make your lights look and perform as good, if not better, than the day it was installed. That is the attitude that has been instilled into our entire service department.
Looking to Enhance Your Property?
Our dedicated team at McKay Landscape Lighting works with you to create a custom landscape lighting design that's unique to your property. From design to installation to service, you can count on our team of experts to make sure you are happy with your lighting system for years to come.
