Imagine this, it is summer, and the heat is overbearing you.
Having tried multiple ways of cooling yourself off, you opt to dive into the pool for a quick spin. But since it's dark outside, you have to rely on the security lights to wade your way through the pool.
Sadly, you have to cut your swimming session short because you cannot see well. Do you think you would have had to stop swimming?
LED Lights. Are LED Pool Lights Worth It?
Aside from allowing you to keep having fun even in the dark, LED lights have other benefits.
Some of these include keeping away unwanted creatures lurking in the dark, waiting to have a dip in your pool once you exit and creating a luxurious ambience in your pool.
Take a look at this review to find out if LED lights are a worthy investment.
Which One is Better for a Swimming Pool? LED or Halogen Lights?
So, you have narrowed it down to LED and Halogen lights and are stuck between the two? Let us look at a comparison of these two to decide which is worth the money.
LED Lights
- They consume a minimum of 8 watts per bulb
- They produce a light that throws close to 1700 lumens without using up so much wattage.
- You can buy an array of colours that interest you to match your decor and design.
- These beauties can last up to 8 years
- They require little to no maintenance
- You can either opt for the built-in or floating battery-operated LED lights
- One cost at least $150
Halogen Lights
- They emit up to 90% of the total energy they use
- Each lasts up to one year at most
- They have some UV emissions
- Each bulb consumes up to 100 watts
- It would cost you at least $120 to get one of these.
Halogen lights produce the same amount of light as LED.
However, halogens use much more power, making them costly to maintain in the long run. It would be prudent to get LED lights rather than halogen ones, since LEDs have more perks than their competitors.
How Costly are Swimming Pool Lights?
Several factors determine the cost of swimming pool lights. The size of the lights, watt consumption, pool size, and quality will influence the amount you spend.
However, if you have a standard pool of about 6 by 3 meters, you will need at least four lights.
If you get 25-watt medium quality bulbs that cost $150 each, you will spend $600 on the purchase. A regular installer would charge you at least &1000 to run new wires all over the pool.
If we add the cost of the service and approximate it at $400, you will spend $2000 on your pool.
These costings are based on generic bulbs so expect the price to shoot up if you opt to get original ones.
What are the Best Swimming Pool Lights?
When choosing swimming pool lights, you have to ensure that whatever you spend will give you your money's worth. So, what exactly are the characteristics of good swimming pool lights?
Fewer power watts
Regularly, a halogen swimming pool bulb would use up to 300w. LED bulbs would use up to 50w to light up your pool. The difference in wattage consumption is significant, meaning that you spend up to 80% less electricity if you opt for LED lights.
Long-Lasting
LED lights are made using plastic, meaning the chances of breaking one of these are minimal.
They also use very little watts to function, so you have nothing to worry about when it comes to damage caused by excess heat.
Consequently, they last long before the need for a replacement arises.
Easy to install
The last thing you want is to have an electrician asking for a plumber's help to help them fix a pool light because of its complexity. A great swimming pool light is easy to screw in and out.
Versatile
The bulb should work in systems with both high and low voltage power. So whether yours is a 120v or 240v system, the light should sit in perfectly in both scenarios.
Waterproof
Wouldn't it be a joke to get lights that get damaged when they are exposed to water or rain? It makes no sense considering that they are installed in a pool. Get waterproof ones that will function just fine, especially underwater.
Remote control
It would be such a bummer if you had to switch the lights from the main switch every time you are done swimming at night, right?
Get lights that have a remote control. Choose those that use rechargeable batteries so that you also don't have to incur an extra cost in buying new batteries when the old ones run out of power.
Bright
The less wattage the bulb has, the lower the light output. While you are trying to save on energy cost, it would be a waste of resources to get lights that are not bright enough.
Consult your electrician for the options you have depending on your pool's finishing. Remember, the darker the finishing, the brighter the lights.
Scout for lights before settling for any option to ensure that you choose one with all the above-mentioned characteristics.