Waterfall Light Control

[DogtownTX]

We're nearing the end of the pool process and the PB came by to start showing me how things work. During the demo he showed that all lights are controlled by the same switch. I have 6 Hayward LED lights in the pool / spa and 2 non-Hayward LED lighted sheer descents.

When the lights are turned on, the pool/spa lights come on in one color and the sheer descent lights come on in another color.

If you do that thing where you turn it of and back on real fast the Hayward lights change to the next color, and so do the sheer descent lights, but they are still a different color from the pool/spa lights.

When I pointed this out to the PB he basically said I needed to buy another transformer and pay to have it installed if I wanted to switch these independently. This would be above and beyond the $1625 I paid to have this lighted feature added.

My question is, for those who have two lighted regions like this, shouldn't these have been installed as independently switched zones? One for Pool/Spa, the other for the waterfalls.

 

[Jimrahbe]

Dog,

Your pool builder is correct... These lights are designed to be powered by a transformer and the switch controls the AC power to the transformer. In theory, to individually control each light, you would need 8 individual transformers..

That said, it appears to me that you should also be able to add a switch that controls the low voltage AC to each individual light... But that is not how the manual says to install the system.

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[coastertrav]

Dog,

Your pool builder is correct... These lights are designed to be powered by a transformer and the switch controls the AC power to the transformer. In theory, to individually control each light, you would need 8 individual transformers..

That said, it appears to me that you should also be able to add a switch that controls the low voltage AC to each individual light... But that is not how the manual says to install the system.

Thanks,

Jim R.

Jim, I'd agree. Switching the lights downstream of the transformer should give the control needed.

I'd have an additional switch installed, have the original switch wired downstream of the transformer, and have the transformer hardwired to the panel with no switch between the transformer and the breaker. The builder will probably push back, as this isn't how the manufacturer instructions say to do it, but I believe that is so the manufacturer can push selling you more parts.

 

[Jimrahbe]

I'd leave the original switch and transformer and add individual switches for each light after the transformer..

The reason is... turning off one switch turns everything off.. Unless you just want to turn off 8 switches to turn off all the lights...

Jim R.

 

[DogtownTX]

Thanks for the responses! Sorry, I wasn't very clear. All lights are controlled by the same switch, through a single transformer. All the pool/spa lights are Hayward and the waterfall lights are different brand. So when the switch is flipped on the pool/spa lights come on in one color and waterfall lights come on in different color. I was only asking if it's standard to have the 2 waterfall lights be on their own switch. I'm fine with having the pool/spa lights on the same switch.

My PB says for what I paid I just get the ability to switch them on with the rest of the pool. The contract doesn't specify anything other than lighted sheer descents so I guess I'm at his mercy contractually.

Thanks again.

 

[RoyR]

What lights are in the waterfall?