With the summer sunshine on the way, it is now the perfect time to tidy up your garden. This is also the best opportunity to install or check on your garden solar lights.

It is not uncommon to find that one or more could have stopped working to their optimum quality. This is why we have put together this handy maintenance guide to help you to fix them.

If you already know what you are looking for, and simply require replacement solar batteries for your garden, Vapextech can help.

What Should I Do If My Solar Lights Stop Working?

Firstly, it is important to check all parts of your solar lights to discover which part is not working properly. Your solar panel will need cleaning, as a layer of dirt can build up over time and prevent sunlight from getting through. You will need to position your solar lights in the best position to capture the sunlight, and if they have the capability to tilt; ensure they are tilted towards the sun.

Now is a good time to check the battery compartment and look for any signs of damage such as water damage, rust or broken wires. Check your solar batteries are firmly connected and look for signs of corrosion. Inside every solar light is a circuit board or charge controller which acts as a sensor or switch.

When the sun shines on to the solar panel the circuit board will send the charge from the panel to the battery. Once it is dark, the circuit board or sensor will recognise there is no light shining on the panel and stops charging the battery.

Often when your garden solar lights are cleaned, dried out and left to recharge, they will start working again. If this is not the case though, the next step is checking the LED or bulb. The simplest way to check a solar light LED with AA or AAA batteries fitted, is by putting ordinary non-rechargeable batteries in the light. Now completely cover the panel or take it to a dark room, and if the LED or bulb is fine it will light up. If your LED still does not work, unfortunately, you will need to throw the light away. Finally, you can attempt replacing solar light batteries.

Why Do I Need to Replace My Solar Light Batteries?

The main reason that garden solar lights stop working is that their rechargeable batteries inside have worn out. Rechargeable batteries are required for solar lights, as the solar panel converts sunlight into power to charge the batteries. This, in turn, powers the light. Amazingly, some people still do not release there are such things as rechargeable solar batteries!

Vapextech would recommend replacing the batteries in your solar lights regularly, between every year or two. The majority of garden solar lights will use low capacity rechargeable batteries. Recently some solar lights have started using NiMH batteries, replacing the old-style NiCd version.

Can I Use High Capacity Batteries for Solar Lights?

It is easy to think that higher capacity batteries will work better in solar lights, which is not always the case. High capacity rechargeable batteries typically need a higher current to recharge them. Solar lights produce a low charge current meaning it is better to use relatively low capacity solar light batteries.

Why Do Solar Lights Come On During the Day?

If solar lights come on during the day, it means the sensor in the light is not working. Vapextech would recommend cleaning the mini solar panel, which can often get covered in a layer of dirt. If the panel is dirty the solar light circuit board acts as if it is dark or night time all the time. This sends the power from the battery to the LED during the day and night. New batteries will not cause this issue as the batteries simply power the LED. If your lights are lighting up all the time this will show the batteries are working fine.

Get in Touch for More Information

If you would like to know more about solar batteries from Vapextech, please contact us today.

We are leading provider of solar batteries plus airsoft and model batteries for customers all over the country.