Interchangeable LED Lights or permanent Fixtures

[River1123]

Merry Christmas! I’m sure this has been hashed out many times but I could not find a thread with the answer. It’s time to replace the old 120 V Amerlites. I just cannot make The decision to put 12v amerlite fixtures in with aftermarket 12v Chinese color changing bulbs or put in 12v intellibrite 5g Leds. Any suggestions or advice? Thanks!
Great place here!
Matt

 

[KDpoolguy]

Hi Matt,
Welcome to TFP! This is a topic many of usdeal with. If you can clarify that you’re wanting to pull a completely new light assembly (you have a leak or?), or just want to replace the light bulbs themselves?
Are you wanting LED? Color changing for the neatness of it? Just curious . I’ll go under assumption that your light niche is a Pentair/American Products Amerilite from your mention of Pentair?

If the assembly/fixtures themselves are still watertight, there are a dizzying array of bulb selections. Swap the bulb and gasket and you’re good to go, but the color changing bulbs are $75+.

I went with Bulbwizards, Made in USA and excellent warranty service. They offer a 12v option also. It’s just a Edison screw in bulb. The Pentair Intellibrite 5g and others as you mention don’t have the replaceable bulbs so you’ll pull an entire new fixture, and many have had serious issues with them. Some only lasting a few months.

IMHO, if your fixtures are working and less than 10 years old find a nice Bulb and new gasket but if you need a new fixture (again IMHO) get a direct replacement halogen Amerilite and pull the halogen out and replace with a Bulbwizards or other LED bulb.

I’ll preface that I tried color changing bulbs and because of pool color brightness, I went back to normal white bulb in my spa and I’m much happier. Just waiting for my Bulbwizard Pool light to die...but 2 years now and it’s good. The LED tech is a ‘get what you pay for’ situation. They may say 50,000 hour life, but the electronics, solders and PC boards fail before the filaments do, so you’ll be replacing just as if an incandescent. The quality bulbs will last longer. You can get good white LEDs, but they can run you $$, Also. I wish I had more specific info on bulb manufacturers. You can get a run down on Inyopools.com that stocks quality products.

See if this bump will get others to also put in their $0.02

Also, if you can fill in your signature field (read link below ‘before you post’) to let us know what pool equipment you work with.

https://www.troublefreepool.com/content/115-read-before-you-post

-Kevin

 

[River1123]

Thanks Kevin!
Yes I am at the point where I need to run new fixtures/pull wires As the old amerlites lights Don’t seal well and are tripping the GFCI outlet. I have gone through a few of the aftermarket color changing LED’s in the 120 V Models. I figured I would go ahead and switch over to a 12 V system since I have a baby and you never know who’s messing with stuff around our house. I think I’ve decided on an amerlite housing (12v) With an aftermarket LED bulb. I just cannot figure out the difference between the 100 W rating and 300 W rating. Any ideas on this? Thanks! I will do my best to fill in my signature my equipment and so all a lot of it is names have rubbed off. Eek! My next post will be on new equipment in general

 

[Divin Dave]

Hi River,
the difference between the 100W and 300W rating is the brightness of the bulb. That rating is meant to be a comparison to an incandescent bulb.

For example,
bulb A is compared in brightness to 100W bulb
bulb B is compared in brightness to a 300W bulb

 

[River1123]

Thanks Dave,
So I guess they’re supplying a bulb with the housing. I wonder why it doesn’t state what kind of bulb It is (led/incandesent) or any other info for that matter!

 

[KDpoolguy]

The Direct replacement Amerilite/SpaBrite units have actual halogen 60w/100w/300watt bulbs in them —that you can then remove and replace with the LED of your choice. Or you can get the Intelli-series that are proprietary LED lighting (no replaceable bulb). The LED bulbs themselves are amazing, the larger ones holding 200+ individual LED diodes to pump out enough light energy.

The 60w/100w/300watt are ‘comparable’ light temperatures but the LED power usage of a 300w ‘comparable LED’ but uses considerably less electricity and run much cooler.

“Pentair was quoted as saying, “IntelliBrite LED Pool Lights need only 37 watts to create the same light output as traditional incandescent and halogen pool lights do at 161 watts – that’s more than 75% less! And IntelliBrite spa lights use only 23 watts for the same light output compared to 46 watts for traditional lights…”
https://www.poolsupplyworld.com/blog/led-vs-incandescent-swimming-pool-lights-comparison/