good quality outdoor wall light!

theSouth · 4 Oct 2015

I've used "stainless steel" wall lights in the past and every single one rusted!

My fault for thinking £20 is enough for such a light. I know...

Anyone have a recommendation for either good quality s/s light or aluminum?

Needs to be a dusk to dawn

Just spent 30 mins googling but struggling to find something. May £60 upper end? Or is that just not enough

I have some decent modern up/down aluminium ones in garden, but no dusk. And I can't just easily fit an external dusk sensor since this is replacing lights.

Cheers in advance

sparkwright · 4 Oct 2015

Can't recommend any, but do sympathise with your problem.

Maybe with new lights, a regular quick wipe with something like WD40 might keep the rust down.

I suspect despite paying more, the lights will still rust.

I can only suggest asking before you buy what kind of guarantee they come with. Some lights I obtained recently from Screwfix were warrented at three years. Therefore I am going to keep the receipts very safely, and return them when they start to get rusty.

It's a problem for all outside lights. Metal ones rust, or the paint peels off. And plastic ones go yellow or brittle.

I spoke to the manager of a lighting shop about this recently.

He couldn't give a damn.

Robin0577 · 4 Oct 2015

I suppose it depends on the style of lights you're looking for. If you happen to like the retro industrial look, Coughtrie stuff seems to last "forever". Well, I've certainly seen some of their products still in working order after 40-50 years. http://www.coughtrie.com/

ban-all-sheds · 6 Oct 2015

Stainless steel should not rust in the open air in Bath.

Robin0577 · 6 Oct 2015

ban-all-sheds said:
Stainless steel should not rust in the open air in Bath.

Should being the operative word here. Proper stainless steel that meets all the appropriate standards wouldn't, but low grade "China Export" stainless steel as used in the mass production of cheap light fittings hardly qualifies as proper and often does oxidise.

PrenticeBoyofDerry · 6 Oct 2015

The polycarbonate half/full lanterns in black are normally the best ones to use to avoid staining, and have near come across one becoming brittle.

ban-all-sheds · 6 Oct 2015

Buy stainless steel exterior lights in a ship's chandler?

coopersim · 7 Oct 2015

https://www.astrolighting.co.uk

Quality is excellent, quite pricey though.

ban-all-sheds · 12 Oct 2015

coopersim said:
https://www.astrolighting.co.uk

Quality is excellent, quite pricey though.

Not if their bathroom lights are any guide.

The promise:

The reality some time later:

securespark · 12 Oct 2015

What do you expect when you put them in the shower cubicle?

ban-all-sheds · 13 Oct 2015

They are not in a shower cubicle, they are in a bathroom.

And I expect(ed) them to last "for ever" in a bathroom, what with them being sold as bathroom lights and all.

theSouth · 13 Oct 2015

ban-all-sheds said:
Stainless steel should not rust in the open air in Bath.

I agree. But lights that are sold as 'stainless steel' do rust, at least the cheap (say £20) for each light ones.

Hence my question.

EFLImpudence · 13 Oct 2015

They are not stainless steel, then.

theSouth · 13 Oct 2015

EFLImpudence said:
They are not stainless steel, then.

Look at my original question and notice the quotation marks.

nebjamin · 13 Oct 2015

I had similar requirements to you, but solved it in a different way.

I got some brushed ali up/down lighters from Screwfix (around £20 ea). They have been out in the elements for about 18 months now and no sign of rust.

No dusk/dawn sensor of course, so I replaced the internal light switch with a LightwaveRF radio controlled dimmer switch and got one of their Wifi-link boxes which allows you to configure rules about on/off time.

I have them come on at sunset and off at midnight. Works pretty flawlessly. Have most of the house set up like this.

---

Side note: Am currently upgrading them to work with RaspPi running Domoticz and wireless PIR sensors so when someone walks up the drive the lights increase from 30% brightness to 100% brightness for 5-10 mins, then back to 30%.

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good quality outdoor wall light!

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