Outdoor lighting on your Long Island residence means it is important to winterize those lights! Include lamps and lanterns to get them ready for spring. The following steps will help you properly winterize outdoor lighting fixtures.
By December, the first outdoor evening light time is gradually decreasing. Short days and a lack of sunshine paired with cold nights lead to a decrease in outdoor activity levels at this time of year. These conditions present unique issues that can affect outdoor lighting equipment in homes and businesses located along prairie horizons.
These are where the sun sets very low on the horizon behind hills, trees, or structures. Examples are office buildings, apartment complexes, and so on.
Keep Lighting Lenses Clean
Winter outdoor lighting maintenance is easy when you keep the lenses clean. Remove dirt, leaves, snow, and ice accumulations with a brush or by rinsing them with water.
Remember to shine some outdoor lighting on your holiday decorations! Make it fun for family and friends coming over by providing night lights along walkways or pathways!
Replace outdoor light bulbs that are hotter than the temperature. Their bases can get very hot during cold weather. Avoid touching outdoor light bulbs until they get cooler. This is for 15 minutes after turning off the outdoor lighting power source.
Never store flammable materials near outdoor lighting equipment. Stay at least 25 feet away from storage areas.
Protect outdoor lighting equipment from falling ice and snow, hail, tornadoes, and high winds during the winter season. This may require outdoor lighting structure reinforcement.
Check for Exposed Wires
Check outdoor lighting cable for exposed wire. Wrapping wiring connectors with electrical tape can help prevent lighting equipment damage from inclement weather. It also helps protect lighting power cords from deterioration.
Clean outdoor light fixtures one to two times a year, or more often as needed. You can find some exterior lights in areas that are difficult to reach and clean manually, such as holiday outdoor lighting displays. See when you can consider hiring an outdoor professional cleaning service to take care of this instead.
Install lighting fixtures for outdoor use. Otherwise, they may pose a shock or fire hazard!
Turn outdoor lighting power off during icing conditions. Do this even without turning on the bulbs at this time of year. The weather can cause wires to break, connect, or disconnect. This is especially when ice buildups melt and showers occur.
Adjusting Outdoor Lighting Fixtures
Take outdoor lighting fixtures down when you will not use them during the winter season. It is a good idea to store them inside or bring them into a garage or shed until spring arrives.
Install outdoor lighting fixtures at least 10 feet from overhead wires, branches, and trees. This helps prevent power outages from falling lighting equipment.
Look at lighting machinery over carefully for worn parts before you try them again in the springtime. Find frayed cords, loose lenses, cracks around outdoor lighting enclosures, and so on. Make sure the equipment is ready for another year of service.
Show diligence about applying all these homemade outdoor lighting winter maintenance tips. Keeping up with regular outdoor lights will help extend their lives longer!
Check Bulbs
Check outdoor lighting bulbs yearly to see whether they function. These can begin to fade or go out after several months of use. This is due to the outdoor temperature and the fixture’s exposure to weather conditions. For example, you often change light bulbs at home during daylight savings time. An outdoor lighting bulb that has not lit since before this began may now get burned out.
Change malfunctioning outdoor lighting bulbs. You can keep lighting fixtures lit longer as a result. Plus, these bulbs burn brighter immediately! This helps to save energy and provide outdoor safety.
Burn outdoor lighting power sources for landscape and garden during the evening or daytime. Remove all protective equipment like gloves and glasses first before touching outdoor lighting wires. Do not leave cords and ropes where children might trip! This is while playing in the yard or pets also running around.
Check for Moisture Related Problems
Check outdoor lighting fixtures for moisture problems. This often can happen without you knowing. For example, equipment covers are good at preventing frosting or icing on light bulbs during cold weather conditions.
There are outdoor lighting equipment uses where the inside of wiring enclosures get damp from condensation buildups. Wipe off any moisture with a soft cloth to help prevent this. Remove outdoor cord and rope mold and mildew growth.
Protect outdoor power cords from heat and sunlight as much as possible. This includes direct sunlight and heat vents in buildings with outside wall outlets near outdoor lighting equipment. These things cause outdoor power cables to wear out quickly! You should also keep cords clean by removing dirt and grime before it builds up.
Remove Fallen Leaves
Remove outdoor lighting equipment that has fallen leaves or debris on them. You can prevent excessive rusting and corrosion this way. You want outdoor lighting fixtures to remain in good condition for use. This is until you replace them with new outdoor lights.
Winter means that the fallen leaves from their branches have snow. The colors on these trees from fall make for hours of entertainment! Children collect them in piles or run through fields filled with vibrant hues. But work on them when it comes time to clean up after yourself. This is especially when you have an expansive lawn.
Leaf removal is an important part of outdoor lighting winter maintenance tips. You may find yourself with a messy lawn and piles upon dirty leaves around your home or business without it. There are many benefits to hiring professionals who can do this task quickly! No disrupting daily routines during these busy holiday seasons.
Cut Back Plant Growth
Cut outdoor lighting plant growth back to about 4 inches or 10 cm high. This can help the lights appear in the dark and provide better safety. Keeping equipment free of undergrowth is an important outdoor maintenance tip.
