A pair of good quality street lights can set you back by as much as $400, which may be worth it if they deter intruders, and give you peace of mind while not contributing to your electricity bill at all, and equally important – they last!
Well, what if they stop working, say in under a 1 week, 6 months of installation (and are no longer on warranty)?
What do you do?
Read on to learn about what checks I would do and how you may be able to get them working again.
But first, let’s look at why they may stop working in the first place.
Why Solar Street Lights May Stop Working
While in many cases, setting them up and getting them working can be straightforward, sometimes they stop working.
Here’s usually why this might be so:
1. The light may not be receiving enough sunlight. Therefore as the first step, confirm that the light is installed where it is receiving.
Has there been a change in weather and it is now overcast for most of the day?
Are there any obstacles blocking the solar panels?
Inspect the solar panel and make sure it is receiving enough sunlight. If the light is still not working, proceed to inspect it closely.
2. It could also be a manufacturer defect – lights may not be properly sealed letting in moisture, water, and ants and failing after the damage to the internal circuits.
There’s usually nothing you can do as there are no user-serviceable parts. Contact the seller though.
If the seller does now own up then there’s nothing you can do except look for a better quality product.
Another possible reason why they may fail is if:
3. Failing or used battery that does not last as long as expected. Confirm thought that the light receives at least 5-6 hours of sunshine and if not consider changing the lighting mode to one that conserves energy.
Depending on the design of the light you may be able to select:
- 100% brightness on detecting motion to 30% brightness thereafter
- 100% brightness on detecting motion to 0% brightness thereafter, or
- other energy-saving modes that use up less battery power if the street light solar panel is not receiving enough light.
What to Do | Tips to Fix Solar Street Lights
In some cases, you may be able to save yourself the stress and time of following up with the seller and following up on replacements up front by investing in several hours of user reviews on the solar product you plan to buy.
You may be able to notice patterns from other users sharing that light stopped working after 1 week, or 3 months… or that mounts are fragile.
By all means, keep away from such a product!
Beyond this, make sure the solar street light is installed where the solar panel receives at least 5 hours of sunshine.
Closing Thoughts
If the solar street light stops working, confirm that it is receiving enough light. Beyond this, you may need to inspect it for physical damage.
Do not rule out a failing battery too.
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