Let’s face it; in our experience, most homeowners and business owners who have outdoor lighting love outdoor lighting. This includes clients that have watched their systems degrade over time. If your system includes fixtures or wiring made from materials that are lower quality or react negatively to the environment they are more likely to “age” prematurely and begin to malfunction. This can include singular light failures or a malfunction of your entire system Degradation of an outdoor lighting system can occur as a result of many factors including the sun, salt air, and fixtures that are no longer water tight.
One of our most recent installations serves as the perfect example of a tired system that contains fixtures that no longer have a “bulb opportunity” for retrofit. In these cases, we recommend to the client they move ahead and upgrade their existing fixtures to higher-quality fixtures that will provide the light longevity they crave.
Take a peek at the condition of this clients existing fixtures we are in the process of upgrading to our high-quality, solid construction fixtures:
Inferior quality fixtures can experience many problems throughout their lifetimes – faulty wiring, bulbs that burn out quickly, and corrosion. In our area, corrosion is a fact of life. Near the bay, our salt air causes corrosion to occur more quickly that is does in piedmont or mountain areas. You’ve probably seen corrosion even if you didn’t recognize it as such. That white crust that coats metal left outdoors is corrosion, though sometimes corroded areas can take on other colors as well. Corrosion leaves a hard deposit in its wake and is caused by a chemical reaction between metal and elements in the air.
So what does corrosion do to outdoor lighting fixtures? Other than degrading the fixtures’ appearance, it can make them exceedingly difficult to maintain. Suppose you have fixtures without drainage holes, and as rainwater and debris sit on the lens, a calcium deposit builds up. The lens cover needs to be cleaned in order to restore its crystal clear appearance. Or perhaps you need to change a bulb. With such a corroded fixture, the screws often become completely locked and are impossible to remove. This prevents maintenance that could extend the life of the fixture.
Outdoor Lighting Perspectives copper deck light — quality you can see and feel!
Upon an inspection, if we are able to remove lens covers without damaging your fixtures, we are happy to help you maintain and restore your lights. But while such fixtures may look good out of the box, it does not take long for their finish to chip. Then as salt moves in, they peel, corrode, and degrade. The best way to beat corrosion is to choose outdoor lighting fixtures that will not corrode in the first place. Fixtures from Outdoor Lighting Perspectives will not corrode. Our fixtures are made of high quality copper, which has long been used on marine vessels and products because of its corrosion resistance, our well lights are made of heavy PVC and are designed to be partially buried. Though you may have to make more of an upfront investment, you will not have to replace our fixtures like you would lesser-quality lights. Over time, you will get return on that investment.
Along with designing and installing new outdoor lighting systems, upgrading old or failing systems is part of our expertise here at Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Clearwater & Tampa Bay! We can inspect your system thoroughly to determine whether or not it can be upgraded to a higher quality low voltage system or even an LED system utilizing a portion the existing infrastructure. Up until recently in order to switch a system to LED required a homeowner to purchase all new light fixtures. Luckily that is no longer the case. If the fixtures are of good quality, they can easily be retrofitted to LED with new bulbs. When we come to retrofit a system, we will be sure to check the condition of not only your fixtures, but also your wire and transformer, leaving you with what feels like a brand new system.
Do you have a tired or failing outdoor lighting system that is not providing the illumination you want? Contact Outdoor Lighting Perspectives of Clearwater and Tampa Bay to schedule an inspection of your existing system today at 727-785-6000 or 813-237-0340 email:olpclearwater@outdoorlights.com.
