As with anything, an occasional cleaning will ensure a longer, higher-quality performance. Periodically, remove dirt, leaves and other debris, which tend to collect around the fixtures. Pay attention to inground fixtures and fixtures in low-lying areas. When tackling the cleaning of fixtures, consider moving them to create a different look. Cleaning the fixture’s lens with a substance such as CLR or Comet will eliminate the milky film of mineral build up that causes the lamps to not look as bright. Different lamps have different life expectancies. This means someone will need to replace lamps in the fixtures occasionally. Always apply a corrosion preventive compound when changing lamps to avoid socket corrosion.
When installing lamps, dip the lamp bases into corrosion preventive compound (MA4) or spray sockets with silicone to help prevent oxidation between the lamp and its socket. Repeating this application once a year also provides a better connection between the lamp and socket. Also remember to seal or tape exposed wire to slow oxidation of the copper. Use mastic, caulking or tape – whichever is appropriate in your situation.
Since you are working with living and growing things, you will need to prune periodically to keep the fixtures from disappearing into an overgrowth of shrubbery. Don’t forget to reposition fixtures, especially in trees to cover any bright spots.
Some environmental conditions require special consideration when choosing your system’s fixtures. Such environments include:
For these environments we strongly recommend you consider non-metallic (composite) or solid copper or brass fixtures. These fixtures are designed to hold up to the test of harsh environments. You may want to select inground fixtures with composite housings.
If there is even the slightest possibility that you will want to install additional fixtures later, it is wise to choose a transformer that will allow for the extra wattage. Remember, we recommend you initially use between 70% and 80% of the power console capacity. This will save some power for additional fixtures.
The environment is ever-changing, so landscape lighting does require periodic maintenance. Check on your uplight bullets that they have not moved past a 90° angle to avoid water pooling in the back of the shield and leaking through inside. We also sell replacement sockets for most fixtures – these are easy to install and may be required several years down the road. With LED lamps, the temperature inside the fixtures do not get nearly as hot as with halogen lamps, but there still is an added stress on the sockets getting hot then cold then hot then cold every night.
We stock only the best manufacturers of outdoor lighting.Here is a list of just some of the manufacturers we distribute and stock:
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