New IG pool - should we install an underwater light?

[jfon101231]

About to put down a deposit on a 20x44 full L shaped pool. Can't decide whether we should have an underwater light installed. I'm afraid it will be a source of leaks or just stop working and be more $ to replace, but concerned that just having lighting on the deck won't fulfill our needs completely (don't think it would illuminate the deep-end very well for safety or just for diving to get things off the bottom etc.)

What is the general consensus? Expected a sticky etc but didn't find one. Thanks all for your help on my first post!

[PoolDoc]

I doubt there is a consensus. Whether a light has value to you, depends greatly on how you will use the pool and what's important to you.

Reasons to get a light:
+ night time decorative appearance of the pool is important to you
+ you are likely to have night time swimming or parties

Reasons NOT to get a light:
+ cost
+ maintenance issues (electrical failure / maintenance is more often an issue than leaks)
+ you won't actually use the pool at night. (More people *think* they'll use their pool at night, than do so.)

Non-issues?
+ I'm not sure that having a light makes a pool safer. That said, I haven't swum at night that many times, and the few times I did so . . . I wouldn't have welcomed a light.

Or course, that might be suggest a reason to have a light: if you think you'll have teens in the pool at night, a light certainly would make it easier to keep an eye on what was happening.

[JimK]

I found I like having a light for a reason I didn't expect.....bugs and spiders! For some reason spiders really seem to like the pool and come out at night. So before taking a dip after dark I turn on the light so I can see and scoop out the bugs and spiders before getting in.

If it weren't for that, I don't know that I would get a light again.

[CarlD]

If you decide to put in a light, look for one where the lens is installed in the pool wall, and the light goes in it from the outside, and make it an accessible point. Then, if the light fails you can access it from outside the pool and not in the water. Also, for safety, I would STRONGLY recommend you ONLY use a 12volt light in your pool, and not a full voltage one. And, of course, it must be on a GFI circuit.

I have two 12volt lights in my pool, and, while we don't use them much, we do use them.

[nefretrameses]

I kinda lean with Doc. We have a light that we use at night when we are NOT in the pool. But we don't have teenagers to " keep an eye on". Our light is a 12/15 volt as Carl suggests that is accessible from inside the pool. I replaced the housing once (not the niche) without difficulty. Make sure to have a connection between the 12/15 volt transformer wire and the light wire in an accessible spot.

Actually, we did use the light while in the pool when my daughter and grand daughter visited in November. The water was only 74 degrees, but she wanted to go in, so in I went

[craigrpeters]

If you're more worried about the cost, and don't expect to use the lights often, stay with the white/bulb type that are much less expensive than the LED multi-color type. The latter are very expensive to install and replace down the road - $2100 in my case for 2 lights, controller and installation. Bulbs and a simple on/off switch are a lot cheaper and easier to replace when a bulb goes out. A white color bulb still looks great at night and does the job well!

Also, I'd say it's a safety issue to let kids swim at night without a light.

[JimK]

.........

Also, I'd say it's a safety issue to let kids swim at night without a light.

Good point.

I probably should have mentioned in my response that we don't have any kids using our pool.