Garden lights mystery!!!

[Mattietoes]

Wondering if anyone can help me with a very mysterious situation...

I bought some solar-powered garden lights from Amazon a couple of weeks ago - the kind with a small solar panel that you can also plug in to charge. They arrived, I checked that they were working, which they were. I then put them up in the garden, switched them on, not working. I charged the solar panel, and when I turned them on they flickered for a second, then went out. Figured they were faulty and returned for a replacement - exactly the same thing. Returned those and bought a new brand - the same thing has happened!!!! I try them before I put them up, they work. I put them up, they don't work. Three times!!!!!

What on EARTH is happening?!!

I used to work in a garden centre and can honestly say about 50% of our solar powered lights would come back for refund/ replacement. They're just very temperamental.

But saying that, is there a light sensor on them? So they won't work outside until its dark.

Did you test them inside or out? Would guess they come on automatically when in low light, so if put outside now is not dark enough to trigger this, but doing it inside is?

We have these in our garden and then only come on in the dark. Are you ‘testing’ them inside and then they don’t work outside? See if you can find the sensor and cover with your hand, or leave out until dark to see if they turn on.

Solar lanterns usually work by turning on at night. When the sun is out they charge, and only use that energy in the lights when it’s dark.

There is usually a sensor that detects when it’s dark on the solar panel itself.

If it’s light or the sun’s out, you can test the lights by making sure the on/off switch is set to ‘on’ (this makes the detector active) then completely cover the solar panel (and thus the detector); the solar light(s) should come on.

The switch doesn’t turn the lights themselves on & off, they turn the detector on & off!

Hope that makes sense! (Drama teacher by training, meandered into a career in electronics/have electronic engineer on my marriage certificate, no I don’t understand how that happened either lol).

It is nature's way of telling you that there is enough light pollution already without adding to it with more. And yet more plastic waste to dispose of in due course.

Ah, these are all very helpful thoughts. I think you could be onto something re light sensor.

However, all irrelevant now as I've had a long think about my role in the light pollution of the world and decided to move to a remote island and live off the land, eschewing frivolities such as garden lights (or as I like to call them, the devil's own lights). Perhaps I will come back soon to post about the issues I am having with my candles.

Excellen0lt! A convert to the beauty of dark, unpolluted night skies - my life's objective is accomplished!