A Guide to Pool Lights – Make it Cozy but Maintainable

Published Categorized as Pool Design
Night falls over Joshua Tree, California. Lighted pool in different colors with beautiful sky.
Night falls over Joshua Tree, California. Lighted pool in different colors with beautiful sky. Photo by Roberto Nickson.

Are you dreaming of the perfect swimming pool for your garden that shines bright in beautiful colors?

All you need are some inexpensive and easy-to-use swimming pool lights. LED lights and bulbs are the most popular swimming pool lights. They offer an energy-efficient and inexpensive way to illuminate your pool in many different beautiful colors.

In this guide, you’ll learn about the different types of pool lights, common problems that can occur, and how to fix them.

Let’s get started! 


A Quick Guide to Pool Lights

Most people use pool lights for aesthetic reasons, others for night-time visibility and safety. Swimming pool lighting is becoming increasingly popular as they enhance your mood as well as your swimming experience. 

There are three main options for swimming pool lights:

  • Incandescent
  • Halogen
  • LED

After reading this guide to pool lights, you’ll know which lightning will work best for your swimming pool. 


Are Pool Lights Easy to Maintain?

Backyard pool with purple LED-fountain lights. Image source: Patio Pleasures.
Backyard pool with purple LED-fountain lights. Image source: Patio Pleasures.

Yes, pool lights are easy to maintain. You won’t need to dedicate a lot of your free time to your pool lights as they generally won’t need any special maintenance.

However, the bulbs should be changed regularly depending on the type of lighting you use. 

  • Incandescent bulbs can be used for 1000 hours before needing replacement.
  • LED bulbs usually don’t need to be replaced as they can burn for up to 25 years.

If you’re looking for swimming pool lighting which is easy to maintain LED bulbs are probably the best option for you. 


Types of Pool Lights

LED 

LEDs are the most popular swimming pool lights. And they’re popular for a reason! LED lights are energy-efficient, inexpensive and they last long.

LED pool lights of good quality usually last from 7-25 years. 

Life-Bulb LED Color Pool Light Bulb

Life-Bulb lighting for Swimming Pool. Image source: No more green.
Life-Bulb lighting for Swimming Pool. Image source: No more green.

Bring life to your pool with our 120V Life-Bulb LED Color Pool Light. Lifetime Replacement Warranty. Replacement Bulb for Pentair, Hayward, and Other E26 Screw in Type Bulbs.

Another benefit of purchasing this type of light is the variety – they come in many different colors.

No matter which color you’re dreaming of for your dream swimming pool, you’ll probably find great LED lightning in that color.

Halogen 

Are you dreaming of a swimming pool that can light up the whole garden in a beautiful, bright color, especially at night? One that makes your next pool party unforgettable? Then you might want to consider a Halogen pool lightning. 

Halogen is the brightest pool light you can get. This lightning is not expensive, but it is not energy-efficient. So, it could increase your electricity bill significantly. Halogen lights might not be the best option if you are on a budget. 

Another issue that might come up when using halogen pool lighting is that it might turn hot/overheat.

This problem can be solved and later in this guide where you will learn how to easily fix that. 

Incandescent 

Looking for something that makes your pool look old-school and natural? Incandescent lightning might be the perfect fit for you.

This is also an option which seems to be budget-friendly at first, but it is very expensive in the long term as Incandescent lights are not energy-efficient. 

Incandescent swimming pool lights waste around 90% of the energy they consume which will increase your electricity bill drastically.

So, if you don’t want to spend a lot of money, you should probably stick with the other options.

“Pool Lighting – Cost and Other Common Questions” by River Pools on YouTube.

Common Problems With LED Pool Lights

Although pool lights are generally super easy to maintain, they are not flawless and can sometimes cause a little trouble. Don’t worry too much, there are easy solutions. You don’t need to be an expert to fix simple issues in your pool lights. 

In the following section, you will learn what the most common problems are and how to fix them. And in case you do need an expert and fail to fix it yourself, an electrician is just one call away. 

Overheating

A common cause for overheating in LED lights is a lack of ventilation. Overheating can also damage the lifespan of the swimming pool lights. Should this issue arise, you should take care of it ASAP to protect the lightning from further damage. 

The best solution for overheating is ventilation. You should also avoid keeping the light bulbs in an area with a high temperature.

The Bulbs Need Replacement

Underwater bulbs are just like a normal bulb in that they need to be replaced occasionally. 

How to fix

The first thing you should do is turn off the power. This is a very important step for safety.

Remove the pilot screw which can be found at the top of the light.

After removing the pilot screw, pry out the fixture. 

There will also be wires and it’s best to check with a multimeter and be sure that there is no electricity running through the wires.

Remove the wires and everything else that is connected to the bulb. 

You can finally remove the light bulb itself by unscrewing it.

Now you’re almost done, you can screw in the new light bulb, install the lens gasket around the lens, and then reassemble the fixture.

Test the light, check if there are any leaks, etc. The bulb has successfully been replaced.

“Replace a swimming pool light bulb” by Sky Management on YouTube.

Tripped Circuit

A tripped circuit usually occurs when water gets inside of the light which can happen easily inside a swimming pool filled with water.

A tripped circuit isn’t easy to fix so you might want to hire an electrician or replace the light bulb. 

Flickering Lights

There are many things which can cause the lights to flicker including faulty wiring, water getting into the light or maybe the bulb just needs to be replaced.

You can check your current to see if there are voltage changes in the wiring. You can also try to tighten and clean the connections. 


FAQ – Cozy Pool Lights

Are pool lights expensive?

Swimming pool lights are quite expensive with an average cost of $700 and $1500. The actual bulbs are however not, it’s the first installation which will set you back.

How to check what type of pool light I have?

To check what type of pool light you have in case of a replacement requirement, you can check the label on the back of the light fixture to see the manufacturer name, model, etc.

What types of pool lights are there?

The most common type of pool light is LEDs. Halogen and incandescent are two other types. LED bulbs typically can burn for up to 10-25 years depending on your use. Incandescent bulbs can be used for 1000 hours before needing replacement.

By Kate Conlan

Hi! I’m Kate and I love spending time in the pool. In fact, I’ve never really been talented at anything, a part from finding ways of spending as much time as possible on inflatable things in a pool. So I guess that’s a talent? Swimming is one of my favorite mother-daughter activities. We can both get some exercise and spend some quality time together!

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