Testing the waters
For many years, fibre optic lighting was the technology of choice for creative spot colours, multicoloured underwater light shows and water features. These effects could also be created by placing a lens, or rotating set of lenses, over a white halogen or incandescent light. While these technologies are still available, LED market share is increasing, thanks to reduced costs and development of more user-friendly fixtures for residential owners.
The swimming pool, spa and water feature industry is increasingly turning to leading LED manufacturers for both white and colour LED fixtures that not only offer bright illumination, but also present new opportunities for dynamic, choreographed light shows. Landscapers also have access to LED technologies; in fact, with the right controls, landscape lights can be synchronized with pool, spa and water feature lighting to unify a backyard setting.
LED technology is also at the heart of some of the industry’s newest illuminated arcing laminar-style water features, which carry graceful arcs of water in different colours through the darkness. These features are made possible by the size options provided by the technology; for example, LED fixtures can be as small as a pencil tip (one diode) and can therefore be installed in tight spaces. In fact, early pool industry adopters of LED technology often used them in steps, fountains and other specialized areas, where a small amount of light is beneficial.
An increasing number of commercial pool operators are also switching out incandescent lights for LED fixtures in order to save on energy consumption, technical service time and expense. Depending on the number of lights and the hours per day they are in use, the return on investment (ROI) for an LED upgrade can be as short as one year.
The bottom line
The savings come in two forms. First, LEDs consume less energy to provide comparable amounts of light. They also allow for brighter light given the same amount of energy use. For example, some LED fixtures use upwards of 86 per cent less energy than comparable incandescent lights to provide the same amount of illumination.
Secondly, they last longer and do not need to be replaced as frequently. This is, in part because LEDs, unlike incandescent lights, use solid-state technology; they have no internal filaments that can wear out. As a comparison, an incandescent bulb rated for 2,000 hours will last just a few months if used eight hours a day. LEDs, on the other hand, can last up to 10 years or longer. In the residential pool market, where pools typically use fewer fixtures for fewer hours, recovering the costs of an LED upgrade may take longer, but the benefits are still the same.
Another benefit of this lighting technology is its running temperature, which is also related to energy consumption. Heat shortens the life of any electronic device, and LED lights are no exception; however, LED fixtures run much cooler than incandescent and halogen lights, simply because they use fewer watts. Although models and designs vary, an LED fixture can emit as much light as a 500-watt incandescent bulb, but consume only 70 watts.
Even though LED fixtures run cooler compared to other lighting technologies, they still generate some heat, prompting lighting manufacturers to use thermal management techniques to keep them as cool as possible. In other words, LED fixtures are designed so the heat they generate is drawn away from the diodes.
