Frequently asked questions
Could you tell me why there's two solar panels on my light
Asked by Byron on 9 Oct 2025
Hello, you can swivvle the panels for extra charging!
I need to replace the led light tops, when ordering there are 2 different sizes, not sure which to order?
Asked by Dianne Davies on 17 Jul 2024
The link to these can be found here
How do you remove the white plate please to replace the batteries?
Asked by Loraine McSherry on 19 Mar 2023
Hi Loraine, The batteries are pre-installed in the tops, If you want to replace them they are located on the top of the light, if you remove the top they are placed under the panel. We also have a video as part of our images that will help youlocate it
How do I get to the battery in my Canterbury solar wall light
Asked by Mr Thomas on 10 Jan 2023
The batteries are pre-installed in the tops, If you want to replace them they are located on the top of the light, if you remove the white plate it's located under there.
How long would the batteries last for general use? What type of batteries are they?
Asked by Chris P on 7 Jan 2023
They last from 2-3 years, they are AA batteries. You can also purchase them on our website if you click here .
Hi there, would these lights be bright enough to light a pathway up to our front door? They would be fitted onto a fence about half a metre in distance from the pathway? Thanks
Asked by Charlotte on 15 Oct 2021
These are 12 lumens.
Would these lights work / charge with just daylight or do they require direct sunlight
Asked by Malcolm Hewitt on 21 Sep 2021
they only come on in the evening however in the day time they are charging via sunlight
Can the batteries be replaced?
Asked by Ken on 15 Sep 2021
Yes, you can replace the batteries. They are located underneath the solar panel.
does the lamp produce cool while or warm white light?
Asked by Eric on 26 Aug 2021
A cool white colour.
Good morning, I have 12 of these lights, unfortunately 6 of these have stopped working due to moisture on the circuit board causing corrosion. Is it possible to buy the solar/lighting part only? Good attractive light but would be disappointing to have to pay for the whole item again plus have to dispose of the whole unit. Regards John
Asked by John Byrne on 11 Aug 2021
We do sell the tops separately. https://www.thesolarcentre.co.uk/products/XT_Power_Saving_Top_For_London_Canterbury_Durham-784-5.html
What is the white part of these light made of please ? is it plastic? I have similar ones from another company but the white has turned yellow.
Asked by Lesley Jones on 19 Jun 2021
That part is made of plastic.
What is the IP rating of these lights?
Asked by Sergio on 19 Jun 2021
IP44
Really like them,but what is IP rating please.
Asked by John Ridgway on 25 Apr 2021
The light should be fine outdoors, provided the top is left on, no water should get into the light.
will these fit well on a rendered wall?
Asked by julia powell on 28 Mar 2021
Yes, it should fit well.
Can these be fixed directly into timber with wood screws?
Asked by Shaun on 22 Feb 2021
Yes, they can be.
Is it possible to switch these lights off
Asked by Anne Barlow on 12 Dec 2020
Yes all our lights come with and On/Off switch, they do, when switched on, come on automatically.
Will these work under a south facing porch?
Asked by Richard Davis on 22 Nov 2020
The solar panel is positioned on top of the light and so would need to have access to sunlight, we do not advise placing it under a porch as it may not be able to recieve light.
Do you get any guarantee on the solar light products?
Asked by Shawn hartley on 11 Oct 2020
All our lights have a one year warranty.
Is it possible to get new diffusers. As well as solar tops for Canterbury solar wall lights?
Asked by Bob Hodder on 28 Sep 2020
No sorry, the diffusers are not sola separately.
Bought 4 lights and just put them up, At night them came on but after a couple of minutes one went off. I take it you might need more time for it to charge up.
Asked by Tony hunter on 26 Sep 2020
We recommend 3-5 days in the off position to charge up!
Currently it is dark outside but the lights will only come on when I touch the soloist panel ?
Asked by Elaine Bond on 17 Sep 2020
Sorry to hear you are having this issue. Please contact support@thesolarcentre.co.uk
How many lumens do these give out?
Asked by Michelle on 18 Aug 2020
These are roughly 12 lumen.
Is the light a warm white rather than a led bright white? I'm after the warm tone rather than the bright blue tone. Thank you .
Asked by Karen McKirdy on 7 Aug 2020
The light is a natural white, so not a warm colour.
What batteries would you need to replace in the light are they rechargeable or basic batteries
Asked by Julie on 1 Jul 2020
The batteries are AA rechargeable 1.2 volts.
What is the IP rating of the Canterbry XT Solar Wall light - will it survive a Cornish storm?
