Ensuring that your swimming pool and its environment is well lit makes it safer and more attractive. Pool lights also add a dramatic dimension to not only the pool but the surrounding area as well. It makes the pool light up and generates a glow that goes around the whole swimming pool. Pool lights create a very distinct ambiance that looks beautiful especially at night when you just want to swim the day away before you got to bed. It’s definitely a step on how to make the stunning-looking pool design.
Options in pool lights
Through technology, there has been an enhancement of the experiences in our swimming pools at night through the introduction of practical and colorful pool lights. There are three main options when it comes to choosing the right lights for your pool, Incandescent, Halogen and LED.
Incandescent
At one time, these lights were the least expensive option when you had a permanent pool. These lights are much like the standard bulbs that most people used in their houses before the introduction of the more efficient Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL). A light was produced in these bulbs through the heating of a filament while heat is radiated from the bulb. The output of the light had a yellow shade. This caused even the cleanest pools to have a greenish look when the incandescent bulbs were turned on. In the past, these bulbs had a lifespan of about one year but due to changes in the manufacturing process, you will have to change these bulbs not less than two times in a year for those people who love lit swimming pools at night. Maintaining this kind of a routine can be expensive if you decide to take this option for your pool lighting. Only a few people will go with these pool lights at present with most of them using Halogen, and mainly, LED pool lights.
Halogen
At one time, after the incandescent bulb, the halogen bulb was known as the modern bulb because it had a longer lifespan and used approximately 20% less energy when it was lit. However, these bulbs still used the filament technology to light the bulb and there was always a yellow haze when the filament was heating. The difference between the incandescent bulb and the halogen bulb was the production of light. Unlike incandescent bulbs, halogen lights had a halogen gas inside the bulb that caused it to operate at higher temperatures inside a much smaller bulb. This idea is what made most people buy to this option of pool lighting. However, the bulb costs more than double the price of an incandescent bulb but they still had a short lifespan.
LED lights
LED pool lights are now the standard in pool lighting whether you have an in-ground pool or an above-ground pool. The reason for this is because they have more brightness while using a small fraction of the energy required on an incandescent bulb. These lights are long-lasting and they save you time in terms of hassling when you need to change old bulbs in your pool. It is very difficult to change incandescent bulbs inside your pool unless you are a professional. LED lights are also cheaper to operate and they do not only produce color light but they provide the user with an option of generating more up to five distinct colors in up to seven various predefined programs. Unlike all the other options of lights, LED lights do not use a filament in order to produce light. It uses a white or colored LED set. This advantage ensures that there is no yellow shadow, there is no heat consumption and it has an endless array of color options. An estimate of the lifespan of this light option is more than 50,000 hours.
Types of pool lights
Flush-mounted underwater halogen pool light
These pool lights have an advantage of being in line perfectly with a pool wall. It’s important to have in mind that halogen lights use up more power when they are running and they require more maintenance when compared to the LED option. When it comes time for installation, there will be more work required with these flush mounted lights. On an important note, these lights are way cheaper than LED lights so you can save money when buying them.
Flush-mounted underwater LED pool lights
The beauty of a flush-mounted pool light is that fact that it does not stick out further than the pool wall in your swimming pool. They are mounted directly inside the wall of your pool. In new pool builds, flush-mounted underwater lights are rapidly gaining popularity over the traditional halogen lights. A disadvantage of flush-mounted lights is that they can be very expensive to install. Installing a pool light that is flush on a pool wall after the pool is already constructed and installed can be technically difficult and it will require the expertise of your contractor.
Surface-mounted underwater LED lights
Most people prefer this type of light because it is not difficult to install and it lights up your entire swimming pool. Surface-mounted underwater LED lights can be easily retro-fitted when you want to upgrade existing pool lights because they are not flush with the wall of the pool. These lights tend to stick out a little bit so they are easily broken. This will happen if your pool is constantly being used by children because they use them as a step to climb out of the pool.
Surface-mounted underwater halogen pool light
If you do not have a big budget but you still want some underwater lighting then you can invest in this type of light. They look good in water and they provide good lighting at a much cheaper rate. Also, they are easier to install.
Pool garden lighting
This lighting is used around the pools environment like in the landscaping. If these lights are properly placed and strategically planned they can turn your swimming pool into an oasis.
LED flood lights
Floodlights can be used for anything and they look good around your swimming pool as well. LED flood lights light up large areas and they are very energy efficient.
Choosing the right kind of light can be a daunting task but understanding the varieties that are in the market will help you make the right decisions that will fit your budget and still make your swimming pool look beautiful.
