How To Make Replacement Stakes For Solar Lights

Choose The Right Location

Before you start replacing your broken solar lights stakes, it would be advisable to consider relocating your solar garden lights.

While doing so can disrupt your landscapes design, think of it as maximizing your solar lights potential. You will want these lighting fixtures in the correct place to ensure maximum sunlight absorption.

It is also essential to consider which part of your property you want to illuminate. If it is your driveway, having the outdoor solar lights positioned closer together can ensure a more dramatic entryway for your vehicle.

You can disregard this step if your solar lights position is already optimal.

Make Your Life Lighter And Brighter With Outdoor Landscape Lighting

Make your home more inviting with outdoor landscape lighting. Garden lights add curb appeal. They brighten entranceways, making it safer to walk up at night. Outdoor landscape lighting comes in several types. Some need low-voltage electric cables and others work with solar power. Electric cables designed for outdoor lighting will withstand the elements. You bury them in the soil, out of sight. Hang a garden light control unit in a convenient place so you can create light as needed.

Solar garden lights are easier to install than their electric counterparts. Powered by the sun, you can install them almost anywhere you like. You can use LED landscape lighting to light decks and steps for nighttime safety. They absorb solar power throughout daylight hours. You can also use solar landscape lighting along pathways or down the driveway. Mounted on stakes, you push the lights into soft ground such as lawns and flower beds. Buying a multipack of solar lights saves time and money. Enjoy your backyard longer with bright landscape lighting.

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How To Make Replacement Stakes For Solar Lights. You can also use the battery off another solar light, or you can get new batteries. For the panels to function properly, they need to stay clean, as well as positioned to gather the maximum amount of sun.

4 pack resealable storage bag. Sold by ybb store and ships from amazon fulfillment. Take out the battery open the battery/board case for the solar lights.

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Replacement Solar Light Stakes

I’m on my second set of solar lights by Malibu. The plastic stakes have broken, and I can replace them by ordering more plastic stakes from the company, but I’d prefer not to have more of the same. Can anyone suggest a metal alternative? What have you done when your stakes broke? This is not a common problem with all my lights, but I live in Michigan and I like to leave the lights in the ground all year. I think the freezing of the ground cracks the plastic.

Replacement Stakes For Solar Lights

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Replacement Stake Length And Design

Once you know the fitting sizes, the length and specific design of the replacement stakes are a question of preference.

They are all made of ABS or PVC plastic and have a cruciform, or cross-shaped, cross-section. This lends the stake strength and rigidity while reducing the overall surface area.

That makes the stake easier to drive into the ground and less inclined to be deflected by rocks or pebbles.

As a general rule of thumb, heavier fittings will require longer stakes. As will fittings intended for mounting in soft soil. Typical spike lengths range from 6 to 12 .

Metal Replacement Stakes For Solar Spot And Flood Lights

Often spot or floodlight stakes differ from their path lighting peers. They generally carry more weight and support lights with larger, adjustable foot pieces. These are usually heavy-duty aluminum or steel and have a round or square footplate mount on top.

That plate will have several mounting holes drilled through it or a pre-mounted threaded bolt insert. These will mount the lighting fitting. I illustrate an example in Fig.2 below.

Image credit: Paul Scott

Again, make sure you are getting a compatible stake mount if you are buying online. Or take both light fitting and stake into the store with you.

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Bebrant Solar Lighting Replacement Abs Ground Stakes

Bebrant manufactured their solar stakes with original ABS material instead of recycled material making it one of the most durable solar lighting stakes on the market.

These stakes have a very modern look and at the same time theyre durable enough to support a large solar spot light for many seasons to come.

These stakes are ideal for use on a ground thats hard or stony, theyll hold up well there even when theres strong wind.

The 8.3 inch solar lighting stakes unique design allows it to easily plant directly on grass or mud without any hassle making it a perfect replacement stake for solar garden lights.

Additionally, these stake is available in either black or white and its a perfect way to show off your beautiful solar butterfly lights.

