The Beginner’s Guide to Swimming Pool Lighting

A swimming pool is one of the best and most entertaining things you can add to your [city] home. It will not be cheap but imagine all the pool parties and cookouts you can have with friends and family. Or how about being able to jump in the pool and cool off on a hot day?

One way to get the most out of your pool is to use the right kind of lighting so you can have evening dips and continue entertaining people afterin the pool area when the sun goes down. The right kind of lighting makes your pool the true focal point of the home that it is and brings out the best of your outdoor living space. Here are a few things to remember when it comes to swimming pools and lighting.

On Placing Lights in the Pool

In-ground swimming pools usually have one or two large lights installed into the walls or base of the pool for night swimming. Ideally, you should have one set of lights for the shallow end of the pool and another one for its deep end.

For above-ground pools, a floodlight or spotlight placed high above the pool area, like on a tree or even on a pole, helps keep the area illuminated. Some above-ground pools even come with built-in lighting features—all you have to do is just buy your own set of lights.

On Using LED Lighting

The most popular lighting solutions used for swimming pools today are LED lighting systems. Not only are these lights durable and function well in extreme temperatures, many of them are capable of generating a wide range of colors, allowing you to create all kinds of custom lighting effects. You can even create a starry night effect using fiber-optic light LED options.

On Using Low-Voltage Lighting

Another lighting option for your pool is low-voltage lighting. These lights help you save energy and generate a soft light—perfect for accent lights for outdoor spaces. Low-voltage lights come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are relatively easy to install. These lights, however, don’t last as long as LEDs and are best used above ground.

On Lighting around the Pool

Installing small light fixtures on pathways leading to and from your pool will help people walk around safely. But aside from the safe aspect of things, outdoor landscape lighting gives your yard a beautiful glow at night. You can place lights near shrubs, planter boxes, and outdoor furniture, which will give these items a splash of color that add drama to your landscape. You can also highlight pool features like fountains or slides by installing lights near these areas.

The thing to remember about pool lighting is that anything that goes inside the pool is best done by a professional before filling up the pool with water. You can then go full-on DIY mode in the area surrounding your pool, using different landscape lighting solutions available in your nearest Home Depot.