Pool lighting can be a game changer. Whether it is for entertaining or just for your own daily enjoyment, the calming feeling you have when you walk onto the patio really sets the mood. There are some cool innovative products available today. If there is an existing 100 watt or 300 watt light (the big light niche), or the smaller 75 watt light, a new LED light can be installed. This is a special colored light that will rotate through a series of six or seven colors and light shows. You have the ability to stop on any particular color just by turning the light switch off and then back on.
If you aren’t sure what size or type of light(s) you have or how to check, here are some basic tid bits on lighting systems in general. A complete pool light system consists of several components. First, there is the light niche, which is mounted into the pool wall when the pool is built. Second, there is the light fixture which includes the light bulb and has a very specific length of cord. The cord goes through the back of the niche and is connected to a junction box, or deck box, which is usually located somewhere outside of the pool deck. Then there is the light transformer, which is mounted on the wall by the pool equipment. A separate wire goes from the transformer to the junction box to complete the electrical circuit. The transformer is connected to the light switch, usually located inside the house.
There are some common misunderstandings regarding pool lights. Firstly, the lights are only 12 volts, so the risk of electrocution is minimal. That is because the pool lights are connected to a step-down transformer which reduces the normal 120 volts down to 12 volts.
Second, it is not necessary to lower the water level below the light in order to change the bulb. The light fixture is installed in a light niche (a metal can embedded into the wall of the pool). Simply remove one screw at the top of the light fixture and unclip it from the bottom, and you can pull the entire fixture out of the water to the pool deck. It is still connected to the electrical cord, which eventually will need to be wrapped around the fixture to reinstall it into the niche. Once the fixture is on the deck, it should be fairly obvious how to remove the lens and gasket and expose the light bulb. The procedure is just reversed to reinstall after the bulb is changed.
Finally, you cannot use any regular light bulb, since, again, pool lights are 12 volts. Normal household bulbs are all 120 volts and will not work. Pool and spa lights will be one of four sizes. There are some easy ways to identify which is the right fit for your pool or spa. However, until you are completely sure, it is suggested that you bring the old bulb with you to the store to ensure you match it up properly.
Horizon Pool and Patio are the pool and patio experts. Family owned and operated, Horizon has been serving Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Acreage, Loxahatchee and many of the other communities in Palm Beach County since 1985.
Horizon Pool and Patio provides both residential and commercial pool and spa service, equipment repairs, retail supplies and equipment, and full pool renovations and remodeling. For more information, visit Horizon at newhp.wpengine.com or call (561) 790-0665. The retail store, located in the Wellington Plaza next to Schaefer’s Drugs at 12785A W. Forest Hill Boulevard, is open seven days a week.
