\t\t\t\tNew clients are not always starting from a scratch. Quite a few explain they\u2019ve got outdoor lighting systems already in place. They\u2019re not satisfied with the performance of the system, or perhaps with its general condition. Long-time owners of a property realize one day that the place just doesn\u2019t look as great at night as it once did. Recent buyers often discover that there are more non-functioning fixtures than they\u2019d noted inspecting the property before purchase. Some discover wiring poking out of the ground. \u00a0In some cases, the system just plain doesn\u2019t work \u2013 at all. \u00a0The discussion with these customers quickly gets to the point. Outdoor lighting: repair or replace?<\/p>\n
Sometimes the question answers itself. If a system is 25 years old, for example, and the homeowner wants modern low-voltage LED equipment<\/a>. That means replacement. More often, however, the next step is a site visit and an inspection.<\/p>\n The transformer is the heart of an outdoor lighting system. Every last bulb in the installation connects to it, directly or indirectly. \u00a0It\u2019s generally the single most costly component, too. There are two basic types of transformer, electronic and magnetic<\/a>. Electronic transformers are less costly than magnetic. They’re lighter and more compact. However, their useful life is short, only 5-6 years. Electronic transformers are much better for indoor use. Magnetic transformers, in contrast, have longer lifetimes, 15-20 years on average.<\/p>\n Over time, the connections in a transformer loosen up. When contact is broken the lights on that wire won\u2019t work. Moreover, loose or dropped connections can arc. That is, sparks can jump from terminal to wire. This can melt insulation and it’s a fire hazard. In the best cases, tightening up the connections in a transformer can keep it in service. Sometimes, however, the wear cries out for replacement.<\/p>\n Bad connections are the most common reason for \u201cdead\u2019 lights in new client systems we inspect. The causes include corrosion in the connection hardware and wires cut by landscaping work. Testing with a multimeter can locate broken circuits without digging wires up. This provides a basis for estimating how much work it\u2019ll take to repair the connections.<\/p>\n Finally, a survey of the fixtures and bulbs completes the accounting for a repair-or-replace decision.\u00a0 We can often restore brass and copper fixtures.\u00a0 Lower-quality plastic and aluminum fixtures aren\u2019t made for long life. They\u2019re made for low price. After a few years, the elements beat them up to the point where they\u2019re no longer sheltering the bulbs inside them. Time to go.<\/p>\n An experienced Houston area outdoor lighting contractor<\/a> can thus provide good estimates of the costs of outdoor lighting repair and replacement. Unless a large magnetic transformer needs replacing, labor costs are likely to be the significant factor. We\u2019ll be candid about costs and about the repaired system\u2019s prospects going forward. Our maintenance program<\/a> is a good way to keep a system in the best shape it can be in. And if, all things considered, the numbers and the opportunity for upgrade say \u201cReplace\u201d \u2013 that\u2019s where we truly shine.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New clients are not always starting from a scratch. Quite a few explain they\u2019ve got outdoor lighting systems already in place. They\u2019re not satisfied with the performance of the system, or perhaps with its general condition. Long-time owners of a property realize one day that the place just doesn\u2019t look as great at night as…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,35,20,10],"tags":[58,59],"class_list":["post-1307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-landscapes-lighting","category-led","category-outdoor-lighting","category-residential-lighting","tag-repair-lighting","tag-replace-lighting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/houstonlightscapes.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/houstonlightscapes.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/houstonlightscapes.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonlightscapes.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonlightscapes.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/houstonlightscapes.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1307\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonlightscapes.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/houstonlightscapes.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonlightscapes.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/houstonlightscapes.com\/resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}TRANSFORMER<\/h3>\n
WIRING AND CONNECTIONS<\/h3>\n
FIXTURES<\/h3>\n
OUTDOOR LIGHTING:REPAIR OR REPLACE?<\/h3>\n