How to PREVENT cloudy solar panels on your LED garden lights

[@alexisnicole3965]

Thank you for the idea! I cannot remember how many solar lights for my garden have gone bad, our quickest fix its to throw it away and replace it with a new one. This is going to save me a ton of money! Keep on making your videos bc they are very helpful.

[@char1ieone]

Thanks for the tidbit, Jason! Currently redoing my parents backyard now that they are elderly and searched for solar resorations for their old panels and your video was on the top 5 that came up. Hope all is well. - Charlie one, one-one, one, one.

[@InJasonsGarage]

Of all of my videos you comment on, you comment on one with ZERO actual car content. 🤣 Good to hear form you, old buddy. I miss ya!

[@williamfreeman6889]

Hey Jason, I'm just wondering how this worked out over the course of a year. Do you think it prevented fogging as expected?

[@MyPigletFarts]

thanks sooo much, just purchased few solar security lights. should be arriving next week and that way gives me time to go buy some of that spray to protect my solar panels lights

[@InJasonsGarage]

Glad I could help!

[@kushis4ever]

Thats an ingenious way to keep those cells useful. That said, most of these chinese lights have corrosive screws. You then have to dismantle the item possibly damaging it.

[@TH-eb5ro]

I have used UV clear spray paint, that is a good alternative.

[@wegder]

I just tried this today, I hadn't seen your video but I'm hoping it works

[@InJasonsGarage]

Hope you like it!

[@thelovedheir]

Does blocking UV interfere with the quality of the light output?

[@InJasonsGarage]

No, it is transparent.

[@sleeve8651]

Out of desperation, I was able to bring some nice decorative hanging lights back to life, by using WD - 40, and Scotch Bright pads to remove the oxidation from the face of the solar panels ! Too...I found out that many a Solar light, made to look like a light bulb, hold water ! Obviously ruining the electronics in short order ! Quick fix, is to drill a weep hole at the very bottom of the bulb ! Use common sense here ! Nothing too large, but big enough to let water drain quickly ! Fill the plastic envelope with water to gauge this ! Best to disassemble before drilling ! These may require some maintenance as well, as tiny Spiders can clog the weep holes, with Cob webs ! Also, I have found that replacing the original batteries that come with these, with a better grade, goes a long way in keeping them working ! Always be sure to purchase, " Rechargeable " batteries for the obvious reasons ! After much hair pulling experiment's, I was pleasantly surprised, that my lights even work through some very frigid Midwestern days and nights, after having a sunny winters day ! It still shocks me to see them working in Winter ! Where before, I had been bringing them indoors, thinking the cold would ruin them ! These of mine, are on their Third or Fourth Season ! So a little TLC goes a long way with these ! ((💡)) 👍😉 Just Say'n !

[@MrTitan225]

thanks ! I'll try this....my lights are cloudy on lens

[@jammersjustpickinforu9993]

Great idea, thank you

[@InJasonsGarage]

Glad it helped!

[@VictoriaWTX]

So helpful! Thank you!

[@InJasonsGarage]

Glad it helped!

[@jenniferpetrellicarslearni2265]

Can it be any brand to spray on it?

[@sue5357]

great ideas!!!

[@InJasonsGarage]

Thank you! 😊

[@Gwarlock]

I tried clear epoxy but it didn't work. I'll give this a try.

[@pmarx228]

if you want to clean the solar panels on your garden lights the easy way just use 70% Isopropyl alcohol and cotton pads, not cotton balls but pads. soak pads with alcohol and wipe the gunk comes right off, the alcohol dries fast .

[@InJasonsGarage]

Does that smooth out the cloudiness or just clean them?

[@bratan007]

@@InJasonsGarage It only wipes off dirt. IPA does nothing to clear cloudy plastic that was affected by UV sunlight

[@MrMoto1te]

So how did the spray work to protect the panel?

[@InJasonsGarage]

It worked very well. In fact, the solar lights stopped working before the panels started to get cloudy.

