Commercial Building Exterior Lighting Maintenance Needs for Fall 2024

Fall is here in San Antonio and South Texas; and soon enough the Holidays will be in full force,

and we’ll have those cooler temperatures; and as always, the time change!

The Sunrise is already changing a bit now that we’re moving into the cooler months, however when Daylight Savings Time ends in early November, we will have later mornings as well as earlier evenings, which will affect the time-frame your Commercial Business lighting comes on at night, and turns off in the morning .

Depending on the technology that controls your building lighting, parking lot pole lighting, perimeter, and/or security lighting, you may require some electrical maintenance to be certain these lights are coming on at the correct time,

and not leaving your commercial business and parking lots in the dark.

Let’s look at a few types of lighting controllers and their potential maintenance needs.

Lighting Timers:

A Lighting Time Clock, is a central controller that manages the time schedules for all connected lighting components. Once the lighting timer is manually set to a time, all of the lighting it controls will illuminate at said time, and thus, will perform the opposite function when it is scheduled to turn the lighting off.

 When the time change occurs, these timers will have to be manually reset to accommodate the new sunrise/ sunset times, or your business will be dark when it should be lit up, and / or burning energy when they should be turned off.

Photocells:

Photocells are used for exterior/outdoor lighting because they have a dusk to dawn sensor that can detect a light source and automatically turn on or off, no matter when the sun comes up or goes down. They are often used in places where there are too many lights to manually turn on and off.

Photocell sensors can be affected by a number of issues that can make them fail to operate. The placement of the sensor can be an issue. If the sensor is too shaded or exposed to direct sunlight, it may not accurately detect lighting levels.  Environmental conditions can also affect the way photocells work as well, as fog or a heavy rainfall can make it difficult for the sensor to measure the light correctly, or damage to the photocell which would cause it to fail altogether and require a replacement Photocell.

Your Parking Lot Lighting, Building Lighting and Security Lighting is paramount to your commercial business location. A dark Parking Lot can mean the difference between having plenty of customers or, an empty parking lot. Parking Lot and Security Lighting not only illuminates any darkened areas so you can see while driving or walking, but also ensures the safety of your Employees, Customers and Visitors.

So to sum it up, whether you own or manage a large shopping center, or even a small retail location, school, or office; high-quality functional lighting for your parking lots, walkways, and employee areas,  is key in sustaining your business as well as protecting your Customers, Employees, or Students.

When is the Time Change this year?

Daylight Savings Time officially ends in San Antonio at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, when we "fall back", so you will want to schedule your service call a week or so before that date. Scheduling your service call beforehand will ensure we can accommodate a service call for your commercial business; as well as to make certain your commercial business’ property will be ready to light up at the correct time each evening, and power off at the correct time each morning.

Bolt Electric in San Antonio can assist with exterior Lighting Maintenance/ Repair for your Commercial Business, and Parking Lot Pole Light Repairs, Replacements, or they can even upgrade your commercial business’ current fixtures to new LED Fixtures.

One of our Experienced Electricians in San Antonio can come out and perform a Maintenance Service Call to inspect and make certain any lighting Timers are adjusted for Daylight Savings Time hours, and also to make your Commercial Business aware of any exterior lighting issues

that also require addressing while they’re onsite.

If you’re interested in upgrading your current Commercial Lighting to LED Fixtures, you may qualify for the CPS Energy Rebate Program!

Click below for more information:

 https://www.boltelectricsa.com/led-lighting-upgrades

The Office staff at Bolt Electric in San Antonio is waiting for your call, and can assist you with any questions you may have regarding Parking Lot Lighting Maintenance and Repairs for your commercial business, as well as any upgrades your looking to implement.

Give us a call to get on our schedule! We can’t wait to work with you!

BOLT ELECTRIC, LLC

18847 REDLAND ROAD, SUITE 105

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 78259

(210) 545-BOLT (2658)