The Pros And Cons Of LED Pool Lighting

Swimming pool lighting can transform your outdoor space, highlighting features and enhancing your swimming experience.

Well-designed lighting will allow you to change the mood of your yard and highlight architectural features such as waterfalls, spas or the stone walls of your pool. It also provides nighttime visibility, improves pool safety and extends your use of the pool.

What is LED lighting?

Light-emitting diode (LED) lighting is one of the most popular accessories for swimming pools. With a greater emphasis on energy efficiency, LED technology has become a standard feature, gradually replacing incandescent bulbs.

These fittings work by pumping voltage into a light-emitting semiconductor, whereas incandescent and halogen lamps rely on a burning filament. LED fittings simply work by plugging them directly into a power source.

Advantages of LED lighting

LED Swimming Pool Lighting

There are several advantages to installing LED lighting in a swimming pool, including

Energy efficiency

LED lights are more expensive than halogen or incandescent lights, and in the long run they will save you money due to their energy efficiency. Incandescent lamps typically have 300 to 500 watts of power, while LED bulbs have as little as 42 watts.

By installing LED lights in your pool, you'll see even more savings on your electric bill.

Longer Lifespan

LED lights are known for their durability with a life expectancy of over 20,000 hours. Premium LED brands can last 10 years or more. For those with lower cost products, this will be reduced.

Low Maintenance

Because lights last longer than other fixtures, LED products typically require less replacement because they contain robust diodes. This means that you will spend more time enjoying a well-lit pool and less time maintaining it.

Visual Effects

LED lights are available in a variety of colors, allowing you to create visual effects to set the mood. Your pool can be highlighted by the quality of light and the even, deep glow that LED lights allow. These lights can be changed with the push of a button.

Automation

Unlike halogen lights, LED lights can be automated with most models that offer an optional remote control. Most will also offer an integrated smartphone app for those who prefer a more tech-savvy experience.

Disadvantages of LED lighting

LED pool lighting

One of the main drawbacks of LED lighting compared to other accessories such as halogen models is that they are not serviceable. This means that if the internal components of the LED light fail, the accessory will need to be replaced. While the light itself can last up to 10-12 years, other components may not last as long and will degrade over time.

Cost is another disadvantage of LED fittings. In addition to the higher upfront cost of the light, LED lighting requires specific transformers and converters to utilize the correct voltage between 12-32v. This will require additional electronics, which will increase the total cost. Fortunately, these transformers are not too expensive and are usually quite reliable.

LED lighting is also a bit prone to leakage, just like halogen fittings. Thankfully, delicate resin-filled LED fixtures go a long way toward solving this problem. If you have to replace damaged LED fittings or leaking pool lights, you can swap them out for resin-filled LED versions.