How to Troubleshoot Solar Lights

Outdoor yard solar lights have become a perfect accent for pathway lighting in the past few years. These economical LED lights can illuminate any paths that have access to full sun during the day. Over time, the outdoor elements can cause these small solar lights to malfunction, and a periodic maintenance should be performed to keep them operating to the full potential of the solar cells and battery. By following a basic process, you can troubleshoot these lights in a matter of minutes.

Things You'll Need

• Small Phillips-head screwdriver
• Pencil eraser
• Small brush
• Voltmeter
• 2 alligator clip leads

Instructions

1. Remove the solar light to a workbench area or at a height where it is comfortable to work from. You will be removing some small screws, and you will not want to loose them.

2. Twist off the top cap of the solar light that contains the photovoltaic cell, LED light and battery. Use the small Phillips-head screwdriver to remove the plastic cover that hides the battery and small circuit board.

3. Inspect the circuit board and battery container for any signs of "green" or "white" corrosion. This is an indication of moisture that has seeped into the circuit area of the light. This is the main cause of solar lights that will not function when the sun goes down and the LED should be on.

4. Use the pencil eraser to gently rub the corroded areas of the battery connector and solar circuit board. Then use the small brush to remove the rubber and corrosion debris.
   You will have to remove the battery first before cleaning the battery connectors. The ends of the battery should also be cleaned with the rubber tip of the eraser.

5. Use the voltmeter to test the output of the solar voltaic cell. Attach the alligator clip leads to the red and black leads from the voltmeter. Turn the voltmeter on to the "DC" (direct current) position for reading volts. Attach the red lead from the voltmeter to the + (positive) side of the battery connector and the black lead of the voltmeter to the -- (negative) side of the connector.

6. Hold the photocell in direct sunlight, and read the voltmeter. A properly outputting cell should read in area of 2.3 volts. If the cell reads fewer than 1.5 volts, the solar cell is bad and should be replaced.

7. Place the battery back into the solar light, and hold your hand over the top of the photocell. The light should come on. If not, check the voltage of the battery in the same manner as in Step 5. If the voltage of the battery is less than 1.0 volts, then the battery is bad.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use any type of circuit board spray cleaner for cleaning the solar light components, as the liquid may permanently damage the photo voltaic cells. Components in all outdoor solar lights are 100 percent recyclable.