Underwater swimming pool lighting

A swimming pool can have lighting both under the water and around the pool's external perimeter. With the popularity of domestic pools on the increase, today's lighting options include not only standard bulbs, but also halogen, LED and fibre optic lighting alternatives.

When it comes to the underwater lighting of swimming pools, the three main options are standard lights, halogen lights and, increasingly, LED lights. The latter two have some advantages which are described below.

Underwater pool lights should come, with a factory fitted safety cover, a front plate, and a fascia ring. It is also possible to get polycarbonate covers in a range of different colors (e.g. blue, red, green, etc.) to create a specific night time pool effect. Screws and fittings should not be visible once the lighting has been fitted and they should not interfere with the smooth look of the pool's walls.

It is normally advisable to “dip” the light beams slightly to avoid glare or excessive refraction of the illumination. This can normally be done by adjustment during fitting.

Halogen underwater pool lights

Halogen underwater swimming pool lights have a number of advantages over a regular underwater lighting.

• Firstly, they have a running cost of around one third of a standard bulb and secondly, they have a greater running life, this can be up to three times that of a regular unit. They also provide (many claim) a superior light quality to that of standard bulbs.

All of these factors can go towards compensating for the higher purchase cost of halogen swimming pool lighting.

LED underwater lighting

• LED underwater lighting is a relatively new innovation, but it is catching on fast and offers great flexibility and options when it comes to underwater lighting effects.
• LED lights come in different colors, but they also offer the unique advantage of a unit that offers color changing. No other system can provide this facility.
• LED lights have an amazing life span and, based on standard usage, can last up to 30 years. They are also extremely cheap to run.

Lighting for above-ground pools

The lighting options discussed above are generally for below-ground swimming pools, but there are some underwater lights manufactured specifically for above-ground pools. These underwater lights hang on, or suspend over, the sides of the pool's walls and can be used to create a similar effect to those of a below-ground swimming pool.

Underwater lighting in above-ground pools is restricted by the inability to countersink the light fittings into the side walls of the swimming pool.