Choosing a fixture

Here you see a picture of a PAR fixture located in a mulched area of the landscape and you also see what can happen. Thanks go to fellow AOLP member, Michael Deo (http://naturescapelighting.com), for posting this picture on a lighting forum.
I’m going to climb on my soap box here and say that, sadly, I see this all the time -- and the reason is quite simple. These PAR (parabolic aluminized reflector) fixtures are installed by people who are selling lights, not designing and installing quality outdoor lighting systems. These outfits, whether they call themselves ‘outdoor lighting’ companies, landscape or irrigation companies, are just not really interested in how the system is going to look in a year. They just want to sell some lights and be gone. These particular lights in this picture are the cheapest for the contractor to buy, but require the highest level of maintenance to take care of them in the landscape. By installing this type of light fixture, a contractor can sell a lighting system which is very cheap going in, but costs a lot of money to care for. Then the unscrupulous installation company will not service the system they put in, and the home owner feels like they got ripped off -- because they did. You can see a sample of a burned fixture on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/nightscenes .
If you have any of these fixtures around your home, you should be on a regular and frequent (at least quarterly) maintenance plan so someone can keep the debris off of the lamps. If left unattended and these lamps continue to burn while covered in mulch, the heat they generate could easily start a serious fire. Unfortunately, we have seen this more than once. In dryer climates and drought ridden areas of the country especially, this is big trouble.
So, what is the best thing to do here? If you’re not likely to walk your own property often to inspect the fixtures yourself, I highly recommend replacing those PAR fixtures with above ground directional fixtures which will not get covered with all kinds of mulch and other debris. And look for LED lamps and fixtures which dissipate heat differently making them a much safer choice in this application. This is what should have been used in the first place. But since the more appropriate higher quality fixture costs more going in, the cut-rate installer may be afraid the homeowner will balk at the price, and therefore goes the cheap route. What this homeowner didn’t know is how much that lesser priced lighting fixture will cost in maintenance – and possibly hazards – down the road.
We always try to take time to educate our clients as to why we choose the fixtures that we use. We find that our homeowners appreciate this information, and are smart enough to understand the long term value. We always recommend using a certified member of the AOLP (Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals) when you are in the market for an outdoor lighting system. These serious lighting professionals are the ones who know the difference quality fixtures can make in the safety and beauty of their designs. They go the extra mile to insure the end user is well taken care of long term, and will not end up regretting the decision to invest in an outdoor lighting system for their home.