Modern pool lighting solutions
Gone are the days when your pool was dark and uninviting once the sun had set; with the right kind of lighting, your pool will be the most appealing place in your home to be after dark.
In addition to creating an amazing mood, lighting makes the area much safer, and can help create an amazing backdrop to outdoor entertaining. There are many more options now available for pool lighting. Initially there were only halogen surface mounted lights available. Now there is the option for LED, fibre optic, wall mounted, flush mounted, multi coloured and various shapes and sizes.
Halogen globes are still the most commonly used kind of pool lighting, however they are slowly losing favour as consumers turn to more energy efficient LEDs. They enjoyed the majority of the market for many years due to their brightness and easy maintenance.
The main advantage halogen holds over LEDs is that you can simply change the globe when it has reached the end of its life, whereas an LED light needs to be completely replaced. However, an average halogen light can be expected to last 2000-5000 hours, considerably less than an LED. However, you can maximise this lifespan with regular usage, as lack of use can damage the globes.
Although halogens are initially cheaper to buy, be aware that halogen bulbs will consume more power than some other types of light.
Swimart offers Litestream Halogen Lights for those who prefer the halogen option; this 100 watt light is specially designed to refract light around the entire pool without losing any brightness.
LED (light emitting diodes) have revolutionised the lighting industry over the past 10 years with their low energy usage and long lasting quality.
Although LED lights are usually more expensive than halogen, they have a number of advantages that are fast making them the most popular option on the market.
LED lights operate on 15% of the energy of a Halogen light. They also emit light in a specific direction, plus don't create the amount of heat a halogen light creates.
The availability of high quality brighter LED lights is much more widespread, and the price has come down to make them more affordable and a viable option vs halogen. LED lights also usually have a longer lifespan than halogen; Swimart offers Britestream LED lights, which have a life span of over 70,000 hours, which is equivalent to more than 30 years of illumination (based on six hours' usage per day).
There are numerous options: wall mounted, surface mounted and retrofit LED lights in different diameters for concrete and fibreglass pools. Versatility is an integral part of LED lights, as they can produce a myriad of different colours without the need for coloured lenses.
Flush mounted lighting can be of the halogen or LED variety, and essentially is installed inside the wall of the pool so that it creates a smooth finish. All that can be seen is the face of the light.
One of the main advantages of flush mounted lighting is the flexibility in terms of placement, as they can be placed almost anywhere inside your pool, including near stairs, as they do not protrude and therefore won't be knocked about.
Surface mounted lighting is installed on the side of the pool, and therefore does stick out into the pool a certain amount, depending on the brand and model. The main advantage to surface mounted lighting is the amount of light they give off; not being installed inside the wall, they can light the pool considerably more than a flush mounted light. They can also be easily installed in concrete, fibreglass and vinyl pools.
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