Outdoor lighting is an important asset for many commercial businesses. It accentuates your property and promotes more customer traffic with increased visibility. It is also an essential tool for the safety of both your employees and your customers. However, several issues can occur during installation or throughout the pole’s life that impairs the effectiveness and security of your exterior lighting. Here are some common light pole problems you may encounter:
- Wrong base plate or anchor bolt patterns don’t match
- Unattractive or worn down light pole base
- Rusted or damaged light pole base
- Low light or ineffective beam pattern
- Improper light pole installation
- Long lead times that stall your project
Solutions for Light Pole Problems
1. Wrong base plate or bolt patterns don’t match
When replacing older light poles, don’t assume that a new similar-sized light pole will match your existing base plate and anchor bolt pattern. Older outdoor light poles featured larger bolt circle measurements than often seen on newer poles. Even newer poles from different manufacturers can have slight differences in the bolt circle dimensions.
Larger commercial properties may have been built in phases. In this case, you may find that poles of the same size have different base plates. It’s quite common to order a light pole only to find out it doesn’t match the base plate because a measure was taken for a bolt square pattern instead of a bolt circle pattern.
Solution: Use a Light Pole Adapter.
Use the right anchor bolt template or correct a mistake with an adapter that accurately positions and fixes anchor bolts when the bolt circle patterns don’t match. The anchor bolt adapter allows your light pole installer to modify (or adapt) the bolt circle size, position, or distance from the center. It will also overcome mistakes by procurement or vendors when the anchor bolt circle measurement is confused with an anchor bolt square dimension.
2. Unattractive or worn down light pole base
Your light poles bases will take on the brunt of pedestrian and vehicular traffic abuse. This includes scratches, dents, dullness, rust, discoloration, and other damage. When people visit your establishment, all they see is the lower to middle portion of your light poles.
Even light poles in grassy areas can look unsightly due to damage from weed whackers and lawnmowers. Rust and corrosion will follow once the surface finish on a steel base is removed.
Decorative light post base covers
Suppose your light pole base is looking worn down, scratched up, or grimy. In that case, you can easily support your facility beautification project by installing decorative covers over the base that feature a powder coating. Using a powder-coated base cover offers the longest-lasting and strongest base finish available. And, the color is extremely durable and resistant to fading, scratching, and chipping.
Decorative light pole base covers are an excellent solution if the damage to the base is primarily cosmetic and doesn’t compromise the integrity of the light pole.
3. Rusted or damaged light pole base
When the protective finish of a light pole has been compromised, rainwater can start the process of surface metal rust. Light poles with ground-level rust can break away, fall, and cause extensive property damage or personal injury. Often, a decorative cover conceals just how corroded and damaged a light pole base really is.
If your light poles have been in place for many years, consider the damage they’ve endured from small dings and big bumps from people and vehicles. When a rusted base is also a part of the equation, it is easy to see how the next bump can take down the entire light pole.
Solution: Fiberglass or aluminum light pole replacements
Aluminum and fiberglass light poles are lightweight and easy to install. They also resist rusting, making them suitable for regions that experience heavy rains and salted areas in the winter. LightMart.com offers fiberglass light poles with extra heavy-duty or heavy-duty construction. Expect a fiberglass pole to last about 20-to-30 years, while aluminum has a life cycle of 50 years or more.
4. Low light or ineffective beam pattern
When your light pole assembly is not providing enough light, it can promote vandalism, theft, and other criminal activity. Exterior light quantity and quality are not the only thing you should consider; look for dark spots where light distribution is minimal. Areas needing proper illumination include general parking, front and back entryways, landscaping, wide paths, or narrow alleys are most commonly underlit.
Light poles should feature light fixtures and bulbs that illuminate the area properly. Depending on the age of your light fixtures and light bulbs, certain lighting technologies do not offer energy savings, and they cast an unflattering, yellowish color. Other contributing factors to low light issues include purchasing poles made with cheap materials and using lower wattage bulbs and shorter poles than the area requires.
Solution: LED outdoor commercial lighting
The LED light bulb for exterior lighting has quickly become the preferred choice of lighting contractors when specifying commercial lighting systems. LightMart.com supplies decorative poles with LED lighting fixtures to fit any outdoor application, including floodlights, area lighting, wall packs, street lights, and landscape or accent lighting.
When you take advantage of energy-saving LED technology, especially ENERGY STAR rated products -- expect to consume at least 75% less energy. LED exterior lights also last 3 times longer than HID bulbs and fixtures.
5. Improper Light Pole Installation
Common issues with light poles can be traced back to a poor installation that results in loose, leaning, or falling poles. This is an urgent matter as the property owner can be held liable if the light pole falls and clashes with power lines and causes injury or a fatal accident.
Another common issue with low-quality light pole installations is improper grounding. A quality installation will consider safely diverting a lightning strike through a metal ground rod driven into the earth.
Loose, rusted, and deteriorated pole fittings, anchor bolts, arms, brackets, or light fixtures are often unnoticed. Powerful storms result in fallen or leaning light poles as a result. The cause is often improper light pole installation or faulty welds during manufacturing.
Solution: Light pole repair or replacement
Suppose your exterior lighting system fails due to improper installation; you should consider replacing them with new poles installed by a reputable contractor. Suppose the issue is the improper grounding of a light pole that is in good condition. In this case, you should contact an electrician or a lighting contractor to schedule an inspection and repair. Consider replacing poorly installed light poles with a new 10-20 foot high light pole kit from LightMart.com, including a photocell, anchor bolts, base cover, and LED fixture.
6. Long lead times that stall your project
Light pole manufacturers do not stock large varieties of light poles and fixtures. As a result, many companies grapple with extended lead times from pole manufacturers. This can put landscape beautification and property infrastructure improvement projects on hold.
When components or light pole assemblies are not in stock, the manufacturer will issue a “made to order” production ticket; and charge your company for a custom lighting system. It’s not unusual for these light pole replacement orders to take 4 to 6 weeks - and in extreme cases, up to 3 months or more before delivery.
Solution: Partner with LightMart.com for Fast delivery on Quick-Ship’ Light Poles
Eliminate these common problems with light poles by partnering with LightMart.com. LightMart.com provides ready-to-ship, exterior lighting solutions to cover most exterior lighting installation needs. We specialize in exterior light pole replacements and repair kits that are easy for your lighting professional to procure and install.
As your one-stop, online solution for solving light pole installation problems, LightMart.com distributes a wide range of lighting components for your repair needs. We provide solutions for faulty pole foundations to adapters to match your new light poles with an existing base. We also supply commercial outdoor light fixtures with LED light bulbs.
LightMart.com takes pride in our fast delivery of exterior lighting parts and assemblies that shorten lead times and meet a wider range of exterior lighting needs. If you’re unsure of your light pole specifications, our staff of lighting engineers and technical experts can quickly assist with product selection or custom alternatives.
For more information or to request a free quote, contact LightMart.com today!