Install & maintain lights correctly in the snow

Thankfully, most modern outdoor lights are designed specifically to be weatherproof in order to stay outside during any time of year. However, we still recommend that you try to have them installed in areas that will be cool and dry most of the time, in order to help them last longer against the elements. 

We also recommend checking on the wires and bulbs about once a year to see if they are sustaining any weather damage. With an Annual Maintenance Plan (AMP) from Luminocity, we will come out to inspect and clean each fixture, bury any exposed wire and trim bushes as needed to achieve optimal lighting effect. Investing in the AMP is also your best value because it means that you will not have to pay for any burnt-out bulbs or minor service repairs (such as a cut wire) for the next 12 months. 

Decide between LED & quartz halogen

If you grew up in a place that gets a lot of snow, like here in Indiana, you may remember a tube effect in the snow caused by the heat from frequently used quartz halogen lights. It was a rare occurrence to have a dark home in the snow because the extreme heat generated by these bulbs would quickly melt the snow. In fact, some homeowners were reluctant to switch from older quartz halogen as the more efficient LED lights became more popular because they don’t want to risk having a dark house.

However, LED outdoor lights do still generate heat and will melt snow – just not as fast. If you have LED fixtures and don’t get too much snow they will do fine. However, if you get dumped on with lots of snow, your house may be dark for a little bit until the fixture can melt the show or it is cleared away. LEDs last a lot longer than traditional halogen bulbs, making them a great way to promote efficiency and save money on your utility bills, so you shouldn’t let the fear of a dark home in the snow keep you from switching to them. But if you do choose quartz halogen bulbs, note that our AMP visit also covers the replacement of all your bulbs with fresh ones.

Check the Ingress Protection Rating

If you want the most use out of your outdoor light bulbs, you can check the Ingress Protection Rating when you go to purchase them. The IP code is a system for sharing with consumers how protected your lighting, electrical enclosures and even cell phones are against dust or water. The first part of the code is the letters IP, followed by two numbers. The first number, ranging from 0-6 tells you the protection against solid particles (dust). The second number, ranging from 0-8, tells you the protection against liquid/water. 

If you are concerned about snow or ice in your outdoor lighting, be sure to look for fixtures with a high IP rating against water. At Luminocity, we only use durable fixtures and quality bulbs. We know what type of fixture is best suited for each task, what lighting effect is desired, where the fixture should be placed to achieve the desired effect. We always make sure that the installation (including proper voltage) is done professionally, intending for our lighting systems to work for a long time. If you would like to learn more about how we can keep your home shining bright all year round, contact the Luminocity experts today at (317) 537-8055 or with our online form. We can’t wait to beautify your home with our custom-designed landscape lighting systems.

Our family lives in Indiana. In February, a cold front came through and dropped a lot of snow. Not only did it mean that I had to shovel my driveway, but it also meant that for a short time our house was dark at night. There was so much snow that our fixtures were buried.

One of the questions I am asked from time to time is, “Since LED lights aren’t hot will they still melt snow?” Over time, the LED fixtures melted our snow and with some warmer temperatures, we were back to having our home shining brightly once again.

Before LED became the predominant choice for landscape lighting, quartz halogen was used. If you happen to touch an older quartz halogen bulb that is shining bright, you will soon discover, often painfully, that it generates lots of heat. A byproduct of electricity passing through the filaments in the bulb is heat. For a long time, it seemed that that heat was a necessary part of having a bright light.

LED lights are different. There are no filaments that glow when electricity surges through. LED lamps are made not of filaments, but drivers and diodes. They not only get brighter but also operate cooler.

In the past, when we had quartz halogen lights, it was a rare event to have a dark house because the heat of the quartz halogen lights quickly melted the snow. In colder regions with plenty of winter weather, some homeowners have been reluctant to switch from older quartz halogen to the more efficient LED lights because they don’t want to risk having a dark house.

It is interesting to see the effects that the heat from fixtures make on the snow. The lights melt the snow on top and on the sides creating a tube effect. Regardless of the weather, we have a brightly illuminated home.

The LED lights have done the same thing but not to the same extent as the older and hotter lights we once had. The LED lights do generate heat and will melt snow – just not as fast.

In the first image, you can see the top of the LED fixture through the small tube it created showing that LED lights will melt snow. In the second image, there is a LED fixture under that pile of snow.

If you have LED fixtures and don’t have too much snow they will do fine. However, if you get dumped on with lots of snow, your house may be dark for a little bit until the fixture can melt the show or it is cleared away.

On those cold and snowy days, don’t worry about having a dark house. The LED lights will get to work and melt snow.