Montage Outside Lighting Maintenance and Repair

The Architectural Review Committee periodically checks neighborhood lighting as part of its quarterly light inspection program. This inspection includes checking all Montage common area landscape lights and outdoor lights on private properties, including front yard lights, garage lights, and house number lights.

If one of your original front yard lights is burned out or malfunctioning, our lighting contractor will schedule it for relamping or repair. If your garage or house number lights are off or not working, you probably received a letter from PPM asking you to correct the situation. What follows is some information we hope may be helpful to you in fixing your lights.

Garage Lights

Garage lights are generally easily replaced depending on whether you have a wall sconce fixture on each side of your garage door or two can lights above your garage door. The Association recommends replacing your lights with bulbs labeled Soft or Warm White (2700K–3000K). We want to discourage the use of lights labeled “Daylight” (4000–5000K). Our goal is to have lighting consistency from home to home along the street. Here is a link to an article on the Montage webpage that should be helpful.

House Number Lamp Replacement

The plastic house number fixtures on Montage homes are twenty years old, and depending on their sun exposure, they may be getting brittle with age, heat, and UV rays. You may find the fixtures need replacing next time you change a lamp or paint your home.

The replacement lamps are15000 hour-rated Eiko-193 lamps (bulbs), 14-Volt, 5-watt, 33Amp, T3.25 shape, C2-F Wedge Base available directly from Aero-Lite (part no. LB193) using this link: aero-lite.com or in quantities of 10 on Amazon by Clicking Here. (see picture) Locally, you can check for low-voltage miniature landscape/automotive bulbs with the exact specifications at Lowes or Home Depot. An LED version is also available from the manufacturer Aero-Lite using this link. https://aero-lite.com/products/Parts-c679411.

The address number remains lit 24 hours a day but uses very little power drawn from a low voltage transformer like is used for a doorbell. The light will go out if one lamp needs replacing, so it is probably better to replace both lamps simultaneously. Although these lamps last a very long, you may want to pick up a few spare bulbs because they are frequently out of stock.

To replace the lamps, remove the small screws on either side of the fixture that holds the lens in place and then pull/snap off the lens cover. Removal of the bulbs can be a little difficult. Hold the fixture with one hand, grab the small bulb with your fingers, and forcibly pull it out of the socket. Repeat for the other lamp. You may want to consider wearing leather garden gloves to improve grip and protect your fingers. Installing a new lamp is more straightforward; push the lamp into the socket until you hear the click.

Snap the lens cover back on the fixture base, replace the screws on either side, and you are done.

 Street Number Fixture Replacement

If your street number light fixture needs replacement, you can get a new low-voltage fixture (including five 4-inch numbers) from the manufacturer at Aero-Lite.com. Before ordering, please verify that your lens cover is 4 7/8″ x 11.5″ wide. The model number is PLHN4. Here is the link to do that: aero-lite.com. If you need a new lens cover with your address, Click Here. It is available by clicking here for a slightly higher price if you wish to purchase from Amazon.

No other fixture designs are acceptable. If you have a 9.5-inch-long fixture currently, they are no longer available, so you will have to replace it with a slightly larger one.

Replacing the fixture is an easy do-it-yourself project. You’ll need a slot-head screwdriver and possibly a drill and masonry bit. Because the light is powered by a
low voltage of 14 volts or less, this is one of the few electrical projects you can do without turning off the circuit. Generally, house number lights and doorbells do not have circuit breakers. If your fixture wiring inside the cover looks different than the picture, you may have a different fixture type and should treat the current as if it were 120 volts.

To change the fixture, remove the lens as described above for lamp replacement. Carefully unscrew the two wires leading to the socket and free the wires. Then remove the two screws attaching the fixture to your garage wall. Carefully remove the fixture from the wall. Remount the new fixture to the wall with the same screws. You may need to drill new mounting holes in the wall and attach them with lead or plastic anchors.

Once the fixture is reattached to the wall, reconnect the two low-voltage wires, and the lamps should be illuminated. Place the lens over the fixture base with the lamps lighted and snap it into position.