Newbie question regarding LED lights

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ddjax

ddjax

0
Aug 15, 2016
36
St Johns, FL
Hello all,
New user here from Jacksonville, FL. I've been reading the forum for a while now but this is my first post. First, thanks to everyone for all the fantastic info, it's been tremendously helpful so far. We're just getting the process started on our first in ground pool and have a question about the number of LED lights that will be appropriate for our specific pool design. I've ready through most of the posts on this subject and it seems to be highly dependent on not just the size of the pool but also the shape, particularly as it relates to freeform designs. With that in mind I'm hoping to get some good advice from all the veterans on here. Like many posts i've read, my PB is only recommending a single LED light (Pentair Intellibrite 5G). I'm attaching a diagram of our specific design showing the size and shape and would love to get opinions on the light count and positioning based on other's experiences with these lights. I can't seem to find specific beam angle or distance info for the Intellibrites anywhere, just the basic "narrow" and "wide" adjustment provided in the Pentair documentation. The interior finish will be a medium blue pebble (Sunstone Pearl-Blue Pearl). Any and all thoughts are welcomed! Thanks.

Pool diagram_15Aug_zpsbi7ncl1i.jpg Photo by ddjax | Photobucket
 
I'm no expert, but after looking at many of the pool builds here, it seems like it's better to err on the "more" than the "less" side. Also general rules seem to be to not have the light point at the residence, or in your "swim lane". My bet is the PB wants to put the one in the deep end, right about where the 30' dimension line arrow on your drawing points to the upper left.

If it were me, I'd do either 3 or 4 LED's, on the house side, perpendicular to the 30' dimension line. If I were going with 3, probably about where the cross section dimension line arrors point to. And 4, somewhat equidistant. But I also want to be able to use the pool as a night time feature, since it will be most of my small backyard, and I want to make sure I have enough light to do so. There may be other opinions, but it's a lot easier to not use than to put them in later.
 
My pool is 32' long with one LED light at the end. It is ok, but we wish we had a second light at the other end. We have white plaster, which is supposed to help, so your light needs may be greater with blue pebbletec.

For location, the advice is usually point lights away from your seating locations and away from your house, and don't put them at the ends of the pool because it will be irritating if you swim laps at night. But I haven't found our LED lights to have much glare when sitting outside, and I don't expect to swim many laps at night.
 
It's always better to have too many then spend the money for too few and be unhappy with the performance. If you do go with two, three or four you don't need to run them all at the same time. You have the option to light the pool from different angles creating different effects.
 

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PoolingAround said:
My pool builder suggested one and I regret not asking for more. I would at least go 2 if money is tight.
Click to expand...

It's just that if one isn't enough you'll always regret it and to cure it you have a really big project draining, digging and cutting to get a second one in.
 
My pool is 41' long and I have two LED's in the pool, one on each end, kind of to the side so they aren't in your eyes looking at pool from house. There's also an additional LED in the spa. If I had a do over, I'd have 3 in the pool. I think you'd be unhappy with just 1.
 
My pool is 31' long. I have an LED light at either end. This is just about perfect. One would have been too few, and I don't think that more would have made that much of a difference. I also have a separate, smaller LED light in the spa. This, too, is just about perfect.

I have rather dark pebble/plaster, so I chose to go with white LED (and not the color-changing ones) based on the advice of a friend who has a pool with very similar plaster color. This, too, was a good choice since the darker plasters can make the non-white LED colors look a bit funky.

Whatever you decide, be sure to keep the lights from shining directly at your house/patio...you'll prefer them to shine at an oblique angle or even directly away from where you look at the pool.
 
I'll be using the Intellibrite controller rather than a full automation system. Can I turn each light on and off independently with that controller or do they have to be all on or all off? Looking at the controller it appears to just have a single power button.
 
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