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—What you are noticing

When outdoor lights stop working

Outdoor lights live with sun, dust, irrigation and the occasional storm. When they stop, the cause is often control or water rather than the lamps.

Many outdoor lights are switched automatically by a timer, a photocell that reacts to daylight or a motion sensor. A timer that lost its setting in a power cut, a photocell covered in dust, or a sensor knocked out of alignment can all make working lights appear dead. Those are worth checking before assuming anything has failed.

This guide describes what people notice and what is safe to do. It does not diagnose your installation; only someone who has seen it can.

Water is the other common factor. Garden fittings sit near irrigation, and façade lights take rain and wash-down water. A fitting whose seal has perished lets water in, which can trip the circuit or simply stop the lamp working. If outdoor lights stopped after watering, rain or cleaning, mention it; it helps the electrician know where to look.

01In short

The points that matter most

  • Check the controls first

    Timers, photocells and sensors cause many outdoor lighting faults.

  • Look for water

    Perished seals and irrigation spray are common culprits.

  • Note what tripped

    An RCD trip after rain points towards moisture.

02Detail

What is checked

  • Control devices

    Timer settings, photocell condition and sensor alignment and sensitivity.

  • Fittings

    Lamps, seals, gaskets and signs of water or corrosion inside.

  • Cables and connections

    Underground and surface cable runs, and junctions exposed to water or digging.

03Checklist

Before calling

  • Reset the timer clock

    Especially after a power cut.

  • Clean the photocell

    Dust can make it think it is daytime.

  • Note recent works

    Landscaping or digging may have damaged a cable.

04Questions

Questions people ask

Why do the lights work in the day but not at night?
Usually the control is reversed or misset — a photocell or timer issue rather than the lamps.
Can I replace the lamp myself?
Changing a lamp in a sound fitting with the circuit off is reasonable; water in the fitting needs an electrician.
Why did they stop after rain?
Water in a fitting or junction can trip the circuit or damage the lamp.

05Related

Related guides

This guide sits under troubleshooting. All topics are on the guides page.

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Outdoor lights dark?

Tell us which lights, how they are switched and when they stopped. We will tell you what to check next.

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