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Am I Doing Something Wrong? Why do my Solar Lights Come on During the Day?
There are several possibilities to consider and it’s not always that something is faulty.
Some of the common contributors to your solar lights staying or coming on during the day are a poorly positioned unit where the sensor can’t sense enough light to make it trigger the LEDs to go off.
Second, the solar panel and sensor might have accumulated dirt to a point of not sensing the light.
Also, some settings such as the light sensitivity levels and the light duration could be wrongly set.
Water and moisture damage that might lead to a faulty sensor, faulty battery, and other components are another possibility. It might also be a case of faulty wires, or the override switch could be on.
Now, each of these possibilities requires an urgent intervention to ensure a smooth operation and to avoid frustrations. Let’s look at them in depth, and find solutions to help you get the most out of your outdoor solar lights.
10 Reasons Why Your Solar Lights Turn on During the Day
#1 Your Solar Lights Are Placed On a Shady Area
Now, remember that your solar lights will not only need to be far from the shade because that will affect how fast they recharge, but also how well the sensor will sense the light for it to turn the LED light off.
Basically, once the light hits the solar panel, it will shut down the LED light and automatically start recharging. But, if the solar panel is hit by an overcast, it will stop recharging, and assume it is night time, causing the LED light to come on.
To avoid this issue, find the right place to position your outdoor solar light, in that it will be getting enough direct sunlight. Again, ensure that the area won’t project an overcast at any time during the day because this will waste the stored energy, and your lights might not remain on long enough at night.
2# Not Getting Enough Sunlight Indoors
This applies to people who use their solar lights indoors.
Here, you have two options when it comes to recharging the solar lights: You can place them near the window, or take them outside to recharge then bring them back in when you need to use them at night.
If you are taking them outside, remember our first point above and ensure that the solar panel is properly exposed to direct sunlight, and that there will be an overcast at any point during the day.
However, when recharging them from inside the house, technically near the window, ensure that the curtains are wide open to allow enough sunlight through. This way, the LED lights will remain off as the solar panel recharges the battery.
Importantly, remember that window glass might limit the amount of sun rays reaching the solar panel. For better and quicker recharging, you can consider opening the window, such that the solar panel and the light sensor gets direct sunlight.
3# The Solar Panel Being Dirty To a Point of Blocking The Light Sensor
If you have outdoor solar lights, you should check your solar panel often to clear any dust buildup, because this is what will eventually block the sensor, making the lights to come on during the day.
And, this is another reason you should be careful with where you choose to install your solar panels.
This is because, if they are at a place where debris such as tree leaves, and other objects fall, it will just be a matter of time before they are totally covered, which will not only hinder direct sunlight but also charging because the light sensor will not get enough light to shut down the LED so that the solar panel can recharge the battery.
If this is what’s making your solar lights come on during the day, the solution is to clean both the solar panel and the light sensor.
How to clean a solar panel?
Just use a damp cloth to gently wipe off the dirt from your solar panel, then locate the sensor and wipe it clean. Once you’re done, wipe it dry with a dry and clean cloth, to ensure that no patches are formed as it dries.
But, if yours is not the usual small solar lights with fairly small solar panels, get a professional to clean them for you.
And, when cleaning, avoid using soap and water because you might create a bigger problem. Just a clean, dump cloth is enough.
If you want to learn how to properly clean your solar lights, check out our article on “How to clean solar lights“.
4# Wrong Sensitivity Level Settings with Your Solar Lights
Again, the reason for your solar lights coming on during the day could be something as simple as using the wrong sensitivity level settings.
Remember, if you leave the sensitivity setting at the highest level, your solar lights’ sensor will detect even the slightest change with the amount of light, triggering it to turn on. This gets worse if your light is placed in a shady area, because the sensor will register that as darkness and prompt the LED lights to go on.
How to set a solar light sensitivity level?
Most solar lights have a small knob that you use to set the sensitivity levels. The various levels are labeled, and all you do is turn it to the appropriate option. However, if you cannot find the knob, you can go back to the manual or contact the manufacturer/supplier for guidance.
5# Override Switch is On
Outdoor solar lights feature an override switch that overrides their light sensor, thus making them remain on even when it’s not dark. Now, if yours are solar security lights, you might have turned the switch on so that they remain on throughout the night, and if you do not switch it off, your solar lights will continue lighting even after dusk.
If this is the issue, solving it is just as easy as turning the override switch off.
#6 Light Duration Setting
Another common reason why your solar lights are coming on during the day is selecting the wrong light duration setting.
The light duration setting will range anywhere between ten seconds and one hour. Meaning, your solar light will remain on for some time after the sensor has triggered the LED light to go off. So, if yours is set at the highest duration, one hour, it will remain on, unnecessarily longer even when the daylight comes.
To solve this, all you do is readjust the light duration setting to one minute at most, because this will allow for a quicker transition.
Note: These settings are very important. If the light sensitivity level is at its highest and the light duration setting is high as well, this will mean that once the sensor detects any light changes, the LED lights will go on.
And, even if whatever caused the changes in light is long gone, like say a passing shadow, your lights will still remain on for an hour, which will eventually affect the recharging time.
7# Water Related Damages
If you have checked the settings, cleaned the solar panel and the sensor but still your solar lights come on during the day, it’s time to check if there is any water or moisture penetration, which could have affected the light sensor.
Ideally, outdoor solar lights should be built to withstand any weather conditions, given that they will be totally exposed throughout the year.
This is why you will see them labeled as IP65, IP66, etc. This shows their waterproof levels. And, if a solar light is truly well-manufactured, it should still function normally even after being exposed to various weather elements such as the rain and snow.
However, even with these ratings, some solar lights are poorly manufactured, and they let water in, which end up affecting the electronics and other core parts.
Now, if this is the case, check if the warranty is still viable because the best thing to do is to contact the manufacturer or seller to see if you can get a refund or replacement.
If the warranty is long expired, get the right tools and carefully take the cover off, drain the water or wipe the moisture then leave the unit at a secure place to dry before reassembling it. Once set, let it recharge for some time then test and see if the light sensor is now working as it should.
#8 Faulty Wires
Your outdoor solar lights are exposed to everything, including squirrels and other small animals whose curiosity might make them bite the wires off. If the wires are tampered with, this might affect the normal functionality of the lights, thus making them remain or turn on even during the day.
Again, the wires might just be faulty from poor manufacturing. And, in this case, just like with water damage, the best thing to do is to contact the seller or the manufacturer for a replacement.
#9 Faulty Sensor
If after following all the steps above your outdoor solar light is still coming on during the day, now it’s time to check if the light sensor is faulty or damaged. This, is a bit tricky especially if there is no sign of breakage, so the only way to go about it is to get a replacement.
You will be lucky if it’s included in the warranty and it hasn’t expired. Alternatively, you can contact the seller, and ask them to send you the exact model as the damaged one to ensure that it will be compatible with the unit.
#10 Faulty Battery
If the problem still persists even after replacing the sensor, consider replacing the battery as well.
A faulty battery can interfere with the normal functioning of the solar lights. And, with the battery, you can switch from one brand to another, as long as it’s compatible with the unit.
Final words
Solar lights coming on during the day is a pretty common problem, but most of the time the causes are easy to fix. Any time this happens, start by checking the simple things like the settings or if the solar panel needs cleaning, before thinking of disassembling the unit or getting a replacement.
We hope that we have helped you by answering the question, “Why do my solar lights come on during the day”.
Do let us know if any of the top reasons described above and the suggestions on how to resolve them helped you figure out what was wrong with your solar lights. Also, feel free to mention any important points that you think we should include here in our comment section. Cheers!
