Suggestion if you're getting LEDs with a pebble plaster

[Karmann]

This might apply to regular plaster but here is my experience and I hope it helps someone. I still love my choice to go with LEDs but if I could have done these modifications it would have been absolutely perfect.

1. Position them so that they shine away from your porch or main area of congregation.

For example if you look at my diagram below, the spa light appears as a bright dot when looking at the pool from my patio, while my pool appears to be a nice shimmering of light similar to what you would see with halogen. This will REALLY be evident when photos are taken, I actually remember one PB telling me this and I overlooked it on my spa for some reason.

2. Consider the dark spots caused by doing a free form pool with LEDs

The center of my pool is pretty dark because of the inward curve of my pool causing a separation in the light distribution. You wouldn't think it would make that much of a difference but it really does, and if I could do over again I would have used 3 LEDs and put one in the center.

Of course some people may think a dark spot isn’t a bad thing it really does make it tough collecting pool toys at night.

3. If you have water features and you’re considering incorporating LEDs…. DO IT

I considered Fiber Optic light bars in my 3' waterfalls but second guessed myself thinking they would be over kill. Now I’m kicking myself because I can’t add them and there was always a safe guard to just turn them off since they can be controlled by a separate switch. After looking at some YouTube videos and using my pool for a few days I really wish I had the option to light up my waterfalls for the kids and also for creating an ambiance for my company.

 

[Flippy]

This might apply to regular plaster but here is my experience and I hope it helps someone. I still love my choice to go with LEDs but if I could have done these modifications it would have been absolutely perfect.

1. Position them so that they shine away from your porch or main area of congregation.

For example if you look at my diagram below, the spa light appears as a bright dot when looking at the pool from my patio, while my pool appears to be a nice shimmering of light similar to what you would see with halogen. This will REALLY be evident when photos are taken, I actually remember one PB telling me this and I overlooked it on my spa for some reason.



2. Consider the dark spots caused by doing a free form pool with LEDs

The center of my pool is pretty dark because of the inward curve of my pool causing a separation in the light distribution. You wouldn't think it would make that much of a difference but it really does, and if I could do over again I would have used 3 LEDs and put one in the center.

Of course some people may think a dark spot isn’t a bad thing it really does make it tough collecting pool toys at night.

3. If you have water features and you’re considering incorporating LEDs…. DO IT

I considered Fiber Optic light bars in my 3' waterfalls but second guessed myself thinking they would be over kill. Now I’m kicking myself because I can’t add them and there was always a safe guard to just turn them off since they can be controlled by a separate switch. After looking at some YouTube videos and using my pool for a few days I really wish I had the option to light up my waterfalls for the kids and also for creating an ambiance for my company.

1. It might not be too much of an issue. My LED in my spa faces us and we can barely see it from our sitting area. We see a little lip of the color of the light coming over the spillway.

2. Yes, you need more LED lights in my opinion than regular lights.

3. Yes I agree, I have fiber optic laminars and they look kick a## at night. I would do something with LED's if I ever build a pool.

 

[jtech1]

Karmann, thank you for the advice...

If you look at the pool from the side, so the pool LED light is shining perpendicular to your viewing angle, how does that look? Does it still show a glare like head on or is it OK? I am using three LED lights... one in the center facing directly away from the house, but also one more at each end facing each other and perpendicular to my view from the house. It is really the only place I can put them and get good coverage because of the shape of my pool. I am curious if that causes any glare issues.

 

[Karmann]

side view doesn't look to bad, i posted some photos to give you you a better idea..

 

[jtech1]

Very nice! Interesting that the surfaces on the right side are well lit... so it seems that the distance is not a problem... just the beam spread. What brand lights do you have? Pentair lights have a wide and narrow setting.