28 Aug Being a responsible Landscape Lighting System owner
by Mike Gambino
This article is not about the political, sociological or ethical considerations of owning a landscape lighting systems in regards to energy usage.
It is about the maintenance and upkeep responsibilities of landscape lighting system ownership.
As much as I or anyone else who sells landscape lighting systems for a living would like you to believe that we just build them and the systems pretty much take of themselves.
Unfortunately this is untrue and those considering a professional landscape lighting system installation should be aware of maintenance requirements and budget for them so there are no surprises or disillusionment several months after the system has been installed.
The good news is that a well designed and quality built landscape lighting system will require less care and will give you many years of enjoyment from it. In fact a system should require much less attention when compared to your swimming pool or landscaping which receive service at least one time per week.
Landscapes are constantly evolving and changing. Your lighting system should be originally set up so it is easily adjustable and adaptable to those changes and also less costly to maintain. Plants grow, plants are seasonally changed, plants die and get replaced so the environment is not static.
So what are the biggest costs after the installation and what are the things that will need the most care.
Electricity- Unless you are off the power grid and have invested in a solar system to provide electricity to your home there is going to be an increase in your electrical bill every month or whatever interval you are billed by your utility service.
Luckily the Safe Low Voltage Hybrid LED/halogen systems that Gambino landscape lighting builds today are the highest efficiency systems available that pack the most performance per dollar spent in electricity.
This Gambino Hybrid LED/Halogen low voltage landscape lighting system installed to enhance this backyard pond will prove to be much less costly to support and maintain than the pond itself.
The other biggest maintenance issue is not with the lighting system itself but the surrounding plant materials. A systems effectiveness can quickly be diminished when Plant materials are left unchecked and grow in the path of the light blocking it from reaching its destination and accenting the desired subject. Instead you are left with an unsightly hot spot on plant leaves, which the eye is quickly drawn to, instead of the beautiful statue in your courtyard.
Every system owner should take a meeting with their gardener and point out where the fixtures are and what each fixtures intended target is. This way they can be aware of where the light needs to go and keep the plant materials pruned around the fixtures.
Realistically there are very few owners of our systems who do this. However this is an area where money can be saved. The less time we have to spend at the site during our maintenance visits the less cost to the clients as we bill for our time in 15 minute intervals per man hour.
The next highest maintenance requirement is keeping the lenses and fixtures clean. Here in Southern California most of the water supply is considered hard water meaning it contains lots of minerals, calcium being the worst for your fixtures.
Since Gambino fixtures and power components are made from non ferrous metals like brass copper and stainless steel we are not concerned with rust. However the etching from hard irrigation water or calcium deposit buildup on the lenses in particular can cut down significantly on light output and diminish the effectiveness of the system. In order to remove this buildup we use straight razor blades to scrape it off the surface of the glass lens and wipe clean with a moist towel. We have found that this practice goes much faster with a minimum of two visits per year.
During these routine maintenance services we also open each fixture clean and inspect, grease o-ring seals or replace as needed and touch up silicone lens seals if needed. Fixtures get re-adjusted or repositioned as needed. Timers are adjusted. Transformers are checked to see if there has been any tampering. If tampering is detected we do an amp test and make adjustments if required.
Bulbs- In time this will become less of an expense during maintenance visits with the new LED’s we are using. Although up to 3 X more costly during initial installation LED will me than pay for themselves in energy savings and will require less frequent changes as they are projected to last much longer than halogen lamps.
In regards to halogen lamps we have found that most will outlast their usefulness. After years of use the capsule may still be burning and producing light. We inspect these closely and replace them at our discretion if we discover that the color has shifted, the capsule is blackened and is not long for this world or the reflector has deteriorated and the light output is diminished.
Bottom line is to be prepared and budget to properly care for your professional landscape lighting system. The original installer is the best company to hire on for this service.
I would not recommend hiring an installer that does not offer maintenance and after care service for your system.
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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