[@denisebattle5008]

Any suggestions for extending the life of solar lights?

[@MrMoto1te]

@@InJasonsGarage Thanks for your response

[@itkahsramal4983]

@@denisebattle5008 hi many solar lights use rechargeable batteries. I keep them on hand just in case because my solar lights cost too much to just throw away!

[@tritonh5683]

@@InJasonsGarage this means this light did last dry long.

[@meenam300zx]

I have exact round solar lights with cheap plastic. The question is how do to clean it? I have used Meguiars product but it doesn't do a good job on these cheap plastic. It still look cloudy.

[@InJasonsGarage]

I use Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner cleaning stuff like this and for just about everything else. The lights used in this video stopped working a while ago, but the lenses were still in good shape. I just think the batteries stopped holding a charge and it was cheaper to get something else than to buy new batteries for it.

[@TeamProsperity]

How does spraying clear clear coat over the oxidation clear it up? you’re just spraying clear coat over the grime?

[@InJasonsGarage]

The headlight protectant spray that I used has UV inhibitors in it. It is not standard clear coat.

[@elaineharper8845]

You should probably sand off the oxidation before you put clear coat on doesn't make sense to just put clear code over something that's oxidized

[@fredroe7556]

Just curious is the cardboard template needed for over spray?

[@InJasonsGarage]

Not really. I am just particular sometimes. 😄 Looking back, I shoulda just blasted the entire surface.

[@fredroe7556]

@@InJasonsGarage I did it today to ours I sprayed on microfiber and wiped on

[@giao2380]

I heard to paint a coat of clear nail polish and the solar lights start working again after cloudy.

[@InJasonsGarage]

That is one solution, but that won't typically last long. It is more cost-effective and easier to use a basic clear spray paint. I have used this in the past with some pretty good results: amzn.to/3BHBTyt

[@garydrouillard9407]

Why didn't you clean a light with bad film on it, the one you cleaned looked brand new, i wanted to see some real results.

[@InJasonsGarage]

I think you might have misunderstood the video. I mentioned how to fix already faded and cloudy solar panels near the beginning gf the video. However, the subject of is how to *_PREVENT_* them from getting cloudy in the first place.

[@pep729]

I was under the impression the solar lights needed the UV rays to charge. No?

[@InJasonsGarage]

They need sunlight. UV rays are a form of radiation also emitted by the sun.

[@pep729]

@In Jason's Garage Exactly. So if you apply a uv ray blocking coating will they still charge efficiently?

[@InJasonsGarage]

@@pep729 Have a look at this: solivace.com/charge-solar-panel-with-uv-light/

[@pep729]

@@InJasonsGarage Excellent explanation. Thanks.

[@InJasonsGarage]

@@pep729 You bet!

[@HHHWLH]

The plastic oxidizes due to UV rays over time. Your suggestion does not work.

[@InJasonsGarage]

You didn't really watch the video, did you? 😃

[@HHHWLH]

@@InJasonsGarage Did.

[@HHHWLH]

@@InJasonsGarage You probably could extend the life of the plastic if you cleaned and re-applied Meguiar every two weeks.

[@debbiemcgraw2270]

Did this didn’t work

[@InJasonsGarage]

What happened?

[@victoralvarez6763]

Can gun?... Just press the one that the can comes with.... DF

[@InJasonsGarage]

Never used one before, have you?

[@bordgard1]

Victor Alvarez: When afforded the opportunity to remain silent or to go out of the way to make yourself a fool, you may want to weigh the advantages of the former over the latter.

[@tw_72]

@@InJasonsGarage I don't always use the can gun for small jobs, but for larger jobs - I LOVE IT!!!!!!! Saves the hand from cramping! Thanks for the reminder.

[@InJasonsGarage]

@@tw_72 Glad it helped!

[@patricialeto1058]

@@tw_72 wish I knew about that today I just did a bunch of spray-painting