Solar-powered light can trap energy from the sun to convert it into electricity. Presently, it’s a new energy-efficient, eco-friendly, and safe lighting device needing no electricity and very less maintenance.
It can add extra lighting if it’s needed, like parks, gardens, streets, porches, and more, and highlight your favorite landscaping features. As we’re providing professional solar panel cleaning services in California, we’ve observed that the best outdoor solar lights generally last for several years of continuous operation due to their proper installation and maintenance. For receiving the optimum output from your outdoor solar lights, in this article, we present a few amazing tips for you to enhance their lifespan and maintain their exceptional performance.
During the installation of solar lights, the most important parameter to consider is placement. As far as solar path lights are concerned, each light should maintain a close distance along the walkway to guarantee the proper amount of light.
That makes it easy & safe to walk during the night. Additionally, you need to focus on whether the installation site of your lights will be a hindrance if people or cars pass by. So, they should be installed where they are visible. However, they shouldn’t get in the way.
Once the setup position is decided, you have to prepare the ground by watering it thoroughly. This will soften it up to make the light stakes effortlessly penetrate the soil.
If you hang your solar led lights in outdoor spaces, avoid installing them under trees, grasses, walls, or roofs.
They may shade the solar panels and reduce light output there. However, this appears to have a small impact on a few solar lights as they feature adjustable panels. Accordingly, you can adjust the panel tile angle for maximum solar energy. Our exposure in this field says that usually, in the US, the panels should face south and the tilt angle of the optimal panels is nearly 30 degrees in summer and 45 degrees in winter.
If you follow the above tips to install your solar light, then you have won half the battle. Still, you need to follow a few usage and maintenance tips to optimize the performance of the lights.
As nearly all solar lights are designed for outdoor use, it’s unavoidable for the light panels to avoid being covered with leaves, dust, bugs, and other dirt that may adversely affect the self-charging of the battery and reduce the battery life. That’s why regularly cleaning solar panels in California is extremely necessary for upkeeping the excellent performance of the lights. The three main parts that require maintenance are the batteries, the solar panel, and the plastic or glass cover.
It’s always advisable to keep the light under direct sunlight for a full charge of 6-8 hours before use. Then only it can last 8-10 hours lighting in the dark. Ideally, the rechargeable battery should be replaced every two years to maintain its optimum capacity, and even one year for the areas that witness extreme weather conditions.
Maximum outdoor solar lights may detect surrounding light levels and turn on and off automatically with a built-in light sensor. If the amount of light is inadequate, the light will be activated. That’s why don’t place your solar light near any lighted artificial light source. Else, you’ll compromise with its sensing feature.
Maintaining the cleanliness of your solar lights prolong their lifespan to ensure the proper functioning of each part and deliver the highest light output for your garden, front porch, walkway, etc. Let’s find out the ways to do so-
Similar to maximum LED bulbs that are protected with light fixtures, solar outdoor lights are made with transparent light covers to protect them from the external environment. Once it gets dirtier, the light they emit won’t be sufficiently bright. The cleaning method is almost similar to that of the solar panel.
The solar light panel is the primary medium to extract light from the sun and convert it into energy. Then it powers the led bulb or chip to light up any outdoor corners. Apply a dry cloth and warm soapy water for the careful wiping of the panel surface every 2-3 months. When any grime is left, pour a meager amount of mild detergent on the surface, like dish soap, scrub gently with a clean damp cloth, and finally dry it by applying a dry towel.
If your light doesn’t function properly but the panel is clean, the battery will possibly oxidize and corrode. The corroded battery must be removed in time. Else, it would permanently damage the outdoor solar light. So, after checking it is corroded, you need to apply a soft brush or fine-grit sandpaper to eliminate or apply a drop of vinegar to all the corroded spots. Finally, re-install the battery to use. However, if your solar light doesn’t function even after cleaning, you may have to replace it with a new one.
Conclusion
We hope that by religiously following the above-mentioned tips, you would get years of use out of your solar path lights, solar landscape lights, and other led solar lights you use outdoors. As a leading solar panel cleaning company in California, we would be more than happy to help you in every possible way.