ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Parking Lot Lighting Maintenance Programs

Do any of you guys run parking lot lighting maintenance programs? I'm looking to start a program for customers to stop out and check their lighting once a month.I'm open to ideas on pricing and structure of this program. Most of our customers find it a pain to check the lights themselves. Currently we charge 75.00 an hour plus material to send one guy and a bucket truck for repairs. This is limited to poles 35 feet and less in height. Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

I did Lighting Maintenance for a couple of our "Prior To Take-Over" Bank customers. Did this off and on for a couple years, until there wasn't enough time to deal with it.

This was maint. on both Parking Lot lighting and the ATM area lighting (known by the slang assembly bill name of "AB-244", which is more accurately "California Financial Code Division 4, Section 13000 - 13080").

Went through and replaced lamps (+ Ballasts if necessary), plus cleaned up fixtures - inside and out.
Verified proper time clock operations. Checked on lighting contactors - repaired / replaced when necessary.
Also designed and installed many Lighting Control Systems - which controlled interior lights, exterior lights and exterior signs - all independently.

For scheduled maintenance, a monthly check was normal. Instructed the BM / CSM / BOM to contact me if any crucial lighting failed.

Billing was around $45.00 / hr + parts (not too bad of a deal for them!!!).

In your situation(s), the impact of non-functioning lights would need to be figured, then suggest a routine schedule.
The ATM lighting is such an important item for FAs, it needs to be monitored somehow and faulty lighting needs to be fixed ASAP!!! (like that day!).

Some suggestions for monitoring lighting levels, in areas where life safety or high security is crucial:

• Lumen Monitors - alerts someone when a certain footcandle level is not achieved,
• Back-Up luminares - if any fixtures fail, an aux. one will automatically light,
• Load current sensors - if total load current drops below a certain level, someone gets alerted,
• Cycling lamp sensors - records and alerts events where lamps begin to cycle off and on, such as HPS lamps do when nearing their life end.

Others can suggest much better ideas than this!

Scott35 S.E.T.

BTW: "BM" = Branch Manager, "CSM" = Customer Service Manager, "BOM" = Branch Operations Manager, "FA" = Financial Association.

Hee, Hee, Scott
I got sent to a bank on Vandenberg AFB (way up the Coast) in the early '80s to repair an ATM light. The new "BM" had tried several bulbs to no avail.
(What he didn't realize was that the previous BM had been putting the old bulbs back in the packages ) I didn't have one so had to spend 79 cents at the supermarket for a new 100w-A19. End result=15 hours, all billable + 79cents.

I used to do an exterior lighting contract for a very large owner of buildings. (Oltmans)
Check/repair quarterly: timers, photocells, contactors, lamps, and ballasts.
$50hr labor, $15hr 35' bucket truck(when needed), material cost+ 30%.
It helped a lot when times were slow....S

Scott35, your comments about the implied legal aspects of autoteller security-lighting reliability and repair urgency sound akin to that of FAA-mandated monitoring/alarming of obstruction lighting on broadcast towers.

PL lighting is done "as needed". The property managers, or maintenance people contact our office when "lites are out".
4 here, three there, eleven here, etc. We suggest group re-lampings, but "it's costly" is usually the reply. So, T&M @ $85.00 hr for 55' bucket, & materials at cost +
John

yeah i know what you mean about that and i do have program with parking light and inteoir lighting system too and i try to encourge the coumster to do the group replacement some tell me it cost too much and i say yeah but look at the time amd materal and how many trip i have to make it and they relize it i say it is more cheaper for me and them to do it once quicker and i try encourge my comuster to get therir parking light and outside light full check out before winter come here ( in northeast wisconsin it can have nasty stuff here ) and the cost it varis depend what it have to be done but the ave cost is about 45.00 per hr and materals

merci marc

One of the secrets to business success is to have regular, repeat customers whose work can be relied upon to pay your overhead.
One of my "base" customers is a large apartment complex; another is a chain of grocery stores. When their lights are out, or their needs change, they call me. I also check the lights myself from time to time.
Now, walking a parking lot on a dark winter night, or climbing a light pole, is not my favorite way to make money- but it provides the base that makes my business possible.

Well said John Steinke.
Steady, repeat, Happy customers pay the bills.
John