LIGHTING SYSTEMS THAT WE HAD TO REPAIR OR FIX
Posted on February 11, 2019 in Landscape Lighting, Outdoor Lighting
I don’t like having dissatisfied clients. So, I work hard to make sure that my approach leaves everyone pleased with the results. I’m big on quality control and I work hard to perfect our process so we can eliminate failures in the field. If I don’t think something is right for my customer, I’ll let them know. I won’t compromise quality and their overall satisfaction just to make a sale.
When it comes to outdoor lighting fixtures,I know what will and won’t fail down the road. You may not think that you need your lighting fixtures to hold up for 10 to 20 or more years and perhaps you’d be right. But I bet that you’d like them to hold up for more than 3 to 5 years. I am always amazed when we are called out to service a lighting system we didn’t install that is failing in under 3 years or less.
Recently I received a phone call from a potential client who explained that the lighting system her landscape contractor installed 3 years earlier was having problems. Her contractor added the lighting system into the landscape they built for her. She claimed that “They are really good landscape lighting fixtures”, and yet she couldn’t “figure out why they keep breaking”. Out of curiosity, I asked why she hadn’t called the original installers about the issues she was experiencing with the system they installed. She explained that she had, but that they weren’t returning her calls. I get calls all the time from someone who had their landscaper or hardscaper or even pond guy install their lighting that has failed in a short time and they did not offer any kind of warranty and are not returning phone calls. Seems everyone thinks they can install a professional landscape lighting system.
I’m sure you are starting to get the picture: seemingly good fixtures, and actual high quality fixtures, are two very different things. Even when they seem to be “really good lighting fixtures”, the tendency for low quality fixtures to fail is high enough that I refuse to even offer low quality fixtures to my clients. To better understand what can constitute a poor fixture, and why you may want to be careful when selecting a professional landscape lighting designer, let us understand a few key guidelines.
LED LAMPS
LED’s are here to stay.
They aren’t going anywhere for quite some time. LED’s have truly changed the way we see and are doing things in our daily lives. With greatly improved energy efficiencies, longevity and quality of light there is no reason that LED shouldn’t be the lamp in your landscape lighting fixtures.
However, as great as LED lamps are, they do have a few setbacks. Because they are technically electronic devices they have a couple of rules that must be followed to ensure there long lamp life of up to 50,000 hours.
The biggest thing to understand is that Moisture and Heat are not friendly to LED lamps. Your landscape lighting system must be built and designed to protect and warrant the use of LED products in today’s landscape. NC’s outdoors can be very harsh. Wind, rain, snow, freezing, thawing, irrigation, lawn and garden equipment will be threatening your lighting system throughout the year. We make sure that the fixtures can protect your LED lamps from damage.
OUTDOOR LIGHT FIXTURES
I am amazed when I hear that there are some tradesmen who will actually hand a client a manufacturers catalog and ask them to pick out some fixtures and let them know where to place them around their landscape.
This is a completely unacceptable practice. Who better to know which products will, not only create the desired effect but also have the ability to withstand the elements that will test them over years to come, than an experienced outdoor lighting professional? We will never use an untested product, no matter how pretty or convenient it might appear to be.
Your landscape lighting fixture must be built to keep the LED lamps inside of them dry and protected at all times. A good rule is to only use fixtures that are built and designed with the ability to dissipate heat. Failing to use a fixture that can do this will assure that your LED lamp will fail or fall short of its intended lamp life.
All products that we use and install in our professionally designed lighting systems must also be serviceable. No product is perfect, should a failure occur your installation company should always be able to respond with the appropriate repair in a timely manner. Warranties must be clearly understood and honored.
CONNECTIONS
What goes on with connections is just as important. As previously mentioned, the outdoor environment can be brutal. Improper wire connections, such as big box store piercing connectors should NEVER be used. This is the number one fail point of any outdoor lighting system. Properly tightened connectors are the only acceptable wire connection.
WARRANTIES
Get them in writing! Your landscape lighting warranty should be Ironclad and in writing. It should be clear and concise as to what is and what isn’t covered. Lighting fixtures and transformers should have a great manufacturer warranty.
In Conclusion, it’s important to look for a Professional landscape lighting designer and installer who knows which fixtures, connections and lamps will work best for your lighting system. This doesn’t mean that they simply give you assurances that everything will work fine; get it in writing. A written warranty explaining clearly what will be covered is what you should expect. Hiring a contractor who offers anything less than this and you might have to deal with them not returning your calls in 6 months years when the poorly installed system starts to fail. Remember, trusting in an experienced professional is always the best option.
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