Does anyone know definitively how DOE standards will impact incandescent pool light bulbs?

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gkw4815

Well-known member
Aug 31, 2021
213
Memorial Villages, TX
Pool Size
25000
Surface
Plaster
Chlorine
Salt Water Generator
SWG Type
Pureline Crystal Pure 60,000
As you may know, the DOE will be prohibiting the sale of many types of incandescent bulbs from July 2023 onward:

www.natlawreview.com

U.S. Department of Energy Finalizes Rules to Impose Stringent Efficiency Standard on Most Lamps

Key Takeaways: What Happened: DOE finalized rules to apply the 45 lumens per watt “backstop” efficiency standard to general service lamps and to include five categories of specialty incandescent lamps, incandescent reflector lamps, and a variety of decorative lamps under the definition of...
www.natlawreview.com www.natlawreview.com

As I understand it, these rules apply to "General Service Lamps". Does anyone know if pool light bulbs fall under "General Service Lamps"? According to the following document:


The following lamp types were at once excluded from the definition of "General Service Lamps" (and some may have since been removed from the list):

"appliance lamp; a black light lamp; a bug lamp; a colored lamp; an infrared lamp; a lefthand thread lamp; a marine lamp; a marine signal service lamp; a mine service lamp; a plant light lamp; a reflector lamp; a rough service lamp; a shatter- resistant lamp (including a shatter-proof lamp and a shatterprotected lamp); a sign service lamp; a silver bowl lamp; a showcase lamp; a three-way incandescent lamp"

I don't see pool lights listed (unless these would be considered "appliance lamps")?

Should I stock up on 500w (pool) and 100w (spa) bulbs now? FWIW, the tech at the nearest Leslie's said that the DOE standards apply to <300w bulbs only (so pool 300w and 500w pool light bulbs are ok, 100w spa light bulbs are not). I can't find any info online that corroborates this.

BTW, don't bother calling me an energy hog...since purchasing our house in 2021 I've cut summer electricity usage by ~50% vs the previous owner's usage (smart thermostats, fixing insulation, variable-speed pool pump installed, etc). I just have no interest in upgrading to LEDs, given how many premature $$$ LED fixture failures are discussed on this site (and how rarely we use our pool lights).
 
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Jimrahbe said:
By "stock up" do you mean you plan to buy one or two extra bulbs to last a lifetime? :mrgreen:
Click to expand...
Ha that's a good question and I guess it depends on how long I plan to continue futzing around with my pool (FWIW, my next door neighbor is twice my age and he does all of his own pool maintenance).

I guess I'd buy enough bulbs to last me until there are LED fixtures that last 20+ years...how many should I grab?
 
gkw4815 said:
Ha that's a good question and I guess it depends on how long I plan to continue futzing around with my pool (FWIW, my next door neighbor is twice my age and he does all of his own pool maintenance).

I guess I'd buy enough bulbs to last me until there are LED fixtures that last 20+ years...how many should I grab?
Click to expand...
Didn’t know about the bulb ban. I’ll need to stock up too.
 
GKW,

How old is your current pool and how many bulbs have you used???

The pool at my house is about 8 years old and still has the original bulb.

I have two rent house pool that I have had for well over 8 years and they both have the same bulb that was in them when I bought them. No telling how old they are.

I'd think that two would last 20 years.

Thanks,

Jim R.
 
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Pool is 27 years old, 2/3 light fixtures are original, no idea how old the bulbs are (they're working and I haven't needed to change the bulbs). I just finished replacing one fixture with a new Amerlite and new 500w bulb.

You're probably right though, as little as I use the lights I'd hope the bulbs would last a long time. Will probably stock ~2 each 500w and 100w bulbs.
 
Came across this:


This is a bit puzzling...do the regulations target just bulbs, or fixtures as well? If a fixture can accommodate screw-in LED bulbs, or incandescent bulbs, can it still be sold? Do buyers have to pinky-promise not to install an incandescent bulb? Do I need to stock up on spare Amerlite fixtures, in addition to bulbs (one of my three original fixtures recently failed, perhaps the other two aren't far behind)?
 
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Bump...does anyone know if pool light fixtures that can accommodate screw-in bulbs (including incandescent bulbs) are about to be outlawed?

I'm considering purchasing one Amerlite and one Spabrite fixture (plus a few bulbs), to keep on the shelf as spares when/if the two remaining original lights in our pool fail. Would hate to end up with lights that don't match in design and/or color temperature (plus would rather not deal with the questionable longevity of LED fixtures).

As of today, the Amerlites I see for sale online are ~the same price as the one I bought at the end of last year.
 
A thought on bulb longevity. On low voltage bulbs, I believe there’s a voltage selector tap in the control unit.
Many times it’s set to the higher voltage, for brightness, thus lowering the bulb life!
 
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