Our new pool is under construction. We need to make a decision on lighting. The price on our contract includes 3 halogen lights (two for pool and one for spa). I am thinking about upgrading to white LED lighting. Not interested in color lights. I am interested in getting opinions on LED vs Halogen lights. The PB uses all Hayward equipment, so lighting will be Hayward either way. Pros and cons? Advice? Thanks!
New pool build: Halogen or LED lights?
- Thread starter TacoTime
- Start date
- Jul 16, 2012
- 7,204
- Pool Size
- 27000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite (T-15)
LED’s last longer if they don’t misbehave. LED’s are today’s technology. LED’s are more efficient. LED’s are not as bright when comparing full-sized lights.
I will say that given how crazy much attention people pay when selecting their plaster color, going with white LED’s is a surprising move to the opposite extreme. Our color LED’s were hands down the most positive surprise of our build.
I will say that given how crazy much attention people pay when selecting their plaster color, going with white LED’s is a surprising move to the opposite extreme. Our color LED’s were hands down the most positive surprise of our build.
I originally had the same thoughts as you about not needing color - white lights are fine, I thought. Our PB doesn’t sell plain white LED - if you upgrade to LED you get color. (They don’t include the controller though, that was $300 additional).
The LED lights with the colorlogic controller are the best ‘upgrade’ we did for our pool. Being able to change the color changes the entire ‘feel’ of the entertaining area.
The LED lights with the colorlogic controller are the best ‘upgrade’ we did for our pool. Being able to change the color changes the entire ‘feel’ of the entertaining area.
We opt'd out of LED fixtures. For me, I just didn't want the hassle of an integrated unit. LEDs as a technology at the very edge of the user facing design are fantastic. That is, Light Emitting Diodes are great. LED constant current drivers, controllers, step down converters, etc are where companies fall down. If you blow the fixture but the LEDs are still going strong, now what? Hope the supplier has replacement boards and that you can access the back end of the fixture to replace those easily.
That being said, halogen fixtures, ie 120V to a socket in a water proof enclosure, can support an LED bulb that contains all that lovely circuitry. If the circuitry fails, spin out the bulb, pop in a new one.
Not saying the options are as wide and that this is more reliable, but halogen doesn't mean you can't have LEDs in the future, just means you're not building in an LED fixture. Heck, go pick up an LED bulb that fits in your halogen fixture and pop it in before the pool is filled. That's my plan
That being said, halogen fixtures, ie 120V to a socket in a water proof enclosure, can support an LED bulb that contains all that lovely circuitry. If the circuitry fails, spin out the bulb, pop in a new one.
Not saying the options are as wide and that this is more reliable, but halogen doesn't mean you can't have LEDs in the future, just means you're not building in an LED fixture. Heck, go pick up an LED bulb that fits in your halogen fixture and pop it in before the pool is filled. That's my plan
My background is in electronics so I am well versed with the failure modes for LEDs and their drivers.
If you opt for LED lights try and select a model which uses an external driver which is mounted back at your pad and not inside the actual light itself.
Much easier to replace the LED driver with the original variant or an aftermarket variant if ever the original one fails.
My pool below with PAL 'Color Touch' LED lights - The driver electronics are mounted in a box in my equipment room so the LED fixture only contains LED elements and no other active electronics as such.
Go color as well - nice to have the option to suit the mood.... You can also select 'white' with some models such as the PAL 'Color Touch' units.
Blue or trending to Aqua is what I prefer:
Yet my 8 yr old daughter loves this....
If you opt for LED lights try and select a model which uses an external driver which is mounted back at your pad and not inside the actual light itself.
Much easier to replace the LED driver with the original variant or an aftermarket variant if ever the original one fails.
My pool below with PAL 'Color Touch' LED lights - The driver electronics are mounted in a box in my equipment room so the LED fixture only contains LED elements and no other active electronics as such.
Go color as well - nice to have the option to suit the mood.... You can also select 'white' with some models such as the PAL 'Color Touch' units.
Blue or trending to Aqua is what I prefer:
Yet my 8 yr old daughter loves this....
My background is in electronics so I am well versed with the failure modes for LEDs and their drivers.
If you opt for LED lights try and select a model which uses an external driver which is mounted back at your pad and not inside the actual light itself.
Much easier to replace the LED driver with the original variant or an aftermarket variant if ever the original one fails.
My pool below with PAL 'Color Touch' LED lights - The driver electronics are mounted in a box in my equipment room so the LED fixture only contains LED elements and no other active electronics as such.
Go color as well - nice to have the option to suit the mood.... You can also select 'white' with some models such as the PAL 'Color Touch' units.
Blue or trending to Aqua is what I prefer:
Yet my 8 yr old daughter loves this....
Interesting, is the wiring integrated between the driver and LEDs? Curious if a retro fit could be made easily. I'm trying to remove the possibility of any further change orders with my pool company, solely because they will use any and everything as an excuse not to deliver.
No - not really...
Multi color LEDs generally use 4 wires (sometimes 5) to control the individually colored LEDs.
Below is a pic of my driver with only one LED light fixture wired up. You can see the 4 individual wires which are bundled into the one cable.
The 4-wire scheme is a common wiring configuration for multi color LEDs, you also see this configuration on strip/rope style LEDs.
The driver controls which lead has power at any one time and can also mix the colors so you are not just stuck with the basic Red/Blue/Green etc.
On most controllers you can also dim the LED lights to suit the mood as well.
The controller below can also control certain Jandy, Pentair and Hayward LED lights just be configuring a small DIP switch on the main board.
Note that the controller only ever sends 12V DC to the wiring which connects the LED light, so you never have a situation where high voltage mains (120 or 220 etc) voltage is sent to the pool.
