November 1 is The Day 

Twice a year, Daylight Saving Time changes the clock—but for HOA communities and commercial properties, it can also reveal problems with exterior lighting systems.

As daylight hours become shorter in the fall, parking lots, sidewalks, entrances, monument signs, landscape areas and other common spaces need illumination earlier in the evening. If lighting controls haven’t been adjusted—or fixtures aren’t operating properly—dark areas can suddenly become much more noticeable.

For property managers and HOA boards, the fall time change is an excellent reminder to inspect exterior lighting and make sure the property is ready for longer nights.

The Problem With Older Lighting Timers

Many properties still rely on mechanical or programmable time clocks to control exterior lighting.

These systems can work well, but they require attention. After the seasonal time change, a timer that hasn’t been adjusted may turn exterior lights on too late or shut them off too early.

Mechanical timers can create additional problems following power outages or if their clocks gradually become inaccurate.

The result may be an HOA community where residents are arriving home after sunset while portions of the property’s exterior lighting remain off.

 

Consider Astronomical Time Clocks

One way to reduce seasonal timer adjustments is an astronomical time clock.

Unlike a conventional timer that simply turns lights on and off at predetermined times, an astronomical time clock can automatically adjust operating schedules based on local sunrise and sunset times.

For Las Vegas-area properties, this can be especially useful because sunset times change considerably throughout the year.

Depending on the application, photocells and other lighting-control technologies can also provide effective alternatives.

The best control depends on the property, existing electrical system, lighting application and desired operating schedule.

 

Shorter Days Can Reveal Problems You Didn’t Know You Had

The fall time change doesn’t necessarily cause lighting problems—it often makes existing problems easier to see.

During summer, daylight can conceal an exterior fixture that isn’t working properly. When sunset arrives earlier, those same outages become much more noticeable.

Common problems can include:

• Burned-out lamps or failed LED fixtures
• Malfunctioning drivers, ballasts or other components
• Damaged or deteriorating fixtures
• Incorrect timer settings
• Failed photocells
• Lamp post and bollard outages
• Landscape lighting problems
• Underground wiring issues
• GFCI-related problems
• Inadequately illuminated sidewalks and pathways
• Dark areas around parking lots, entrances and common facilities

This is one reason exterior lighting should be evaluated after dark, not just during normal daytime property inspections.

Why Night Lighting Inspections Matter

A property can look perfectly normal at 2:00 in the afternoon and very different at 8:00 at night.

A nighttime inspection allows a property manager or lighting professional to see the property under the same conditions residents, visitors and employees experience after sunset.

A night inspection can identify individual outages as well as larger lighting concerns, such as uneven illumination, unusually dark sections of a walkway, fixtures blocked by landscaping, poorly illuminated parking areas or lighting controls that aren’t operating at the proper times.

For HOA communities in particular, regularly scheduled night inspections provide a systematic way to identify problems instead of waiting for residents to report them.

Every Problem Doesn’t Require LED

LED technology has transformed exterior lighting and can offer excellent energy efficiency, long life and reduced maintenance.

But replacing everything with LED isn’t always the correct answer.

An existing fixture may only need a new component. Some older fixtures may still perform well and be economical to maintain. In other cases, the existing fixture design, controls, electrical infrastructure or desired appearance may make a different solution more practical.

Conversely, when fixtures are deteriorating, replacement parts are becoming difficult to obtain or the same equipment requires repeated service, upgrading to LED may make much more financial sense.

The objective should be to determine the right solution for the specific property and application, rather than automatically replacing equipment simply because newer technology is available.

Take a Look at the Entire Property

 

Fall Is a Good Time for Preventive Maintenance

The weeks surrounding the fall time change provide an ideal opportunity to take a more comprehensive look at your property’s lighting.

Instead of simply resetting a timer, ask:

• Are all exterior fixtures working?
• Are the lights coming on at the appropriate time?
• Have certain fixtures required repeated repairs?
• Are there areas that appear noticeably darker than others?
• Are photocells and lighting controls operating properly?
• Are trees and landscaping blocking fixtures?
• Are lamp posts, bollards or other fixtures physically deteriorating?
• Would an astronomical timer or upgraded control eliminate recurring scheduling problems?
• Are there aging fixtures that should be budgeted for replacement?

Answering these questions now can help property managers identify smaller maintenance needs before they develop into larger—and potentially more expensive—problems.

Nevada Illumination Can Inspect Your Property After Dark

Nevada Illumination provides commercial and HOA lighting installation, service, maintenance and night lighting inspections throughout the Las Vegas area. Our technicians can identify outages and lighting problems, troubleshoot fixtures and components, inspect lamp posts and exterior lighting, evaluate controls and timers, and recommend repair, retrofit or replacement options when appropriate.

We also offer recurring lighting maintenance programs for properties that want a more proactive approach to exterior lighting.

Before shorter days make lighting problems more noticeable to your residents, tenants or customers, make sure your property is ready for the longer nights ahead.

Contact Nevada Illumination to schedule a nighttime lighting inspection or discuss an ongoing lighting maintenance program.