LED Lightning review

[tampatommy]

BDavis recently suggested purchasing the new nicheless Pentair Microbrite lights. All of our equipment is picked out...... except for the lights. We are doing LED bubblers which require Pentair Globrite lights, but we are not sure if we should be the guinea pig with a new product or just do Globrites for everything. There is little documentation online about pricing or the amount of lumens.

Has anybody tried the Microbrites yet?

 

[bdavis466]

BDavis recently suggested purchasing the new nicheless Pentair Microbrite lights. All of our equipment is picked out...... except for the lights. We are doing LED bubblers which require Pentair Globrite lights, but we are not sure if we should be the guinea pig with a new product or just do Globrites for everything. There is little documentation online about pricing or the amount of lumens.

Has anybody tried the Microbrites yet?

The problem you'll find with the globrites is that it's a proprietary niche that the only lights that work with that niche are the globrites. Now that pentair has released the microbrites it's only a matter of time before they discontinue the others. All of the other major equipment manufacturers make 1.5" NPT nicheless lights so it only follows suit that pentair will continue.

As for seeing the lights, several of the pool supply houses have displays where you can see them. It might be worth taking a look.

I don't care for the look of the manufactured bubblers. The unit itself is way too big and I think it looks ugly on the pool floor. I like to plumb the bubblers like typical pool returns but with a Venturi tee and then place a light in an area that will shine on it.

 

[tampatommy]

Microbrites are not as brite as the Globrites....that’s why I only have one on my Baja shelf. The other issue is the beam width..

Do you have any examples of this setup? I completely get your point on nicheless lights and I think it’s stupid to buy a product on its way out. I think I’ve narrowed my search down for the lights. Just need a solution for LED bubblers.

 

[RoyR]

Microbrites (14W) are not as "brite" as the IntelliBrites (26W) - these are also color changing LEDs....that’s why I only have one on my Baja shelf. The other issue is the beam width.

IntelliBrite® 5G Color LED Pool Lights

Add vibrant colors to your pool with Pentair's IntelliBrite 5G Color LED Pool Lights. Featuring automated color-changing LED technology. Learn more today!

www.pentair.com

 

[bdavis466]

Do you have any examples of this setup? I completely get your point on nicheless lights and I think it’s stupid to buy a product on its way out. I think I’ve narrowed my search down for the lights. Just need a solution for LED bubblers.

 

[tampatommy]

Is that bubbler similar to the one just to the right of it, with just more pressure? Do you have pictures of the actual plumbing? I dont know if the plumber will be familiar with not using the typical LED bubbler housing and would like an example on what to do.

 

[bdavis466]

The bubblers are plumbed the same way spa Jets are plumbed...I would imagine here's familiar with that.

I use threaded couplers an the ends so a length of PVC can be threaded in as an extension to get the fountain effect.

 

[tampatommy]

Do you happen to have a picture of your pool at night with the microbrite as well as the globrites on at the same time?

Bdavis, how did you hook the light up for that bubbler? Is it just two pipes side by side?

 

[bdavis466]

The light shines perpendicular to the bubbler 4' away in the sidewall. You could put it next to the bubbler plumbing if you wanted but it's a waste to me to have a light shooting straight up

 

[petepool]

Any more info available on Globrites or Microbrites for a new 20x40 pool? Going to do 4 lights going down the long side. Still haven't found any documentation on the difference in lumens between the two, but it seems the microbrites have the added benefit of not using a proprietary niche size for future replacements.

 

[petepool]

Any thoughts here? Signing contract today so debating which lights to specify. PB says price is basically the same for either.

 

[bdavis466]

I would go with the microbrites because of the non-proprietary niche. Nothing other than a globrite fits in that niche and they have not proven to be very reliable.

I imagine they'll be discontinued soon enough

 

[Rattus Suffocatus]

If I had it do do all over again... in my standard single niche light that I have, I would have instead bought a halogen niche fixture and replaced the bulb with the $88-150 Chinese LED replacement bulbs (Or not for as long as I've had it on). This built in obsolescence at very high cost with pool LED lights probably is the biggest rip-off in all of the pool industry (which is full of over priced products as it is). We will see with my Hayward LED, but I'm not at all impressed with it for $700, and when it goes, it's $700 to replace.... The lights in my spa are better.

If it were me, I'd go as far away from proprietary as possible. At least I can replace my LED with a Halogen fixture someday to do plan B.

 

[jimmythegreek]

If your stuck with pentair for automation reasons go with microbrites you can at least swap down the road using other 1.5" nicheless lites.

 

[petepool]

Does pentair publish lumens specs for microbrites and globrites?

 

[ajw22]

Does pentair publish lumens specs for microbrites and globrites?

I think Pentair purposefully does not publish lumens specs for the lights.

Their Pool Lighting Catalog is here...

https://www.pentairpartners.com/productcatalog/pdf/US2019/sec06_Lighting.pdf

 

[Love2Fly]

BDavis recently suggested purchasing the new nicheless Pentair Microbrite lights. All of our equipment is picked out...... except for the lights. We are doing LED bubblers which require Pentair Globrite lights, but we are not sure if we should be the guinea pig with a new product or just do Globrites for everything. There is little documentation online about pricing or the amount of lumens.

Has anybody tried the Microbrites yet?

Have you decided which light?

We are going thru the same struggle right now. Thank you for sharing.

 

[petepool]

My contract says (4) globrites, but when we start building i may switch to the microbrites. While the microbrites have a non-proprietary niche, which is a huge plus, I get the sense they are a much weaker light with less coverage...so not really a comparable replacement. If pentair actually published some data on it we can actually confirm that.

 

[joepaiii]

My contract says (4) globrites, but when we start building i may switch to the microbrites. While the microbrites have a non-proprietary niche, which is a huge plus, I get the sense they are a much weaker light with less coverage...so not really a comparable replacement. If pentair actually published some data on it we can actually confirm that.

I may have messed up in my build... just had electrical done and we went with 3 microbrites for a pool that is 36x18... really thinking I should have went with the intellibrite... just hoping they will be bright enough. Maybe I could have them convert a return jet to another light....

I do like the idea of a standard size niche light... if I had to do over again I would have done that. This was a last minute change in the contract - switched from paraglo to microbrites. Should have made at least 2 in the main pool the intellibrite type. But will see. Hopefully three will be enough.

 

[Sparks22]

I may have messed up in my build... just had electrical done and we went with 3 microbrites for a pool that is 36x18... really thinking I should have went with the intellibrite... just hoping they will be bright enough. Maybe I could have them convert a return jet to another light....

I do like the idea of a standard size niche light... if I had to do over again I would have done that. This was a last minute change in the contract - switched from paraglo to microbrites. Should have made at least 2 in the main pool the intellibrite type. But will see. Hopefully three will be enough.

We are grappling with this decision. Please update with how your microbrites turn out!