To begin measure solar panel amperage you will need a solar panel tester known as an amp meter.
How to tell if outside solar lights panel is working.
Therefore if you re trying to test your lights during the day to see whether they re working you should cover the solar panel with either your hand or a piece of dark cloth.
To get an accurate measurement you will need to ensure that your panel is in full sunlight when you test.
Sometimes the light stops working simply because plants in the area have grown so much they block much of the daylight the solar panel needs to charge the device.
In many cases this simple thing is ignored by many people and this is one of the main reasons why your solar light isn t working as expected.
Open circuit voltage can vary depending on your solar panel but the readings we are usually looking for are in the range of 15 to 23v.
There might also be a factory defect and the light doesn t turning on.
To measure the amp output of your solar panel you will need to attach the meter to the positive and negative.
Your solar lights will charge much more efficiently when they re turned off.
This is another way to test the solar lights to make sure they still operate properly.
Thoroughly clean the solar panel.
Be sure to leave them outside in a place where they ll still receive as much sunlight as possible.
Turn the solar lights off while still leaving the solar lights outside in the sunlight.
Leave them unused for 48 to 72 hours and then turn them on.
Most of the outdoor solar garden lights come with on off button and that button needs to be turned on.
Trim back any overgrowth or simply move the light so its panel receives direct sunlight much of the day.
Solution if you have a battery indicator use it to test the batteries to see if they are working properly.
Simply touch the solar panel leads with the multi meter probes matching their corresponding polarity red to red black to black.
Use normal alkaline batteries as a test to see if the light illuminates if the light illuminates you know the batteries in the solar light need to be replaced with new rechargeable batteries.
It s recommended that you do this on a regular basis e g once a month in order to keep your solar lights working as effectively as possible.