Asked by Annabel Lewis on 1 Jul 2020
The light should be fine outdoors, provided the top is left on, no water should get into the light.
We have a Canterbury solar wall light recently brought, order no 320782. We cannot find the switch it refers to. Please advise ASAP tel 07960094969
Asked by Barbara hunt on 20 Jun 2020
The switch is under the top where the panel is, you turn that over and there is the switch.
Hi there is it possible to purchase the shades on their own?
Asked by angela o'connor on 11 Jun 2020
I am afraid that this is not possible.
Hi what is the lum rating please
Asked by Philip Eley on 3 Jun 2020
These are 12 lumens
Are they durable for the winter months? Does the chrome discolour?
Asked by M Hourihan on 26 May 2020
We have had no instances of this to date.
Do you sell replacement solar lights (top parts) for these - I have 2 canterbury lights but while the metal fitting and diffuser ok the solar lights themselves have failed. Thanks
Asked by Alex on 7 Jan 2020
Spare tops can be brought here
Is there an override switch to turn off the light during dusk, if needed
Asked by Jim Gillbanks on 25 Nov 2019
Under the top part of the light, the solar panel is a switch.
I have replacements for solar Canterbury lights but have forgotten what the 2 on settings mean. Eg P Thanks
Asked by Carol cashmore on 4 Oct 2019
S for standard mode and P for powersaving mode.
I live in Spain would you recommend these lights to be used out here thinking about the intencity of the sun. I already have some solar wall lights and the panel that holds the solar unit has curled up from the base unit.
Asked by Francis Alan Aylward on 27 Jun 2019
We have many customers from Spain using our lights without any issues. The only thing that can limit the life of our lights would be the living right next to the sea with the salt causing issues.
Will these lights work on a North facing wall?
Asked by Rod on 22 Apr 2019
We wouldn't recommend but some customer do, direct sunlight will always charge the most but all light hitting the panel will charge.
What are the Lumens for this light please?
Asked by Dilys on 23 Mar 2019
12 lumens.
Its say to charge for a couple of days how do i charge it thanks
Asked by Susan Portess-Emberton on 23 Jan 2019
If you leave the light in the off position and in a much sun you can then it will be fully charged and ready to go.
Hi I want these on a front porch, but dont want to illuminate with every passer by. Is it possible to adjust the sensor down to 1 metre?
Asked by Nasrin Khan on 23 Jan 2019
This light comes on at dusk, if you are looking for a PIR (motion sensor) light please take a look at our security lights .
Can these be attached to a wooden fence post?
Asked by Max Knight on 25 Jul 2018
Yes, can't think of any reason why you can't.
Do you ship to the United States? Would this item work efficiently in Minnesota winters? Thanks
Asked by Ann-marie S on 6 Jul 2018
Yes, we ship to the USA, larger order we will need to quote for shipping. Your winters are very extreme. For prolonged periods below -20c or -4F we'd recommended bring them in. Extreme temperatures affect the battery life.
How many lumens is this?
Asked by S Byrne on 24 Jun 2018
12 lumens.
My light only works when I put my hand over the solar panel. Does this mean there is a fault?
Asked by Alison on 18 Jun 2018
No, that working perfectly. With your hand over the panel, the light thinks its night and comes on and stops charging. When the panel is exposed to light it will switch to the charging mode and the light will go off.
Does this light have a PIR mode?
Asked by Lindsey Bates on 9 Jun 2018
We don't offer the Canterbury with a PIR. All our PIR lights are shown on our security lights page
Can you just buy the solar panel for the top of these lights?
Asked by Kris Parry on 8 Jan 2018
We have replacement tops in white and warm white available here
do the lights still charge up on a dull winters day?
Asked by colin colbrook on 22 Oct 2017
Yes even on dull days solar lights charge just nowhere near as much as direct sunlight.
How wide is the fixing plate please? I'd like to know if I can fix them to a fence post.
Asked by Steve Oldfield on 7 Jul 2017
Wall Bracket: 112mm diameter. Many customers have fixed them to fence post.
Hello, Does the Canterbury light have an on/off switch? We don't really want the light on all night so would like to be able to turn off.
Asked by Aimee Logan on 7 Jul 2017
Yes the switch has 3 settings, On, Off and Powersaving. The switch is under the top.
i have already got a canterbury solar wall light however the top power unit does not work . do you sell the top unit only ? regards Steve
Asked by Steven Shears on 12 May 2017
Yes, we have replacements here however you may still be covered by the warranty, please contact us if you're unsure.
