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We're in the process of building ours (inground gunite) and I've been planning to run some PVC right before the decking is poured with wiring for low voltage lighting and speakers. Is it safe to operate low voltage lighting close to a pool like this?
Are there any special steps I need to do while running the wiring to make sure everything's safe?
Probably something in the code about it-But you could install solar powered lights- we bought a set of 15 off ebay and mounted them into the tops of the aluminum fence posts. Turned out real nice for a subtle background lighting effect.
Mike
Thanks, Mike! I've been curious about those solar powered lights. They sound very convenient.
About how long do they last (stay lit) before the batteries run out?
I have seen claims of 8-12 hours but if the light does not receive a half-day worth of strong sunlight then the LED will run at half-strength or will die out after about 4-6 hours. I have two different brands (make it three if you include former homeowners junkers) for a total of about 12 lights. The bigger issue is the brightness, although I know they have new "bright white" solars instead of the 'sunset' glow that is common.
** My problem is that the solar panels get damaged very easily and then do not gather as strong a charge. A set I bought from home improv warehouse had 4 bad lights out of six. THEY ARE FRAGILE!
Mine are made of glass and Stainless steel and are not fragile by any means. Also, by being mounted up high, it keeps them out of harms way and helps with light disbursal. They are made by Westinghouse, and may have been a discontinued design, but I still find them on Ebay along with newer designs out of the same materials. Light output is about as stated above.
Mike
joel,
How close to the pool do you need these lights? I found some specs that required low voltage lighting to be 10' from the water. I used that as a rule of thumb (I cheated a bit in a couple of areas, but I know there's no way someone can reach the lights from the pool). The lighting should also be powerd by a GFI receptacle or breaker.
I used solar lights in certain areas as a supplement to the low voltage lights. They're nice because there are at least some lights on every night but they hardly provide any light. They are more of an accent.
Thanks, Lenny. That might be a problem, as many of the areas I want lit up are closer than 10 feet. :(
I might have to check out the solar solution.