Do you have such lamps in your garden? Check what to do with them before winter

Many models of solar lamps are resistant to difficult weather conditions, but turn off may be a challenge for them. Some people decide to remove the lamps at this time, especially since there is little sun anyway, which means poor charging (or no charging at all) of batteries. If you prefer to avoid the risk, remove the batteries and store the solar lights in a dry place, and reinstall them in the spring.

However, if you decide to leave solar lamps in the garden, remember a few rules:

• regular – snow, mud or leaves may cover the solar panels, preventing charging,
• protection against moisture – make sure the lamps are tight and resistant to rain or melting snow,
• charging after the season – in spring, after the rest period, it is worth leaving the lamps in full sun for at least 12 hours to charge the batteries.

Year-round use of outdoor lamps is in many cases possible and safe. You just need to pay attention to whether they have the appropriate tightness class. The IP rating indicates the degree of protection against dust and water. It consists of two digits – the first one concerns dustproofness and the second one concerns waterproofness. Here’s what the selected values ​​mean:

• IP44 – minimum protection against water splashes, sufficient for lamps mounted under a roof.
• IP65 – high resistance to dust and water jets – suitable for open spaces.
• IP67 – fully dustproof lamps that can be temporarily immersed in water, ideal for gardens with high humidity.

The higher the values, the better the lamp will cope with difficult conditions

Each type of lighting in the garden has a different function, and a well-designed lamp system will work well both in summer and winter. There is no point in dismantling tall lamps that resemble lanterns or poles installed in the ground. Ground and overrun lamps, all kinds of reflectors, spots and LED strips can cope equally well with moisture and frost. For obvious reasons, wall lamps on the facade or lamps on the soffits are not removed.

The only thing you really need to be careful with is . Even though they hang under the roof and we think that they do not have to meet the same standards as other outdoor lamps, sometimes we buy them based on design rather than parameters. So check if they are waterproof, and if not, take them down and hang them up again in spring. Do the same with decorative strings of lights, e.g. on balustrades.