Outdoor Lighting Maintenance: A Facility Manager's Guide

Exterior security lights go out regularly for numerous reasons.  One method to help reduce the frequency of lamp failure is called “group relamping” where all lamps are replaced at once, not just the ones that are not working.  This helps ensure that you aren’t leaving an old worn out lamp in place that is nearing the end of it’s life.  While this method can reduce the likelihood of fixture outages it can’t prevent the numerous other causes of problems such as damage from lightning strikes, power surges, vandalism, vehicles striking poles, lawnmowers hitting landscape lighting or bollards, metal halide or high pressure sodium ballast failures, neon lighting failures, etc.  In addition, the lighting controls need to be monitored for proper function to make sure the lights automatically turn on and turn off at the right time.  Along with normal wear and tear these lighting control systems can be affected by seasonal changes in the length of the day, power failures, power surges, daylight savings time, etc.  In other words, you could have a problem with your outdoor lighting at any time even if they are serviced regularly.

It can be difficult to check your exterior lighting during the day due to the fact that the lighting controls can be complicated, may be hard to locate or inaccessible from the ground.  In addition, the person responsible for ordering property maintenance may be located remotely from the site making it inconvenient for them to check the lights when it’s dark on a regular basis.  As a result, the first people to notice a problem quite often are customers or tenants, which can lead to complaints and drive customers away.

Knowing that inevitably lights will go out over a period of time it can be a good idea to have your electrician perform lighting surveys for you on a pre-scheduled periodic basis (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, etc.), and then have them make the necessary repairs based on their findings.  Factors such as the number and types of fixtures per building, the number of buildings maintained, the proximity of buildings to each other, the function of the building, the customers budget, etc., help determine the recommended frequency of inspections.   This will ensure that your property lighting is well maintained, eliminating the need for regular inspections by the facility owner/manager, saving them time and money.

Belco Electric has bucket truck service available and currently provides this service for many property management companies, retail stores, and restaurants. Why not let us help you design a periodic outdoor lighting maintenance plan that is right for your facility?