I am looking after my friends landscape. I never see the lights turn on now? Do I need to replace the batteries or do I need a new set of Solar lights? Are solar lights connected to an electric outlet? Where do I buy a solar battery charger ( hardware stroe, Walmart, Target?)? The top of the solar panel look dirty and old. Does it look like I need to replace the solar lights for them?
More Pages:
- Solar Products: Replace NiCd Batteries With NiMH In Solar Garden Lights? (12/18/2011)
- Solar Lights: Outdoor Solar Lights Are Not Working? (5/3/2011)
- Solar Products: Battery Operated Solar Lights Not Working? (12/1/2011)
- Solar Lights: Can I / Should I Buy A Large Solar Panel To Put Somewhere In My Garden, To Power The Garden Lights? (12/14/2011)
- solar powering electrical garden string lights – how to?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Most likely batteries but they are prone to water ingress so take them apart to look for any corrosion on the terminals/wiring etc.Solar panels need to be clean to get good results from charging. If you have a charger for nicads its worth trying a charge to see if lights are working themselves.
Solar lights are solar powered–no electricity. If the lights are old it may be cheaper to just replace them but that’s your friends responsibility not yours. It may also be that they are too shaded or it was too cloudy so they are not coming on. The batteries can be replaced too. I say leave them alone and let your friend take care of it when they come home. Garden lights are purely decorative not a necessity.
The batteries should recharge in the light as they are recharged from the small solar panel on top. You could try cleaning the window above the solar panel and if the battery still doesn’t charge it is time for new batteries. After pricing replacement NiCd batteries it is definitely tempting to just replace the lights. No solar lights don’t plug in, that’s why they are popular – no wiring to them. But the batteries only last a couple of years. Make sure they are all in direct sunlight a good portion of the day to get a good charge.
The solar panel should be clean.
There should not be a connection to a outlet.
The lights usually have a photocell that won’t allow the lights to stay on if there is other ambient lighting.
If there are wires in the fixture going into the ground, are you sure they are solar and not low-voltage?
The light (if solar L.E.D.) won’t usually go bad. They should last 10 times longer than a regular bulb, but the batteries can.
Take one fixture apart. You should see a battery compartment that holds either AA or AAA batteries.
Match the rechargeable batteries in one of the fixtures and see if it fixes it.
If so, then you might have found the problem with the others.
Note…Rechargeable batteries are somewhat charged out of the package. Install and cover the small round photocell (give it a minuit) and it should work.
Make sure they have not been vandalized during your watch.
-You’d better ask your Friend who owns the Place. His solar lights not Working may not have ANYTHING to Do- with You.