Hello, how many lumens do these lights emit? Thank you
Asked by George on 9 May 2017
12 lumens.
I purchased 2 warm white and 2 regular white replacement solar panels a few months ago to replace some in the West Indies. I am about to charge them now but cannot tell which ones are which. How can I tell without charging all 4?
Asked by Annette on 12 Mar 2017
If you turn the tops over so the solar panel is facing a flat surface and turn them on they should come on and you'll be able to see the colour difference in the light. If they don't come on just charge them for a couple of hours in the sun to get some charge into them and then turn them on.
Hi, how long roughly does the light stay on for in normal mode and also in winter mode please?
Asked by Simon on 26 Nov 2016
It's hard to give a precise answer as it depends on the installation location and the weather during the day. In a good unshaded south facing location you can expect up to 4-5 hrs after a good day at this time of year in standard mode and double that in Powersaving mode.
I've had 4 of these lights for some time. Two have stopped working. Do I need to change the batteries?
Asked by Gwyneth Radcliffe on 16 Oct 2016
It would be worth giving that a go, if you've got some spare AA rechargeable batteries just replace those and that should get you back up and running.
where do I order replacement tops for my canterbury lights
Asked by Wendy Nineham on 11 Sep 2016
You can get the latest XT tops from here .
Can I buy the light to illuminate a bedroom whilst I am away from the house to make it look like a light is on without actually leaving one on. Can I just pop it in a window and allow the sun to hit the solar panel?
Asked by Annie wild on 11 Aug 2016
We wouldn't recommend this, the panel may struggle to pick up sufficient charge behind the glass. The only way this might work would be to purchase an additional top and swap them over as required however this would only work if you were away for a day or two at a time.
How do I access the on/off/ S/P switch, battery if it needs changed. Thanks
Asked by Robert Mitchell on 8 Aug 2016
These are located on the underside of the top. Simply remove it from the white diffuser and turn it over.
Roughly how long before you have to recharge the batteries
Asked by A blythe on 8 Jul 2016
The batteries are recharged daily by the solar panel.
I assume that the little black switch near the batteries is the S/P/Off switch. How do I know which setting is which as there is no label?
Asked by Mark on 23 Jun 2016
There are markings on the plastic but they can be hard to see. The middle is "Off". The brighter setting is "S" and the slightly dimmer setting is "P".
Can you get timers for these lights ? No need to be on all night
Asked by Jan jones on 29 May 2016
They do not come with timers for turning them off. We do not sell timers for these lights.
What is the diameter of the base. Was looking to put lights on fence post which are 100mm across. Thanks
Asked by Neal on 28 May 2016
Wall Bracket: 112mm diameter
Is the light warm white? Can it be switched off if not required?
Asked by Stan Broster on 8 Apr 2016
It is a warm temperature. It can be switched off and will still charge.
Can I buy a replacement top section which contains the LED?
Asked by Sharon Stevens on 23 Feb 2016
Yes, they're available here .
can you replace the batteries
Asked by ALAN CLAPSON on 23 Feb 2016
Yes. The batteries are underneath the cap/solar panel.
Do the lights come with LEDs ? Or do you have to buy them ? What sort do you need ?
Asked by Paul on 24 Dec 2015
The lights come with LEDs already inside. The LED is the little yellow square you can see underneath the top.
Love these lights...but do they give enough light off in the winter?
Asked by Sharon on 27 Oct 2015
The XT top has a power-saving setting designed for winter which means it is slightly dimmer than usual but will go on for longer!
How bright in terms of wattage is the light?
Asked by Iain on 9 Oct 2015
It is roughly 3w. Nothing super bright as it is intended to be decorative.
Our daughter bought my husband one of these lights for Father's Day in June. It has stopped working! What should we do?
Asked by Mrs L Stone on 27 Aug 2015
Please contact: Returns@TheSolarCentre.co.uk
Do the chargers need direct sunlight?
Asked by Dave Clark on 18 Jun 2015
The solar panels need as much direct sunlight as possible.
How brights are these lights - we want to place it above a table in Spain on the roof terrace so the person under it will have light to play cards if it isnt bright enough what do you suggest? Thanks
Asked by John Dickson on 18 Jun 2015
I would suggest a spotlight instead. This is only a decorative light and would not be bright enough for reading by.
Hi reading the reviews of the old version I can see that brightness can be an issue. What are the differences between this XT version and the old version? What improvements have been made? Thanks
Asked by Patrick on 24 May 2015
They are the same brightness but will be much more reliable and have improved weatherproofing, along with a power-saving setting for winter months.