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.
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.
Incandescent light bulbs used to illuminate swimming pools are traditionally 300-, 400- and 500-watt bulbs. A typical 30-by-70-foot commercial pool, for instance, might use up to six lights to illuminate the water for nighttime swimming.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Fiber optic pool lights are usually around $1,300 to $1,700 installed. Full size incandescent pool lights are typically in the range of $450 to $650.
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.”
Look on the face of the light bulb for the voltage rating. 2.) Look to see if you have a transformer wired before the light. If you have transformer then you have a 12V light.
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.
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 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.
You can get electrocuted in a swimming pool as a result of: (1) faulty electrical wiring to pool equipment such as underwater lights, pumps, filters and vacuums; (2) no GFCI (Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupters) protections for outlets and circuits; and (3) electrical appliances and extension cords entering the water.
Technically, yes. You can add pool lights to your existing pool, but it might mean that your pool needs to be remodelled, which requires a considerable amount of work. If you have an older pool, it could be a good chance to combine your need for lights with the need for a pool refresh.
Water inside the Pool Light? If there is water inside the lens of the pool light, which you can usually see from on-deck, that doesn't mean that the light is leaking, but it does mean that the lamp gasket has failed, letting water leak inside and surround the bulb.
Pull the pool light housing from the side of the pool. The housing has a long, waterproof cord attached to it, so you can replace the light from outside the water.
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.
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.
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.
You can find electricity in underwater lights, pool equipment, and extension and power cords. It's an invisible danger that can paralyze or even kill in an instant -- volts of electricity in pool water, caused by hazards like faulty wiring.