5 Tips to Prepare Exterior Lights for Summer Storms
Outdoor lighting can enhance the beauty of your home and make it more inviting to guests during the summer, but there’s still the question of how to protect your lights from severe weather. Summer storms can do a lot of damage to your property, so you need to prepare your exterior lights if the forecast calls for nasty weather. Here are a few tips that will help you with that.
1. Check Your Landscape
If you think a severe storm is on its way, take some time to check your landscape for anything that could damage your exterior lighting. This includes dead tree branches, overgrown shrubs, or trees leaning precariously. Try to clear away as much of this as you can yourself, and call a tree trimming service to deal with overgrowth and dead branches that you can’t remove yourself.
While you’re at it, look at any lawn furniture and decorations you might have on your property. If they aren’t secured, strong winds can blow them around and damage your outdoor lights. It’s always best to put away decorations and furniture before a severe storm hits. If you can’t safely stow these items away, at least secure them to protect them from the wind and rain.
2. Install Surge Protectors
Most outdoor lighting fixtures are wired with ground-fault circuit interruptors, or GFCIs. These surge protectors break circuits within a fraction of a second if a ground fault occurs, protecting your electrical system from power surges.
If you have a newer electrical system or one that has been updated relatively recently, you probably already have GFCIs installed. If you don’t, contact an electrician to have them installed.
3. Unplug Transformers Before a Severe Storm Comes
If you know that a particularly severe storm is on its way, unplug any transformers on your property to protect your external lights from power surges. Just be careful when it’s time to plug them back in. If you suspect that you have any damaged lighting fixtures or frayed wires, contact an electrician to have everything repaired and reconnected safely.
4. Invest in High-Quality Light Fixtures
The best way to protect your exterior lights is to invest in fixtures that can withstand the elements. Install fixtures made from durable, high-quality materials such as aluminum and steel, and look for products with weather-resistant finishes. These are intended to withstand harsh weather, so they should survive practically any storm that could hit your home.
5. Install Protective Accessories
Accessories such as water-resistant awnings, shades, and guards can protect your lighting fixtures and anything connected to them. You need to make sure that they are installed properly and tightly secured, but having them is a great way to prepare your exterior lights for severe weather.
To learn more about how to prepare your exterior lights for summer storms, call Mister Sparky in Orlando, FL. We provide thorough electrical inspections, installations, and repairs for homes in Orlando and the surrounding areas, and we will be happy to help you with all of your exterior lighting needs.
Can’t Forget Post-Storm Care
The part most people overlook—what you do after the storm passes. I’ve seen homeowners flip the switch on their exterior lights the moment the sky clears, but hold up for a second. Water has a funny way of sneaking into fixtures, even the ones that claim to be “weatherproof.”
Take a slow walk around your yard, and give your exterior lights a quick visual inspection. Sometimes it’s just a loose cover or a bit of moisture on the lens, but other times you’ll notice something more serious like a bent fixture arm or frayed wire.
If you’ve got solar-powered exterior lights, wipe the panels clean of storm debris—they’ll charge faster that way. For hardwired exterior lights, gently tighten any mounts that got jostled in the wind. Personally, I like to snap a couple of quick photos before making repairs so I remember how things looked pre-storm. It’s a small thing, but it helps. And really, don’t assume every flicker is harmless; exterior lights can mask deeper electrical issues. When in doubt, get an electrician to double-check—better safe than sorry.
When it comes to preparing exterior lights for severe weather, don’t put up with any malarky. Call Mister Sparky.
