What do you need to install a solar mailbox light?

A power drill with a 7/32" bit, a clean dry cloth, the parts in the box, and less than 15 minutes. There is no wiring and no electrical knowledge needed. The only permanent change is one small hole in the top for the panel.

If you would rather not drill it yourself, any handyman can do it for you in one short visit. The light unit mounts inside, the panel flat on top, and the drilled hole connects the two.

How to install a solar mailbox light in six steps

1. Pick the spot and clean both surfaces. Choose a spot on the box top that gets the most daylight, clear of the door hinge. Wipe the outside top and the matching interior surface dry. This is the step people skip.

2. Mark the hole. Mark the drill point where the panel will sit, and check that no hinge, flag mechanism or seam sits directly under the mark.

3. Drill the 7/32" hole. Drill straight down at your mark. Go slow, keep the bit square, and clear any burr from both sides so the wire passes cleanly.

4. Feed the wire and set the solar panel. Pass the panel wire down through the hole from the outside and seat the panel flat against the box top, facing up at open sky.

5. Mount the light unit inside. Peel the weather-resistant adhesive mount, position the light unit on the surface you cleaned in step 1, and press firmly. Mail moves past this every day, so you want it anchored.

6. Close it up and let it charge. Tidy the wire, close the door and leave it alone. The panel charges through the day and the dusk sensor does the rest.

What happens the first night, and what if it does not come on?

Nothing you have to do. When the light level drops, the dusk sensor turns the light on by itself and it stays on until dawn.

It did not come on the first night. The battery ships pre-charged, so the light should come on right away. If it does not, something is wrong with the unit, and the one-year warranty covers it. Email support@steadisense.com.

It goes out before morning, in any month of the year. Short days mean less charge, and snow or debris on the panel blocks the sun. Brush it off the way you would a windshield.

Something failed. The one-year warranty covers it. Email support@steadisense.com.