How to Get Those Solar Light Strings to Work – DIY

So you’re getting ready to decorate for the holidays, spent a bunch of $$$ on those really cute solar snowball lights or individual icicles. You’ve hung them, put the panel in direct sunlight, let it charge all day and waited for nightfall. And nothing happened. Perhaps you have a pitiful 5 minutes of barely visible solar stars, wreath colors or twinkling lights and then zilch, nada, no light, disappointment and frustration.

Do a little test. Try covering the panel so that it will stop charging, think it is a moonless night and allow the lights to work.

If that doesn’t work, you will need to replace the cheap Ni-Cad batteries supplied in the solar light panel.

You will need: 1 smallish phillips head screwdriver

1 container to hold screws while you work

replacement batteries preferably 2500mAh NiMH or higher and a charger to charge new batteries

note: will the panel will come with installed 600 mAh Ni-Cad (nickle cadmium but nickle metal hydride AAs rechargeables can replace)

patience and proper torque

Carefully open the plastic housing from the solar panel to remove the battery.

Have container ready for the screws – once screws are all in container, move it so that you don’t knock it on floor

Carefully remove battery or batteries from panel – do not damage the solder connections unless you are prepared to fix those too.

Remove supplied batteries. (Note: proper disposal for hazardous waste should be observed with all batteries.)

Replace battery with your charged 2500 to 2700 mAh AA batteries

Carefully replace the screws so as not to crack the plastic housing

Put the solar panel back into full sunlight position and wait until evening.

When it is time for the lights to be on, the panel must not be receiving any indication of ambient light.

“What?”

That’s right. No light. So cover the panel.

“But the remote won’t work then.”

Yes it should. Cover the panel, you’ll take the cover off in the morning.

Remember to turn off the lights with the remote – do not use the switch on the back.

Turn the lights on with the remote and there should be light!

Try this for those cute solar lights you bought for the garden or your deck umbrella lights next summer. A littly diy and you don’t need to install that electrical receptacle in the middle of the flower bed.