It always happens gradually and never all at once. Sometimes you’ll notice in the morning as you leave for work. Other times it’ll be at night, perhaps as you take the bins out or return home from your day. By this time of year, we know it’s here and we can see it and feel it all around us. Winter has arrived and when it does, it’s not just us it effects, it’s quite often our outdoor lighting too. Those are the months when they’re highly vulnerable and when they need to be taken care of most. Below are some essential tips for how to maintain outdoor lights throughout winter.
Make Sure to Clean Outdoor Lighting Lenses
A whole host of problems including moisture, dirt and debris can dim your outdoor lights or even block out the light completely. You may have to get your hands dirty to keep them shining brightest but it’s totally worth it. You can use glass cleaner and you’ll probably need a soft brush to scrub off any dirty first. We’d also recommend using a little bit of elbow-grease too!
Look for Exposed Wires
Exposed wires can obviously be extremely dangerous and ones which aren’t buried particularly deep will often make their way to the surface. In Winter, following snowfall and rain, these wires can be dislodged further and have the potential to be very hazardous to anyone pottering around in the garden. It’s important to make sure all wires are safely underground and to re-bury any stray wires seen on the ground’s surface. The best times to check will be following a storm, heavy rainfall or snow.
Check Bulbs
Bulbs can be susceptible to extreme temperature changes and can often result in a shortened lifespan. Therefore, it’s important to check your bulbs are working properly, replace them if need be or switching over to LED bulbs if you’re not doing so already. LED bulbs are more energy efficient and longer lasting than other alternatives.
Monitor Outdoor Lighting Fixtures & Fittings
As with bulbs, it’s important to routinely check your outdoor lighting fixtures and fittings all through the winter months. With harsher conditions including stronger winds, the potential for snow, hail and excessive rain, fixtures can often become dislodged, moved out of place or damaged. It’s worth checking them at least twice a month to see if anything needs re-fitting before contacting a professional installer to carry out any bigger job which may need doing.
Why it’s Important to Maintain Outdoor Lighting in Winter
Maintaining outdoor lighting in Winter not only keeps homes looking great during those longer, colder months, it also helps to make homes safer. Firstly, because a lighting system assists in preventing intruders and secondly because well-lit walkways and paths help residents and guests avoid dangerous slips and falls due to adverse weather systems.
Be sure to check out our past blog articles and future ones for more tips around outdoor lighting. And if you’re currently looking for outdoor lighting solutions, don’t hesitate to check out our full product range.