An LED light will save you roughly 75% on your energy usage compared to a comparable incandescent light. REMEMBER, that LED pool lights cost more, on average, than a simple incandescent light so your cost savings will not start till you recoup the additional money that you spent on the LED lights.
Your pool lighting should give you few problems overall. Most incandescent bulbs will burn for 1,000 hours before bulb replacement is necessary. LED bulbs can burn for 25 years or more (or so they tell us).
Many people are turning to LED lights as an alternative to incandescent pool lights. LED bulbs are brighter, more efficient and last longer. They also offer more color and installment options.
Are pool lights worth it? Pool lights are worth it because they provide the necessary lighting for a pool especially during the night, which prevents accidents because you can see every area of your pool. Moreover, they are considered a necessity most especially if you want to get maximum usage out of your pool.
The number of lights you need depends on the size of your swimming pool. 15' x 30' pools only require one light. 20' x 40' pools require two lights. 20' x 42' pools and up require three or more lights.
Pool lights should be placed at mid-height, almost at the surface of the water. For practical reasons, this will make changing the lighting equipment easier. This position in the structure will give you the best effect, rendering well-lit contours and highlighting the depth.
Place lights at a uniform depth, between 9-12 inches below the waterline, throughout the pool. Possible exceptions would be if the lights need to be placed on a step or bench or extremely deep pools (see Pro Tip). Lights should be positioned 4 inches beneath the waterline.
It costs a lot of money to have sales people to go to all the different pool store chains that must be covered in the bulb price. You aren't paying for a better bulb, you are paying for expensive overhead and multiple mouths to feed when each bulb is sold.
Running costs
So, in terms of annual running costs, presuming you light your pool for 6 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 6 months of the year, at an average kilowatt/hour price of $0.27, a single LED pool light will cost you $5.90 per year.
An LED light will save you roughly 75% on your energy usage compared to a comparable incandescent light. REMEMBER, that LED pool lights cost more, on average, than a simple incandescent light so your cost savings will not start till you recoup the additional money that you spent on the LED lights.
The ideal way to illuminate your pool is by using LED pool lights. These lights, in general, are necessary so you can enjoy your pool anytime - even at night. That's because LED lights give an extra layer of protection that ensures your safety while swimming in your pool.
The Most Energy-Efficient Lighting Available
Since there is no filament, an LED does not heat up the way an incandescent bulb does, which wastes up to 80% of the electricity routed to it to produce heat rather than light.
Most of the older incandescent and halogen pool lights can be changed to the newer LED color changing lights by replacing the entire light fixture. But there are a limited number of old lights that can be converted to LED light by simply replacing the old light fixture bulb with a color changing LED light bulb.
At the time of this writing, full size LED pool lights, like what are typically installed in vinyl liner or concrete pools, usually cost between $1,000 and $1,500 installed. The smaller LED lights like the Pentair Globrite or PAL 2000 typically cost between $700 and $900 installed.
You can get electrocuted by a pool light in a swimming pool. It can cause serious injury and even death. An experienced electrocution lawyer can help victims and families recover the pain and suffering compensation or wrongful death damages they are entitled to under the law.
Fortunately, the answer is no—the water typically does not need to be drained! Because the electrical cable is sealed, it's impervious to any water that will get into the conduit when the bulb is being replaced.
First is that 500 watt pool light bulbs cost about a dollar a day to run, and if used often, it can add up to hundreds in electrical expense each year. LED lamps consume much less energy, the Color Splash light only uses 33 watts, and costs 4 cents per day to use, or under $10 per year.
LED bulbs can run off of 37 watts. This can be compared to incandescent bulbs, that require 161 watts to reach the same output.
In-ground Pool and Spa Incandescent White Lights
These lights typically have a 300 - 500 watt bulb for pools and a 100 watt bulb for spas. The light is comprised of the light housing that holds the bulb and lens, a face ring and an electric cord.
Dead Bulb. If your pool light bulb is flickering or turned off and the housing is still dry, it may be that the bulb just needs replacing. Be careful, though, because if the bulb isn't lasting as long as it should that is an indicator of a much worse problem such as a power surge or some faulty wiring somewhere.
A pool light bulb retails for about $30-40. A new pool light gasket for the fixture is about $25. Labor for the repair would be $100-150. Profit on a successful job would be about $120.
The life expectancy for a Colorlogic light is 50,000 hours. The light will perform for over 10,000 hours without any noticeable loss of brightness.
Always try to have the lights point away from the house. By doing this you will avoid the headlight effect of the lights shining in your face. If you build a spa with your pool you will want a light in it also.
According to section 4.6. 1.5. 1 of the Model Aquatic Health Code, “Underwater lighting, where provided, shall be not less than eight initial rated lumens per square foot of pool water surface area.”
A general rule for illumination is to ensure that these lights are installed at a maximum depth of 300mm from the top of the pool, as steps and ledges are usually installed at a depth of 540mm. Mounting lights above the bench height ensures the area will be illuminated.