Its important to mention that these replacement stakes can only be used with poles with an inner diameter of 0.83 inch, so be careful and measure your pole before purchasing.

Pros

Why Would You Want To Replace Solar Light Stakes

Solar lights ground stakes may sometimes break suddenly. There is no need to worry, its very common most lights come with cheap stakes that fail after a year or two. All you have to do is replace the old stakes with new ones that are more sturdy. There may very well be other reasons of solar lights not working too.

Installing outdoor lights may significantly increase the value of any home. As a result, most homeowners may find that switching to solar lighting systems is a wise decision. Solar stakes are frequently designed to provide homeowners more options. You can easily install them in the ground or on top of fences.

The good news is that they come in a variety of styles, allowing you to select the one that best suits the site where you intend to install them. The best solar light stakes are usually available in a variety of colors.

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How We Tested The Best Solar Lights

We tested all of these lights over the course of a month at a coastal home in New England. To keep things consistent, we first unboxed all of them and left them outside to charge in various spots around the yard â in doing this, they would all receive the same amount of sunlight at the same angles. After a week, we placed each light in the freezer for four hours before dusk and then returned them to the yard to monitor which ones functioned as usual and how long they stayed illuminated. We also tested water resistance, rinsing each under a shower head for two minutes.

Following the initial tests, we installed each of the lights in appropriate positions to monitor how they stood up to various weather conditions. Over 14 days, each solar light was subjected to a tropical storm, hot and humid days, overcast days and rainy days. We monitored how well they stayed in place throughout.

Drive The Replacement Stake Into The Ground

Position the pointed end of the wooden dowel on the ground where you want to place it. Use a hammer to drive the stake about halfway through the soil.

If you do not have a hammer, a large piece of a wooden block will do. You can also try to hit the dowels head with a large rock or stone. Driving the stake to the ground should never be difficult if you prepared the soil beforehand.

Ensure the stake is perpendicular to the ground surface, forming a right angle on all sides. You will not want your solar garden light tilting or slanting to one side.

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Alternate Materials For Diy Stakes For Solar

There are several other materials that are suitable for making your own stakes for solar lights. These include:

• Acrylic round or square stock. The entire procedure for this material would be the same as wood.
• Aluminum round bar.
• Brass square bar.
• Steel round bar or rebar.

Acrylic can be worked with the same tools as wood and the process is similar for square and round stock. Even so, polymers are usually cost far more than wood even if they are far more rot and corrosion-resistant.

Metal materials represent a huge overkill in terms of price and complexity of production. This, even if they are extremely long-lasting and robust.

These materials are only really suitable for long-term installations of heavy flood or spotlighting. For example, solar spotlights used for illuminating flag poles that are likely to be set in concrete. Or at least left in place for protracted periods.

In all cases of metal material stakes for solar lights or landscape light poles, lathe turning will be required. And that is an extensive subject best covered in another article.

Replacement Stakes For Solar Pathway Lights

Most stake-mounted solar lights or their extension poles have similar stake mount fittings. Usually, these are cylindrical sockets that the end of the stake pushes into. This is illustrated in Fig. 1 below.

Image credit: Paul Scott

Its important to calculate the size of the fitting mounting socket and the stake fitting plug to make sure they are compatible. You could use a ruler or tape measure to do this. However, if you can rather use a vernier to get an accurate measurement.

Sometimes the light fitting comes with a male plug and the stake with the socket. Although the opposite of the more common system, the principles of checking compatibility are the same.

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How Far Apart Should Solar Path Lights Be Placed

The spacing of solar lights depends on their intended purpose. For instance, if a set of candy cane path lights are meant for purely aesthetic appeal, spacing is not critical. Itll all boil down to what looks best. The same is true of any stand-alone solar lights for decorative effect only.

Solar lights used for practical illumination along paths or driveways require a very different approach altogether. The lights should be spaced so that dark, dead spots are minimized.

