Old System? We Can Probably Save It
Half the calls we get are not for new installs — they are for systems someone else put in years ago. Half the lights are out. The timer is a mystery dial in a rusty box. A wire got cut by the landscaper. The fixtures are corroded and leaning.
Here is the good news: the bones of most systems are fine. The wire in the ground is usually good. The transformer often just needs attention. What fails is fixtures, bulbs, and connections — all fixable. We diagnose the whole system and tell you straight whether repair makes sense or replacement is smarter.
What We Fix
Dead fixtures and bad bulbs. We test every fixture, replace what is dead, and reseal connections. Often a full system comes back to life with a round of LED lamp replacements.
Cut or chewed wires. Landscapers' edgers, aerators, and curious squirrels are the usual suspects. We locate the break, splice it properly with waterproof connectors, and rebury it deeper.
Corroded fixtures. Old aluminum fixtures corrode and fall apart. We replace them with solid brass or copper fixtures that last.
Failed transformers and timers. Buzzing, dead, or stuck-on transformers get replaced with modern units — often with smart controls built in.
Aiming drift. Fixtures get knocked by mowers, mulch crews, and kids. We re-aim every fixture — ideally at night, so it is right.
LED Retrofits: The Best Upgrade
If your system still runs old halogen bulbs, an LED retrofit is the single best money you can spend on it. We swap every halogen lamp for an LED equivalent — same fixtures, same wire, same transformer (usually). Power use drops by 80 percent or more, bulbs stop burning out yearly, and the light gets better. Most retrofits pay for themselves in energy savings and avoided bulb changes. Our LED vs. halogen guide has the details.
Maintenance Plans
Like anything outdoors, lighting systems need occasional attention. Our maintenance visits cover: cleaning fixture lenses, re-aiming knocked fixtures, checking wire connections, testing the transformer and timer, replacing any failed lamps, and trimming plants that have grown over fixtures. One visit a year keeps a system looking new. Ask about a plan during your service call.
When Repair Stops Making Sense
We will tell you honestly when a system is done: wire that is failing everywhere, fixtures so far gone they are all being replaced anyway, or a design so poor that fixing it fixture-by-fixture costs more than starting over. In that case we credit the diagnosis toward a new design.
Call (301) 679-9193 or send the form below for your free on-site lighting consultation.
What a Maintenance Visit Actually Covers
A professional maintenance visit is more thorough than most homeowners expect. We test every fixture and replace failed lamps. We clean every lens — dirt and mineral film cut light output dramatically. We check every wire connection for corrosion and reseal what needs it. We verify the transformer: voltage output, timer settings, zone operation. We re-aim every fixture that has drifted — ideally at night, when aiming can be judged. And we trim back any plant growth blocking fixtures.
The visit takes one to two hours for a typical system, and the difference is immediately visible. Clients always say the same thing afterward: 'I forgot how good it looked when it was new.' Maintenance does not just preserve the system — it restores it.
Repair or Replace: How We Decide
When we diagnose a failing system, we are asking one question: is the infrastructure sound? Good wire in the ground, a working transformer, and a sensible layout mean repair — new lamps, new fixtures where corroded, fresh connections. That covers most systems we see. The layout someone designed years ago is usually still a good layout; it just needs refreshing.
Replacement makes sense when the infrastructure itself is failing: wire nicked in a dozen places, a transformer undersized from day one, or a design so poor that fixing it fixture-by-fixture costs more than starting over. We will show you exactly what we found and recommend the economical path — and if that path is a new design, the diagnostic fee credits toward it.
How It Works: Our Process
Step 1 — Diagnosis. We test the full system — every fixture, connection, wire run, and the transformer — and map exactly what is working and what is not.
Step 2 — Straight recommendation. Repair, retrofit, or replace — with the reasoning shown to you, not just the price. Itemized quote for the work.
Step 3 — The work. Repairs and retrofits typically complete in a single visit: lamps, fixtures, connections, transformer, controls.
Step 4 — Night verification. We verify the repaired system after dark — every fixture lit, aimed, and even — before we call it done.