A properly installed lighting system can provide you with years of enjoyment free of problems.
Before You Dig
Keep in mind that where there are fixtures, there is buried wire. Before you dig, it may be best to pull up the wires in the area to prevent damage and bury again once you have completed digging. You can pull them up by pulling up the fixture. The wire should come right up with it. Be gentle, use caution, and do it slowly. We have even witnessed customers digging up weeds in their beds and causing multiple locations of damage to the wiring. Wiring repair can be difficult and costly. Any damage caused to the wiring from digging is not covered under warranty and will be subject to a minimum $125 repair fee. If you have questions before digging, please call us!
Brass and Copper Fixtures
At the time of installation, your fixtures will have a clean factory finish. Over time, brass and copper fixtures will develop a beautiful patina. This aging process occurs naturally as oxides or carbonates form on the surface during exposure to the elements. The patina adds both beauty and character to your fixtures and helps them to blend into your landscape.
Maintaining Your Lighting System
Lighting systems require relatively low maintenance. They come on and turn off as scheduled. Below are some tips to continue enjoying your lighting system.
Clean the glass lense on the fixture at least once each year.
If your transformer is equipped with a photocell, make sure that is does not get covered, as this will turn on your lighting system. Make sure that light does not shine on the photocell at night. This will cause your lighting system to not turn on.
If your transformer has a mechanical timer, you will need to adjust the on/off times a few times each year as the sunrise/sunset times change. It’s best to schedule them to come on a few minutes before sunset and to turn off a few minutes after sunrise. You can also program them to come on at dusk and turn off at midnight if you want to reduce usage. If you want them to come back on in the early morning you could set them to come on again and go off at an additional time (example: They come on at 7pm and go off at midnight. They come back on again at 5am before you go to work and turn off at 7:30am).
If your system has an astronomical digital timer, you can typically set these once and they will automatically adjust as the seasons change.
Check to make sure plants are not growing up and covering your lighting system a few times each year. Cut back any growth that will block light emission or any growth touching the fixture.
Keep the fixtures clear of leaves pine straw and mulch. The heat created around fixture can cause a mulch and pine straw to set fire. Halogen bulbs are the real danger. LEDs are much less of a hazard, but it’s best to be cautious.
Make sure sprinkler heads do not spray directly into the fixture. This can cause water damage.
As plant material around the fixtures matures, it may be necessary to move fixtures. They can easily be relocated. Often, a few feet of extra wire is buried next to the fixture to make relocation as painless as possible.
Check for damaged wiring or fixtures.
Adjust fixtures that have come out of adjustment.
Common Problems and Easy Fixes
If your lighting system does not come on at light, check to make sure the transformer is still plugged in. Check to make sure the GFCI outlet has not tripped and reset if it has. Check to make sure the outlet has power.