Troubleshooting reference
Start with symptoms, rule out homeowner-safe basics, and escalate conservatively when safety, structure, utility service, or water damage is involved.
Call soon
Breaker or GFCI trips when lights run
Likely causes
- Water intrusion
- Damaged cable
- Overloaded transformer/circuit
Homeowner-safe check
Turn system off and do not keep resetting, especially in wet soil.
When to call
Call lighting pro/electrician promptly; line-voltage faults are urgent.
Routine
Several low-voltage fixtures are dim
Likely causes
- Voltage drop
- Undersized transformer
- Loose/corroded connection
Homeowner-safe check
Check timer/photocell settings and obvious disconnected leads without digging blindly.
When to call
Call routinely for voltage testing and cable sizing.
Routine
Fixture fills with water or corrodes
Likely causes
- Failed gasket
- Poor drainage
- Inground fixture not rated for location
Homeowner-safe check
Turn off affected fixture and avoid opening energized wet housings.
When to call
Call for sealed fixture replacement and drainage correction.
Call soon
Landscape lights flicker
Likely causes
- Loose splice
- Failing LED driver
- Transformer overload
Homeowner-safe check
Note whether flicker affects one fixture, one run, or the whole system.
When to call
Call if flicker follows rain or affects line-voltage fixtures.
Routine
Photocell/timer turns lights on at wrong time
Likely causes
- Wrong programming
- Photocell shaded/dirty
- Power outage reset
Homeowner-safe check
Clean photocell and reset schedule; verify daylight-saving settings.
When to call
Call routinely if smart controls or transformer programming fails repeatedly.
Routine
Path lights are knocked over or expose cable
Likely causes
- Shallow stakes
- Landscape maintenance damage
- Freeze heave
Homeowner-safe check
Turn off run before repositioning exposed cable.
When to call
Call if insulation is nicked, cable is buried near utilities, or fixtures repeat-fail.
Emergency
Line-voltage exterior fixture has water inside
Likely causes
- Failed weatherproof box
- Bad gasket
- Improper fixture rating
Homeowner-safe check
Turn off the circuit and do not touch wet metal fixtures.
When to call
Call a licensed electrician immediately.
Call soon
Transformer hums, overheats, or smells
Likely causes
- Overload
- Shorted secondary
- Failing transformer
Homeowner-safe check
Turn it off and keep combustible material away.
When to call
Call soon for load calculation and replacement.
Routine
New patio/deck work will bury lighting cable
Likely causes
- Cable path conflict
- No conduit/sleeve
- Future service access lost
Homeowner-safe check
Mark existing cable paths before excavation and sleeve planned crossings.
When to call
Call lighting installer before hardscape is installed.
Routine
Quote ignores voltage, transformer load, or fixture ratings
Likely causes
- Design shortcut
- Premature LED failure
- Safety/compliance gap
Homeowner-safe check
Require fixture model, beam spread, transformer capacity, cable gauge, burial method, and controls.
When to call
Call another installer if design is just a fixture count and lump sum.
Maintenance schedule
Seasonal tasks
Spring
- In spring, uncover fixtures buried by mulch and confirm uplights are not aimed into new leaf growth.
Summer
- During summer irrigation, look for fixtures holding water, corroded stakes, and GFCI trips after sprinkler cycles.
Fall
- Before fall, reset timers for shorter days and clear leaves from well lights before heat damages lenses.
Winter
- In winter, mark cable routes before snow removal and keep transformer vents clear of packed snow.
Interval tasks
Monthly
- Monthly, walk the system at night for dim runs, flicker, glare, tipped path lights, and dark safety zones.
Annual
- Yearly, clean lenses, check timer or photocell programming, tighten accessible mounting screws, and update the fixture map.
Every few years
- Every few years, reassess transformer load, LED driver age, plant maturity, patio changes, and whether cable needs conduit sleeves.
Cost components
Labor
Labor risk is not just hours: fixture placement, cable routing, transformer sizing, controls setup, trenching, aiming, and night adjustments change how night aiming/design, cable trenching, transformer sizing, fixture mounting, splicing, control programming, and electrical coordination for line-voltage feeds plays out on site.
Materials
The quote should itemize fixtures, lamps, LED drivers, transformers, cable, connectors, stakes, conduit, timers, and photocells instead of hiding them inside fixtures, lamps/modules, transformers, low-voltage cable, connectors, stakes, conduit/sleeves, photocells, timers, smart controls, and GFCI/weatherproof parts.
Permits and inspections
Line-voltage lighting, exterior receptacles, trenching, pool areas, and smart-control wiring are the permit-sensitive parts to price before mobilization.
Broad range discipline
Use adding path lights, redesigning voltage runs, line-voltage work, and full landscape integration as the budget divider. Small path-light add-ons are modest; full-property designs, premium brass fixtures, smart controls, trenching, and line-voltage feeds increase cost.
What moves price
Pushes price up
- Premium brass/copper fixtures; added cost is usually tied to fixture placement
- Long cable runs/voltage drop; added cost is usually tied to cable routing
- Smart zoning/controls; added cost is usually tied to transformer sizing
- New line-voltage circuit; added cost is usually tied to controls setup
Can reduce price
- Existing transformer capacity; lower pricing is likelier when fixtures is clearly defined
- Short accessible runs; lower pricing is likelier when lamps is clearly defined
- Standard fixtures; lower pricing is likelier when LED drivers is clearly defined
- Install before hardscape/mulch; lower pricing is likelier when transformers is clearly defined
Hiring red flags
- The contractor treats transformer sized without fixture wattage and cable length like a preference instead of a job control.
- Nobody can explain the field check for wet-location ratings and splice method.
- The cheaper scope strips out GFCI protection for line-voltage exterior fixtures before inspection is documented.
- Warranty wording avoids LED driver, lamp life, water intrusion, and landscape damage exclusions and the return-visit trigger.
- No voltage-drop or transformer-load calculation.
- Buries cable too shallow or without protection where needed.
- Uses indoor connectors outdoors.
- Line-voltage work without licensed electrician.
Contract checklist
- Fixture schedule, beam spread, color temperature, finish, mounting method, and aiming plan with brands, sizes, locations, and exclusions.
- Transformer size, voltage taps, load calculation, cable gauge, run lengths, and burial depth before work starts, including who schedules inspections.
- Splice connectors, conduit sleeves, line-voltage work, GFCI protection, photocell, timer, and smart controls for access, protection, cleanup, and disposal.
- Landscape restoration, plant conflicts, mowing damage protection, patio or deck penetrations, and as-built map as unit pricing or written allowances.
- Warranty for fixtures, lamps, drivers, transformer, water intrusion, controls, and maintenance expectations; closeout should bundle photos, manuals, warranty registrations, and releases.
- Fixture model/material/beam spread, layout, zones, transformer size, cable gauge, and controls.
- Burial depth, splice method, sleeves under hardscape, and utility locate.
- Line-voltage/GFCI/weatherproof responsibilities if new power is needed.
- Night aiming visit, timer/photocell setup, and plant-growth adjustment plan.
- Warranty for fixtures, transformer, lamps/modules, and labor.
Warranty norms
Outdoor-lighting warranties differ for fixtures, lamps, LED drivers, transformers, and controls. Water intrusion from wrong ratings, mower damage, buried cable cuts, plant overgrowth, lightning, and owner re-aiming or smart-control changes are common limits.