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.
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.
Additional Pool Lighting Tips:
Pool lights are necessary for your swimmers to stay safe when swimming at night. Make sure you focus lights on the more precarious areas of your pool, such as the ladders going in and out, the stairs leading in, and around the pool's edge.
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.
Do not operate the light for more than 1-2 seconds without it being fully submerged. The light requires submersion to prevent overheating, and if operated without water covering the lens, the lens will shatter in under a minute.
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.
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.
Owning a pool can cost you a pretty penny. In 2018, in the United States, pool maintenance cost an average of $190 per month. Why not save money every way you can? Thanks to a much lower average wattage, an LED pool light costs only pennies a day to operate, while an incandescent bulb can cost up to $1 a day.
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.
LED bulbs can run off of 37 watts. This can be compared to incandescent bulbs, that require 161 watts to reach the same output.
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.
As this is being written, a full sized LED pool light usually cost between $450 and $650 installed. If you go for the smaller LED lights you're looking at $300 to $500 installed. When you have full-size incandescent pool lights they are in the range of $450 to $650.
The fittings work by pumping voltage through the semi-conductor which emits light whereas incandescent and halogen lights rely on burning filaments. LED fittings simply work by plugging them directly into the power source.
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.”
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.
Just like any light, the bulb can burn out and will need to be replaced. There is no need to lower the water level in your pool to replace the burned-out bulb.
Much like any other light in your home, the most common way to control your pool light is with the use of a traditional ON/OFF switch. You can simply flip the switch up or down to turn on or off your pool light.
Look at the cord that is attached to the fixture. Weather it be at the junction box where it ties into the supply voltage, or if you take the fixture out of the niche and pull it up to the deck. The cord is black for 120v and bright orange for 12V.
Longer Lasting: While a halogen light has a life between 1,500-5,000 hours, an LED pool light can last over 30,000 hours with some companies claiming up to 50,000 hours. Less Maintenance: A longer lifespan means that you spend less time changing the bulbs.
@OP, any 120VAC LED bulb should work. Just make sure it will fit your existing light fixture. Also, it is a MUST to replace the gasket every time you open the fixture and/or replacing the bulb.