Landscape lighting is an excellent way to accentuate the beauty of your home. If your home already has some outdoor lighting then you have likely already discovered this. But you may also have discovered how frustrating it can be when something isn’t working as it should. Don’t panic, your landscape lighting is fixable. Most problems can be fixed with just a little bit of troubleshooting.
Here are some helpful tips to troubleshooting your landscape lighting system
1. Do you have power to your transformer?
Often times GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) outlets will trip if connections get wet. They also can trip easily when they get old. Irrigation heads or a heavy rainstorm can trigger these outlets to trip. Make sure you don’t have nicks in the wire to the outlet from your transformer as this can cause GFCI outlets to trip as well. GFCI outlets are the ones that have the test/reset buttons in the middle of them. Sometimes the GFCI outlet that is on the circuit that controls exterior outlets is on the other side of the home or inside the house. Check them all to reset and restore power.
2. Is your timer set right?
Sometimes even the timers we install with a battery backup can fully drain and stop working on the correct time. We can replace these batteries for you if you have trouble doing this yourself. If you have an older photo cell controlled transformer check and make sure it hasn’t stopped working. You can cover it with black electrical tape to see if it turns on and then remove and make sure it turns off. If plants have overgrown the photocell, we recommend switching to the more reliable astronomical clocks that adjust to changing nighttime hours. These last longer and are more reliable.
3. Is there a cut in your low voltage lines coming from the transformer to your light fixtures?
If a section of your landscape lighting system suddenly goes out, it is possible that a line was cut. Hedge trimming, trenching, or nearby construction are most often the culprits. We can troubleshoot these issues for you and most often all that is needed is a splice to connect the wire.
4. Are your connections corroded?
As your lighting system ages, any exposed connections can deteriorate. Many do it yourself landscape lighting kits have wire piercing connections. They are quick and easy to install but as the copper corrodes and the connection loosens over time lights will stop working and replacement bulbs will fail to light. We use all brass, heat shrink connections that offer superior weather resistance. Outdoor wire nuts and other weather proof connections are ok to use but will not last as long as a heat shrink connection.
5. Is it time to replace your lighting system?
If you have been patching together your fixtures and fixing bad connections, it may be time to upgrade your system. We now offer professional grade LED fixtures that use less energy to run and do not require servicing as often.
Hopefully these troubleshooting tips will give you a good idea of what the problem might be with your landscape lighting and how to fix it. If you are still having difficulty finding the problem or would like some lighting professional help with the repair; please contact Proactive Landscaping today!
