Troubleshooting Your Landscape Lighting System

Outdoor Lighting is what we do...and troubleshooting a system is fun for me! I enjoy the challenge and get a great deal of satisfaction in helping homeowners restore their systems. But if you are up for the challenge in getting your system back in optimal working condition you will want to organize yourself for efficiency.

Everyone will have their own way of organizing but this is how I like to operate:

-Start at the power source - the transformer. Turn it on manually (override the timer/photocell)
-Check the connections to be sure they are secure
-Walk each fixture and note if it is working, visibly damaged or not on at all.
-Go back to the non-working fixture and test for power (you will need a tester to do this)
-If you have power (between 9.8 - 11volts) you have discovered a burned out light bulb
-If you have no power there is a chance of a loose connection, bad connection (connector) or possible cut wire.
-If your voltage is over 12volts, you have too much power.

In the case of a cut wire you will likely have to trace back but the key to keeping organized is to make the small changes as you go. Replace light bulbs and make corrections at the connectors before you pull up wire. When fixtures are wired "in a row" you may discover the loose connection is the problem and not necessarily a cut wire at all. This simple tip will save you time and labor.

Or, call Outdoor Lighting Perspectives and we'll do the work for you.

Thanks for visiting...LaGina