Solar Lights

aqua111

Do all Solar Lights have batteries?
I have had two of these lights in my garden for 5 years and they are as bright as the day I bought them.
They have never been moved.

[Deleted User]

All solar lights have an accumulator of some kind, to store energy.

If they didn't, they would only work in daylight, which would be pretty pointless.

Sam_Fallow

The ones I've had in my garden for more than five years each have 2 AA rechargeable batteries. At least I think that's what they were under all the rust and gunk. No wonder they stopped working. Bin!

esuhl

I remember, as a kid, people would joke about "solar-powered torches" in the same way as "chocolate teapots". I laughed pretty hard when they actually came out with one!

It has a rechargeable battery to store the charge from the sun during the day, to power the light when it's dark.

kwikbreaks

IME Most of the cheap ones either give up the ghost during the year they were bought or the year after. At no time do they provide much in the way of illumination and are pretty much more decorative than useful although by marking a familiar path you may avoid muddy boots.

aqua111

They cost £5 for 2 and are still very bright.

esuhl

I've seen a few solar-powered lights -- the kind that you stake in the ground. Most of them are rubbish (although even the cheapo ones have improved slightly over the years).

I've seen a couple of expensive-looking ones that seem to be semi-permanently installed, and they're amazing.

So, where did you get your cheap, good ones from, aqua111? Can you remember?

stator

All the old ones had one or two AA or AAA batteries, usually ni-mh . Newer ones often have a lithium battery, which would be better.
The things to look for are the capacity of the battery, in mah and the lumens of the light and for how long it lasts.

The ones that turn on at dusk automatically are usually pretty crap, no better than marker posts.
You can get some decent ones that have a PIR so they only use energy when someone passes, they can have a much brighter light.

googler

£1 each from our local ethnic supermarket chain. Whichever of us is doing the shopping adds one or two to the basket if any have gone on the fritz, and we never notice the cost.

Some last a long time, some don't, but for £1, you don't expect much ....

I was in Ikea the other day, wondering how they manage to source material for, make, wrap and deliver a Lack Coffee Table for £8 ... or should I be referring to it as their 'Loss Leader' table?

aqua111

esuhl wrote: »

I've seen a few solar-powered lights -- the kind that you stake in the ground. Most of them are rubbish (although even the cheapo ones have improved slightly over the years).

I've seen a couple of expensive-looking ones that seem to be semi-permanently installed, and they're amazing.

So, where did you get your cheap, good ones from, aqua111? Can you remember?

They were from Asda.
I just stuck them in the soil in my back garden and they come on at night.
Like to look at them from my kitchen window.

Benners123

We have lots of them in our front garden, some in the ground and some which we have tied to the surrounding fence. Looks very pretty when we get back late at night!

Yes they have little rechargeable batteries in, and work brilliantly.