Especially as we approach the Christmas season, your landscape lights and outdoor lighting system can highlight your landscape design and make it more beautiful, even if it’s covered in a blanket of snow.
That is, it can if you practice good outdoor lighting maintenance. Looking at it in a more practical way, outdoor lighting fixtures can’t do anything for your home if they are covered in snow.
4 Tips for Outdoor Lighting Maintenance in Winter
In addition to lighting up your home, making it safer and helping you celebrate the season, your outdoor lighting may be one of the only “bright” spots of the cold, dark days of winter. So here’s how to keep them shining on.
- Keep Them Clean – Winter throws so much at your lighting fixtures. In addition to dealing with snow and ice, milder days can mean rain and mud. They can all combine to cake the lenses of the lights and reduce their brightness.
- Replace Burned-Out Bulbs – This one not only keeps your landscape lighting looking its best, but it can save you some money. A burned-out bulb still drains some electricity, and it can cause electricity overloads on the remaining bulbs. Replace bulbs as soon as you can after they burn out.
- Use Energy-Efficient Bulbs – This is another money saver. Considering that it’s dark so early in the evening, your landscape lighting can be on for twice as long as it is in the summer. Energy-efficient bulbs not only reduce energy use, but they tend to last longer too.
- Keep an Eye on Electrical Connections – Especially if you add Christmas lights to your existing landscape lighting, keep an eye on wires and connections. Look for exposed ground wires around your professionally installed lighting; use only outdoor-rated cords and fixtures for any lighting you add; make sure all connections are secure and not submerged in water, and look for exposed wiring.
One of the best ways to keep your landscape lighting shining brightly is to have it installed by a reputable landscaping service.
You can learn more about landscape lighting, check out our article “Landscape Design Lighting Ideas To Transform Your House”.
