How to Prepare Your Landscape Lighting for Winter

As winter approaches, homeowners across the country are getting their homes and property ready for cold-weather conditions and wintertime storms. Inspect the roof? Check. Winterize the sprinkler system? Check. Prepare outdoor lighting? You’ll want to hold off on checking this off your list until you’ve taken in the information below. Because your lights are connected to electricity, it’s extremely important that you clean and inspect outdoor lighting before winter gets here.

Make sure all your outdoor lights are ready to take on winter conditions! Here’s how to prepare landscape lighting in North Scottsdale, AZ:

• Clean fixtures: It’s a good idea to clean landscape lighting fixtures before winter storms hit. First, turn off the power to outdoor lighting. Clean fixtures as best you can using a gentle cleaning solution—especially the glass or plastic casings—so lightbulbs can shine bright. Wipe away built-up debris like dirt, dust, leaves and cobwebs. Look for bugs and check for nests inside fixtures.
• Check and tighten: Take a walk around your exterior during the daytime. Remove light covers, inspect bulb sockets, wiring and other components for issues, and check the condition of all outdoor electrical outlet covers. On hardwired outdoor lighting fixtures, look for damaged or frayed wiring and tighten accessible electrical connections.
• Inspect at night: The pros also suggest conducting a nighttime inspection of your outdoor lighting. Because winter brings shorter days, which means less daylight, make sure your lighting functions and looks how you want it to in the darker evening hours.
• Replace lightbulbs: Lightbulbs have a limited lifespan, and their ability to shine can be affected by outdoor elements. This winter, test all landscape lighting fixtures at least once to check for damage or bulbs that have burned out. Replace any lightbulbs that have failed or are flickering. Also, consider switching to LED lightbulbs. LED bulbs can last a decade or more, are energy-efficient and are not negatively affected by the cold.
• Store certain lighting fixtures: Not all outdoor lighting fixtures are built to tough out the winter cold. If you have functional or decorative landscape lighting fixtures—like an outdoor hanging fan with lights or a chandelier—pay a bit more attention to them. Their unique design and features make them more vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, so you might want to carefully remove any delicate fixtures and store them safely inside until winter passes. If an outdoor lighting fixture cannot be removed, turn the power off and place a cover over it for protection.
• Adjust timers: Landscape lighting with timers should be adjusted to account for winter’s darkness. It will get darker earlier in the winter, which means you will need to use your lights earlier. For example, outdoor light timers set to turn on at 6 p.m. during the fall months should be adjusted to come on an hour earlier instead. This ensures the paths leading up to your house will be on when you arrive home.

If any outdoor landscape lighting on your North Scottsdale, AZ property needs an inspection or repairs, contact Eavenson Electric Co. Call us today to schedule an appointment!

Categorised in: Landscape Lighting

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