Handymen and high end landscape lighting don’t mix

Handymen and high end landscape lighting don’t mix

By Mike Gambino,

be awareThis is not meant to be a slight to handymen. They provide a very important service to their clients when a specialist is not needed.

Some may think their handymen could handle changing a few light bulbs in their outdoor lighting system. What could go wrong its easy right? I am here to tell you that its not worth it to take a chance that the job is not going to be done properly.

Recently we have found out first hand the improper job that could be done on our Gambino landscape lighting systems first hand.

First of all there is much more to a landscape lighting service than just changing burned out bulbs. What is required goes far beyond that. Not following recommended service intervals will cost you sooner rather than later.

When I was a kid I can remember commercials that General motors used to run on TV with the GM Goodwrench mechanic claiming “You can pay me a little now or you can pay me a lot later.” That was good advice then and its good advice now.

Would you bring an expensive sports or luxury car to just anyone who will not have the proper tools, parts and know how to properly service it even if it meant saving a few bucks? Of course not because you know the long term effects that such an unauthorized service on your car will be. It certainly will not perform the same, can void original warranty and will ultimately end up costing you a lot more.

The same is true with your high end landscape lighting system especially a Gambino landscape lighting system.

So what can go wrong ?

1- Incorrect light bulbs get installed- The light bulb also known as lamp is the element that creates the light and is responsible for the beauty or lack thereof that we see. Color, brightness, longevity are different and vary widely among manufacturers. We only install ultra premium light sources in all of our fixtures and they are not the cheap variety available in your local home improvement store. Incorrect bulbs with wider pins can damage socket which must be replaced. Installing a higher wattage lamp then what was originally installed and designed for will affect system performance, potentially put additional stress on the fixture and system itself and can lead to overloads and system shut down.

Lights bulbs like this may be cheaper to buy at the home improvement store but don't last and perform and ones with blunt pins damage light sockets

Lights bulbs like this may be cheaper to buy at the home improvement store but don’t last and perform and ones like the bulb in the foreground, with blunt pins, stretch and damage light sockets

2-Parts are not put back on properly- This can lead to water intrusion , lost sockets and lamps.

This Gambino Toscano shroud was not properly put back on and leaves the fixture open to water intrusion, insects and a whole lot of nasty

This Gambino Toscano shroud was not properly put back on and leaves the fixture open to water intrusion, insects and a whole lot of nasty

3- Lenses are not cleaned and o-rings not lubed- If o-rings are not properly lubricated they can become brittle and crack and break leaving loose parts that allow water to enter or can make it difficult to remove parts in the future to gain access to lamp compartment to change bulb. Lenses will accumulate crud, grime and hard water or calcium deposits which can etch glass and cut down significantly on the transmission of light cutting down on brightness and shifting the color to the detriment and beauty of the system.

4- Not adjusting cables and fixtures attached to trees- Trees are living things and will grow right over and around mounting equipment which must be adjusted on a regularly scheduled basis. Neglecting this will not only be harmful to the tree but your lighting equipment as well.

Un maintained a tree can quickly grow over a power cable which is beginning to happen here

Un maintained a tree can quickly grow over a power cable which is beginning to happen here

5- Fixtures not adjusted or relocated for plant growth- Landscape lights are installed in a living environment with plants that are constantly growing and changing shape. If lighting fixtures are not adjusted or moved along with the growth then lighting effects will suffer as a result.

6- Not clearing leaves or small branches away that grow and encroach in front of fixture lenses. These obviously block light output but worse than that they create “hot spots” in the scheme that are unsightly and draw attention in a bad way.  Hot spots can ruin an otherwise beautiful project.

As you can see there is much more to maintenance then just changing a few burned out bulbs and cutting corners does not pay in regards to high end lighting systems. Doing so only degrades your investment and enjoy ability of something that a significant amount of money was spent on. Pound wise and penny foolish thinking.

This landscape lighting blog is published by Mike Gambino of Gambino landscape lighting inc. all rights reserved. Mike is a professional landscape lighting system designer/ builder and has been designing, installing and maintaining landscape lighting systems for more than 20 years. Mike resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 2 sons. To visit his website go to www.gambinolighting.com . To inquire about hiring Mike please click here .

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