Problems With Solar Lights
Solar lights are a power-saving way to illuminate yards, paths and outdoor spaces because they rely on the power of the sun to charge internal batteries, rather than on complicated electrical wiring that must be tied in to a home's power source. This means that a solar light can be placed almost anywhere, without having to worry about how it receives power. A number of potential problems arise with solar light installations that you should be aware of before you decide whether or not solar lights are right for you. Does this Spark an idea?
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Solar Lights Can Lose Charge
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One problem with solar lights is that the small batteries that power them develop a memory, or a reduced charging capacity over time. These batteries -- after numerous charge and discharge cycles -- eventually fail to charge at all, which means the solar lights no longer work at night. Solar batteries can be expensive or proprietary and hard to replace. This requires replacement of the entire unit when it no longer takes a charge.
Lack of Darkness
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Since these lights work on a light-sensitive on-off switch, if the location selected isn't dark enough at night -- for example, an area near a street light or floodlight that comes on at dusk -- the light might not work, as the sensor will still think that it is daytime, or not dark enough to set the illumination.
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Lack of Sun
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Since the lights charge by sunlight during the day, if you have a location that does not receive enough sunlight, the lights don't charge properly and either fail to light at dark, provide dim light or provide no light at all.
Solar Panels Can Die
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If the solar panel dies, gets obscured by dirt or encounters damage, the light cannot charge during the day, and as a result will not turn on at night. Damages happen in a variety of ways, such as when the sunlight causes the plastic protective coating over the solar cells to yellow, or quickly, when a stone thrown by a lawnmower hits the light and cracks the solar panel.
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