Pool lighting is a wonderful way to promote safety and improve the look of your backyard pool area. In our investigation of pool lighting options (see Part 1, 2 & 3), we’ve already explored some of the pros and cons of both traditional incandescent lights and the increasingly popular LED lights. Fiber-optic lights are another exciting option out there when it comes to pool illumination. In this article, we will take a closer look at this unique form of lighting and determine some of the benefits as well as the drawbacks of choosing fiber-optic pool lights.
Advantages of Fiber-Optic Lights for Your Pool
If you’re looking for a lighting option that allows easy access for replacing light bulbs, fiber-optic pool lights may be the ideal choice for you. These lights work differently than the other lighting options we’ve already mentioned, because they’re operated by using a dry box that’s located somewhere outside the pool, such as on the deck or patio. It’s this dry box that actually contains the light bulbs.
When you turn the lights on using the dry box, they send light into the pool wall via a fiber-optic cable. So when it comes time to replace the bulb, there’s no need for any complicated underwater casing or bulb removal. Instead, you simply remove the burned out bulb from the dry box and pop a new bulb into place. It’s just that simple! This simplicity is paired with safety. Since you don’t have to come near the water to replace the bulbs or other parts, you won’t have to worry about running into any electrical shock risk during the replacement process.
Another benefit to fiber-optic pool lighting is its eye-catching appearance. Fiber-optic lights, due to the small size of each individual light, can give off the dreamy appearance of twinkling stars inside the pool. They can be scattered across the bottom and sides of the pool as well as lined up around the outside perimeter of the pool for a dramatic look. If you want to create an even more magical effect, you can choose color-changing fiber optic lights and program them to put on your own private color-changing light show. These lights can be bundled together to make more concentrated areas of light for greater illumination. You can also add them to any water features which you have included in your pool, such as waterfalls or fountains.
Disadvantages of Fiber-Optic Lights for Your Pool
Compared to Incandescent and LED lights, fiber-optic lights are expensive both when it comes to their initial installation as well as maintenance. They also tend to give off less light than some of the other options out there on the market, which means that you’ll have to spend more money if you want to adequately illuminate your pool with fiber-optic lights. Not to mention that fiber-optic light bulbs burn out relatively frequently. That means you’ll have to spend extra money replacing them.
Practical Tips for Fiber-Optic Pool Lights
Due to the cost-prohibitive drawbacks of fiber-optic lights, many people who choose to use them do so not as a standalone option, but in combination with some other type of pool lighting. They’re perfect for extra mood lighting or adding a splash of color to the pool’s perimeter or water features. They may also work well for someone with a small pool that doesn’t require a lot of light. If you want to illuminate a large pool using fiber-optic lights, you can certainly do so, just be prepared to pay quite a bit more than you would for the same amount of illumination with LED or traditional incandescent pool lights.
Hopefully, this in-depth look at some of the pros and cons of different pool lighting options will help you to make an informed choice when it comes to illuminating your backyard pool. In the last installment of this series on pool lighting, we’ll consider some outdoor pool area lighting options.
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Lyon Financial
Since 1979 Lyon Financial has made the backyard resort dream come true for over 400,000 families across the U.S. Through our solid relationships with more than 3,000 pool contractors and our continued commitment to putting our clients first, we have built a reputation as the first choice in providing pool financing solutions. For more information, visit lyonfinancial.net or call (877) 754-5966 today.
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