It’s the first question most people ask about permanent lights, and the honest answer has two parts: what the manufacturer stands behind in writing, and what Florida’s sun, salt and storms do to anything mounted outside. Keywest Lights & Electric (KWLE) installs JellyFish permanent eave lighting around Tampa Bay as an authorized dealer, not as JellyFish Lighting itself. We’re a woman-owned licensed electrical contractor (EC13014717). Here’s what’s published, what affects real-world life, and how to care for a system. Questions? Call 727-476-7079.
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Tell us what you need and where you are. A licensed electrician will call or text you back to set a time. For an emergency, call (727) 476-7079, 24/7.
What JellyFish puts in writing
- 5-year parts warranty on eave lights, controllers and power supplies.
- IP67 rating for the lights, meaning dust-tight and protected against immersion, with silicone-filled casings.
- Operating range of −40°F to 131°F.
- UV-resistant acrylic that JellyFish says prevents sun bleaching, so the light color stays consistent over the years.
- 4-wire design with redundant data, so if one light goes out, the rest keep working.
- JellyFish describes its lights as built to endure years of use in tough weather and says its early lights from about a decade ago are still shining. The company has been installing since 2016.
JellyFish’s official product pages don’t publish a specific hour rating, so we don’t quote one. The warranty is the firm number: five years on parts from JellyFish, plus our installation warranty.
Our side of it: workmanship
KWLE’s 2-year workmanship warranty covers the installation, and it extends to five years with a Member Care Plan. Combined with the JellyFish 5-year parts warranty, a Member Care Plan household has five years of coverage on both parts and labor.
What wears outdoor lights out in Florida
Sun. UV is what yellows plastic lenses and makes cheap strands brittle. JellyFish uses a UV-resistant lens, and the soffit shades the lights for much of the day.
Salt air. Near the Gulf and the bay, salt corrodes exposed metal and open connectors. Sealed lights, sealed connections and an indoor controller limit what the salt can reach.
Water. Rain and humidity get into unsealed plugs. Permanent track keeps the lights under the overhang, and the power stays inside the garage. Flooding is a separate risk. During Hurricane Helene, the National Weather Service measured a record 6.67 feet above MHHW at Clearwater Beach, which is why we mount controllers high on the garage wall.
Heat. Summer heat is well within the published operating range. Electronics last longer when they’re shaded and ventilated, and an indoor garage location helps.
Handling. Seasonal strands mostly wear out from being taken down, stored and rehung. Permanent lights skip all of that.
Why LEDs outlast old strands
The U.S. Department of Energy says LEDs last up to 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs and use up to 90% less energy. Running warm white every night is a normal way to use the system.
How installation affects lifespan
Good installation is half of a long life:
- Solid trim: we press-test the fascia and soffit and repair soft spots before mounting, so the track stays straight.
- Sheltered placement: track goes under the soffit and up the gable rakes, never on the roof, where it would get direct sun and rain.
- Sealed connections: every splice is protected, and nothing is left exposed.
- Indoor power: the controller and power supplies are on the garage wall, on an existing outlet we’ve tested, above floor level.
- GFCI protection: the receptacle is checked, and it’s replaced if needed.
Simple care, once or twice a year
- Look along the eaves at night with an all-white scene. Any dark light stands out.
- Rinse salt off reachable trim when you wash the house. Use a garden hose at low pressure, not a pressure washer aimed at the lights.
- Check the garage outlet’s GFCI after storms or outages.
- Keep the controller area clear, with no storage leaning against it and good airflow.
- Update the app when prompted.
- Call us if any section stays dark. Thanks to the 4-wire design, the rest keeps working while we fix it.
After a hurricane
Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, according to the National Hurricane Center. The track stays fastened through storms, so there’s nothing to take down beforehand. Afterward, check the GFCI, run a test scene and look for any trim that was damaged. If the garage flooded, don’t power the controller until it’s been checked. See our hurricane season guide for more.
Beach homes
Salt exposure is highest on the barrier islands. That’s where sealed connections and indoor electronics matter most. Our salt air guide explains what to look for, and the sea turtle season guide covers summer schedules. Two zones, an extra KWLE option, let a beach-facing side stay off from May through October.
Comparing to seasonal strands
| Permanent JellyFish | Seasonal strands | |
|---|---|---|
| Written parts coverage | 5 years from JellyFish | Depends on the product |
| Handling wear | Installed once | Hung, removed and stored every year |
| Weather sealing | IP67 lights, sealed connections | Often open plugs |
| One bulb out | The rest keep working | Depends on the strand’s wiring |
| Sun | UV-resistant lens, shaded by the soffit | Exposed on gutters |
Signs something needs attention
- A single dark light or a short dark section.
- Colors on one run that don’t match the rest.
- The controller not responding in the app after the Wi-Fi has been reset.
- Track pulled away from the soffit after a storm or roof work.
Most of these are simple service calls, and parts under warranty are covered. If roofers or painters are coming, let them know the track is there, and call us if any of it has to be moved.
Keeping records
Keep your proposal, invoice and warranty paperwork together, along with the install date. If you ever need a warranty part, the install date and system details make the claim simple. If you sell the house, give the buyer the same folder so they know what’s installed and who to call.
Permanent lights over the years
Because the lights stay up, they serve every season: permanent Christmas lights in December, permanent holiday lighting for every other date, your team’s colors on game day, and warm white the rest of the time. One set of hardware covers all of it.
What a Member Care Plan adds
The plan includes a yearly checkup, and it extends workmanship coverage from two years to five. For a system near salt water, a scheduled inspection catches small issues early.
Questions about lifespan
Will the lights fade or change color? JellyFish says its UV-resistant acrylic prevents sun bleaching, so the color stays consistent.
What if one light fails? The others keep working, and the failed light can be replaced. Under warranty, the part is covered.
Do I need to take them down for winter? No. Florida winters are well within the published operating range, and the system is designed to stay up year-round.
Is a permit needed for repairs? No, unless new wiring is added.
Get started
Request a free design preview, read about the JellyFish system, or call 727-476-7079.
Sources: LED lifespan and energy, U.S. Department of Energy. Helene water level, NWS Tampa Bay (weather.gov). Hurricane season, National Hurricane Center. Product durability and warranty figures are from JellyFish Lighting’s published product specifications.
Related: permanent Christmas lights in Pinellas County, soffit and eave lights, how long permanent lights last and our free design preview. Call (727) 476-7079 for an estimate.