There are so many different solar-powered lights on the market, each with its own lighting characteristics. Finding that spacing sweet spot will probably take some trial and error testing.

A fairly reliable generalized rule is to place lights 6 to 8 feet apart in areas with good ambient lighting. In high traffic areas with little external lighting, 4 to 6 feet apart is more appropriate.

The spacing of most lights should also be reduced around turns, on inclines and stairways, and over decorative bridges.

What To Look For When Buying Stakes For Solar Lights

When buying the stakes for solar lights, some critical factors should be considered before taking the final plunge.

Here are some buying tips for you to check out:

• Sturdiness and Construction Materials

Since your solar stakes will be mostly utilized outdoors, durability should be guaranteed. Look for materials like ABS plastic and steel, which are sturdy and lightweight. You should expect to replace your solar stakes after two to four years of frequent use.

There are available solar stakes for lights that come in multiple sets. These kits are more economical and generally easy to install since the package already includes the necessary accessories or hardware for an easy assembly process.

• UV Protective Coating

It is essential to inspect if the solar stake comes with maximum UV protective coating. This is because the solar stake will be installed outdoors and will be exposed to extreme sunlight. A maximum UV protection feature can increase the products longevity and durability.

• Creating a Personal Touch to your Place

Search for solar lighting stakes that express your personality and what you love. Many available options can surely make your outdoor areas more impressive, especially during special occasions.

• Waterproof Ratings

Since your solar stakes are set up outdoors, exposed to different weather conditions, and generally set up in the ground, it is best if they come with waterproof ratings.

• Customer support

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How To Keep Solar Lights From Falling Over

When a professional landscaping crew installs new planting beds, they normally bring in four people -6 of new planting soil and a 2 layer of mulch If the stake that comes with the low voltage lighting unit is just 6 inches long, The light will not be secure in this soil for long. Installing the unit with the deeper stake will allow it to be secured in more compact soil.

Furthermore, we always run our low voltage electrical wiring through conduit and into the open stake, resulting in a more stable unit. When you change plant material or add additional plants to your garden, run your low voltage wiring via conduit to avoid inadvertently severing the wires.

Using the wrong wire diameter, or wire gauge, will result in systems being undervoltage, tripping, and failing. Wire should also be buried at least 6-8 inches underground, according to our recommendations.

How Do Solar Lights Work

A solar light or solar lantern is a lighting system made up of an LED lamp, solar panels, a battery, a charge controller, and maybe an inverter as well. The lamp runs on batteries that are powered by solar panels to charge them.

Solar cells, which are a crucial component of solar lighting because they can only convert sunlight into direct electrical current, help solar lights operate through the photovoltaic effect. The inverter receives energy from the solar panels since doing so will allow it to store energy in its batteries for both immediate and future use. Solar lights use the photovoltaic effect to function. Due to the fact that they can only convert sunlight into direct electrical current, solar cells are a crucial component of solar lighting. The solar panels will take in electricity and store it in their battery for both immediate and future use.

Multiple layers of crystalline silicon and substances that can produce layers of negatively charged electrons and positively charged spaces make up a solar cell.

Both indoor and outdoor uses exist for solar lighting. Different public and commercial sectors are able to install solar-powered illumination, which is also employed as traffic and sign lighting. The most typical uses for solar lights are as follows:

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Why Trust The Spruce

Jenica Currie is the Associate Commerce Editor for outdoor, gardening, and home improvement at The Spruce. She has tested dozens of products at home and in the Lab, including artificial Christmas trees, clothing racks, bean bag chairs, fans, and vacuums. She spends her weekends gardening and working on other projects to improve the outdoor space around her home . For this article, she used our test results and researched dozens of top-rated outdoor solar lights to compile this list of the best available options. Emma Phelps, an Updates Writer for The Spruce, provided research assistance for this article. She reached out to Sheva Knopfler, the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Lights.com, to learn more about best practices for choosing, installing, and caring for solar lights.