You can consider adding annuals and fertilizers in between outdoor lighting fixtures. Keep bushes and plants away from them. Make sure not to put these next to your home! But off in a safe place where they cannot trip anyone up.
Trim back any hedges near outdoor lighting sources regularly. These shrubs look beautiful, but you need to maintain them. So they do not block visibility when it comes time for use at nighttime.
This outdoor maintenance tip is especially important around holiday lights. These are popular fixtures worldwide now for any outdoor occasion. But they can become dangerous when not cared for with regular outdoor lighting winter maintenance tips!
Consider an Upgrade
Look into outdoor lighting fixtures that are more useful in the winter. This includes lights for Christmas, ice skating rinks, holiday decorations, and more. You can also use these lights to brighten up your home during the night!
You should consider changing outdoor lighting equipment when it gets old or begins to fail you often. It may become time to replace them with newer fixtures that will provide years of safety and illumination in this cold environment.
There are many outdoor lighting winter maintenance tips that people overlook because it is too cold out there! But these actions help you improve the condition of your outdoor equipment each year. Find ways to keep them safe and well-lit. So you do not have any issues at nightfall when using them.
Optimize for Winter Lighting
Use optimized outdoor lighting equipment for these harsh winter conditions. This includes LED, low-voltage, and more. These are some of the best fixtures available today!
They require less maintenance over time because there are no open flames or filaments inside them. You should also consider using them around your home to light up the outdoors more efficiently. Always look into fixtures that also have anti-freeze technology. This outdoor lighting winter maintenance tip makes equipment safer during subzero temperatures.
Outdoor winter lighting is a great way to create an environment that you can enjoy! Put outside your home or on the exterior walls for added safety and security. This is in case there are power outages. It also catches everyone’s eye in lighting up any outdoor space!
Should outdoor lights be taken down in winter?
No, outdoor lighting can stay in winter. A couple of reasons behind this is because fixtures may become damaged during the cold winter months. Holiday lights may need to remain on longer into the start of spring.
Maintenance Tips for Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting may start to fail you during these harsh winter months. Remember that there are maintenance tips that can help at any time. Here are some additional ones:
- Keep outdoor lighting equipment above freezing point when possible.
- Use anti-freeze technology when needed around outdoor light bulbs and other fixtures.
- Change outdoor holiday lights regularly so they remain effective throughout the year. This outdoor lighting winter maintenance tip helps you stay safe when their power fails.
How do you weatherproof an outdoor light?
A good weatherproofing tip is to use silicone caulk. This is an outdoor lighting winter maintenance tip that most people do not think about. You must apply this around the outdoor light fixture with a caulking gun. Then it will run into all of the cracks and holes of landscape lights. Make sure you cover every gap with this outdoor lighting winter maintenance tip.
It can help keep your outdoor equipment in good condition throughout the year! You should also consider making upgrades to LED, low-voltage, or other appropriate outdoor lighting during these cold months. It keeps them safe and running efficiently no matter what the weather is.
What outdoor lighting is good for the winter?
Winter outdoor lighting includes items that are low-voltage or LED. They require minimal equipment maintenance. This makes them among the best fixtures available today!
Why do outdoor lights need maintenance?
Fixtures need outdoor lighting winter maintenance tips because of their exposure to weather elements all year. This includes rain, sleet, snow, ice, and more.
You also have to spend some time checking outdoor lights now and then. Check them for broken or faulty circuits or individual bulbs. It helps you stay safe using these lights throughout the year.
Common Outdoor Lighting Problems
The most common outdoor lighting problems include bulbs that burn out quickly during the winter months! This is due to unprotected exposure to weather conditions all year long. Electrical components can also fail when not used correctly in outdoor power cord circuitry. This means you should never use indoor extension cords outdoors.
Will snow damage Christmas lights?
Snow can damage outdoor Christmas lights! This is why it is an outdoor lighting winter maintenance tip to remove the decorations during the cold months. It keeps outdoor fixtures in good working order. You also want to protect holiday decorations from bad weather. So you can still enjoy them later on!
Other outdoor lighting winter maintenance tips include looking for broken or faulty lighting. These are even more difficult to see when there is snow on the ground. So keep them in good working order throughout the year.
When it comes to the weather, no one wants a light display. This is while raining or snowing and even when there is some other kind of precipitation falling. Water will always be an enemy for Christmas lights displays! Electricity can cause problems when immersed in liquid form due to being conductive.
Importance of Well Maintained Winter Lighting Landscape
You can use outdoor lighting fixtures throughout the year. Keep them in good working order with winter maintenance tips. Replace them now and then. But this is because of wear and tear after time passes.
Winter outdoor lights should also include holiday displays. They also need outdoor lights winter maintenance tips. This is especially for Christmas light display pieces, like LED lights or low-voltage lighting.
You may not want to consider it during the holidays. But outdoor lighting problems happen every day of the week. This is all 365 days a year with no exceptions. Check your landscape lights regularly, just like you do your car tires or oil change at home. That way outdoor lighting winter maintenance tips are much simpler!
All of these tips guarantee better maintenance of your outdoor winter lighting! Follow the effective ones that keep them functioning well for many years.
