Common Problems with Underwater Pool Lights

Which pool lights underwater are best?

There are so many pool underwater lights in the market. For example, there are LED pool lights and halogen underwater pool lights. According to the underwater pool light installation method, there are underwater wall-mounted and recessed lights. Facing so many underwater pool lights, I guess some of you must be confused by them. Don’t worry! Today you will find your own underwater pool light solutions.

Led underwater pool lights Vs. Halogen lights

• Lifetime. Underwater-led pool lights have a longer lifetime than halogen lights. Research shows pool underwater lights can last 8000 hours. However, halogen pool lights can only last 3000 hours. So Led underwater pool lights service time is almost three times that of halogen lights. 
• Colors. A good atmosphere depends on the rich colors of underwater pool lights. Thanks to advanced technologies, led pool lights can light too many colors. Halogen underwater pool lights can only light some common colors, such as red, green, and yellow. Besides more colors than halogen, users can adjust the brightness of led pool lights.

Wall-mounted pool lights Vs. Recessed pool lights

Wall-mounted underwater pool light installation needs a wall bracket, and recessed pool light installation needs a pool light niche. When considering pool light replacement in the future, wall-mounted light is easier to replace. When taking durability and safety into account, recessed pool lights are better. Recessed lights are integrated with the swimming pool, but wall-mounted pool lights’ bodies are exposed to the water. Therefore, recessed underwater pool lights are better than wall-mounted ones in waterproofness. As for safety, recessed lights are better. Compared to wall-mounted lights, recessed lights aren’t exposed to the outside, so people needn’t worry if they will stub the pool lights underwater when swimming. After all, wall-mounted lights are easier to break.

Plastic Vs. Stainless steel

Pool lights underwater must resist rust and corrosion due to their special working condition. There are two frequently-used materials to make underwater pool lights: plastic and stainless steel. Some people may have a misunderstanding that plastic is cheap and low-quality. That is totally wrong. Actually, today’s plastic has undergone many updates. And there are over 20 different types of plastic, such as the most common PP, PC… Different plastics have different properties and uses. Underwater pool lights usually use ABS, which is strong and not easy to break.
Another material is stainless steel. Stainless steel is widely used in many industries due to its excellent performance. Stainless steel is divided into SS304 and SS316. Their difference is that SS316 contains molybdenum, which makes corrosion-resistant better. So, when buying underwater lights, such as pool and marine lights, SS316 is your top choice.
In price, SS316 underwater pool lights are more expensive. So, if pool lights are used in your family pool, SS304 is enough. But if you buy them used for commercial use, such as parks, SS316 is suggested for lower maintenance costs in the future.

How to install pool lights?

Pool light installation cost

Installing pool lights is not complex but based on good practical ability. Usually, hiring a professional to repair a pool light will need about $100, and installing or replacing a pool light will cost more. So if you are good at DIY, you can have a try, which can save big money for you. 

Steps of pool light installation 

1. Shut off the power. Before installing a pool light, you should turn the swimming pool’s power off. You can cut off the main power if you can’t find the pool’s power. After cutting off the power, you should open the pool lights to check if the power has cut off.
2. Pull the cables on the ground. If you are going to replace old underwater pool lights, you need to prepare a screwdriver. Use the screwdriver to unscrew all the screws, then detach the light. Now you can pull the cable or the pool light onto the ground, which will be easier for the following work—taking a new pool light and connecting cables. When you have finished the cable connection, you need to seal the cables with waterproof sealing tape. Good sealing is important.
3. Install pool lights. After sealing, you need to place the underwater lights in their position. You need a screwdriver again to screw the light. Now, you have almost finished the pool light installation!
4. Check underwater pool lights. You need to turn the power on to check if the pool lights work. For safety, you must use a multimeter to measure if there is electricity leakage. If all is right, your pool light installation is done. 

In this process, you must be very careful.

Why do my pool lights not work?

There are many reasons resulting in pool light is not working. Long-term unused, burned-out pool light bulbs, or poor contact, are the possible reasons.

1. Long-term unused. If the underwater pool lights are long-term unused, they will stop working. People often swim in summer and stop swimming in winter, so people won’t use pool lights in winter. It’s ok. Here long-term unused refers to that of many years. So switching pool lights on sometimes is a better way for the longest service time.
2. Busted pool light bulbs. No matter whether halogen or led pool light bulbs, they are both going to burn out. So, if the pool light bulb burns out, you can buy a replacement to replace it. It is not neccessary to change the whole light.
3. Poor contact. Check if the pool light fixtures are loose. A loose pool light fixture will result in poor contact, which makes the pool light stop working. When you use a remote control to turn on led pool lights, you can’t turn them on. That may be because there are barriers that block the signal. In this case, you can come up close and try again.

Can underwater pool lights electrocute me?

I guess many people have thought of this question: can underwater pool lights electrocute me? I can certainly tell you the answer: No, pool lights won’t electrocute you. There is an international standard for underwater light. Underwater lights should not exceed 36v, and 36v is a safety voltage for our bodies. In fact, most underwater lights on the market don’t exceed 24v. This low-voltage design makes underwater lights safe. If you search pool light electric shock accident on the internet, you’ll find very few. So, underwater pool lights won’t electrocute you. But you should buy them from regular manufacturers and suppliers.

When you choose underwater pool lights, you should consider three respects.

First, don’t be cheated by low prices. Usually, the price of an underwater led pool light is from $100 to $300. Of course, there are cheaper led pool lights. You are lucky if you buy them from a regular manufacturer and supplier. However, only some will be lucky dogs. For safety and longer use, don’t be cheated by low prices.

Second, to purchase IP68 waterproof lights. IP68 waterproof underwater pool lights can work longer and prevent water from entering if there is water inside your pool light, which would damage it generally. IP68 is the highest waterproof level.

Third, led pool lights should be your top choice. Led underwater pool lights have more light colors, and you can freely change the color and brightness. The most important is led the most advanced technology at present, which means pool led lights are the safest.

Conclusion

This blog post talked about some common problems with underwater pool lights. Once again, you can do it if you attempt to replace a pool light. But if you are trying to install a pool light, which says if you need to wire or install something electric, you had better find a professional. Finally, I hope you will get your dream swimming pool.