How to Repair Solar-Powered Yard Lights
- 1). Change the location or angle of the solar panel. Watch the daily sunlight pattern at the location where the solar lights are placed. Repairing your solar lights might be as simple as changing the angle of the solar panel or moving it slightly to the right or left. Optimal sun exposure may be enough to fix the lighting problem.
- 2). Wash the solar panel. Dirt, dust and debris on the solar panel can prevent the light from receiving the full effect of the sun. You can either hose it off with a garden hose or wipe it clean using a window cleaner and paper towels.
- 3). Clean the battery housing. Time, weather conditions and nature all contribute to creating a buildup of minerals, dirt and bugs on the battery housing. Open the case and wipe off all of the connectors to ensure nothing is preventing the battery from touching the positive and negative connectors needed to pass the solar charge to the lights.
- 4). Remove and replace the battery. Although solar charged batteries last for an extended period of time, they don't last forever.
- 5). Replace the light-dependent resistor (LDR). The LDR is the mechanism that senses the difference between night and day. Open the solar light housing to access and replace the LDR. Since each solar light is constructed differently, refer to the owner's manual on how to access and replace the LDR for your solar light model.
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