PV Gap

Debbie Said:

Solar lights...(little Malibu in-expensive ones)...have problems with batteries.?

We Answered:

you may be getting water under the unit and the batteries will not charge.these batteries need at least 24 to 48 hours of direct sun to get a full charge charge.you could buy a charger

Jason Said:

Solar lights used in driveways, yards, etc. -What kind of batteries....?

We Answered:

We replaced ours just last month and discovered that they have recharagable ni-cad batteries in them. We have two styles in our yard, one takes AAA and the other takes AA so open yours up first and see which size there are in yours. You will also see that they are ni-cads. the little solar cell panel on the top of the light fixture recharges the batteries during the day.

Gilbert Said:

is it harmful to use regular alkaline batteries in my solar lights?

We Answered:

Alkalines are generally not rechargable, so after a few nights, they will be dead. Shortly thereafter, they may leak.

The best thing to get is batteries specifically designed for your solar lights. Before, this meant NiCd batteries designed to withstand high temperature. Newer solar lights may have a charging circuit that can handle NiMH. But if you see a NiCd battery in there now, that's a clue that the charger is just a simple trickle charger, and will not charge NiMH well.