Electricity and water features don't mix well, but that's no reason to completely do without lighting plumbing and hydrological areas. Especially when it comes to a site where the role of decorative lighting is so important. Properly organized pool lighting can even become a central decorative composition, which also performs a practical function.
Basic Safety Standards
According to SNiP, lighting should be organized according to the following rules:
- Powered by 12V. Use of 220V lines is strictly prohibited.
- The bottom and walls of the pool must be sealed. Particular attention is paid to the wiring entry points for connecting fixtures and backlights.
- Lamps and lanterns should not glare on the water surface.
- Lighting devices are selected withinsulation class not lower than IP68.
- Light should completely flood the bottom and walls of the structure.
There are also norms for lighting a pool operating in natural mode without special equipment:
- The size of the openings for light is determined by the percentage of the construction area. With multi-sided lighting in the room - up to 13%, with one-sided lighting - up to 16%.
- Light openings in the ceiling and walls should provide continuous uniform lighting with tape devices.
- Openings must not be placed below 2 m relative to the level of the walkway.
- Windows and stained-glass windows must be accessible for the installation of ladders and other devices that will allow you to climb up to the level of the light flux.
- Orientation of the direction of sunlight should not allow dazzling pool users.
Selection of lighting equipment
Traditional light sources are impractical to use in swimming pools. The best solution would be LED devices, which are small in size, long service life and easy to install. Such lamps do not emit harmful infrared radiation and do not overheat during operation, which is important for operating conditions in the pool. Optimized luminaire body designs allow for easy integration into bottom and wall construction.
Advantageous LED pool lighting and decorative qualities. LED light technologies allow you to change the shades of the stream - from soft relaxing tones to festive bright colors. Concerningdesigns of the fixtures themselves, then you can give preference to point waterproof models, as well as LED strips, which perform well in arranging pools of complex geometric shapes.
From the point of view of power supply, choose low-voltage devices from 5 to 12 W.
Wiring arrangement
Pool supply lines should be led from common electrical routes or switchboards, from which the rest of the lighting equipment on the site is powered, highlighting both architectural elements and the surrounding area. To switch from 220 V to 12 V and lower voltage, special adapters are used at the branching points.
It is desirable to lay lines underground, using high-quality insulation. Standard pool lighting requires two circuits - phase and neutral. If luminaires with the first class of protection are used, then there are three wires, among which there will be a ground wire. In this case, a special clamp is provided for lighting devices for connection with a ground cable.
Exterior lighting device
The general lighting system can be divided into two categories:
- outer (around the pool and above it),
- internal (underwater lighting).
Outside, conventional lamp models can be used - both ceiling LED devices and energy-saving street spotlights, when it comes to operation in the local area. External lighting of the pool areacan be implemented on walls and ceilings, but in such a way that the rays capture the bath itself, the sides, entrances with exits, as well as adjacent recreation areas. The emphasis is on uniformity with a comfortable reflection of the light flux from the water surface, but without glare. Ceiling light organization is done from the side so that the light is directed at an angle, and not strictly vertically.
Installation of underwater LED lighting
For internal lighting, use lamps with a stainless body. Under them, special niches and connectors are prepared in advance in the bottom and walls of the pool. For example, in the bowl of a plastic structure, holes can be made that match the format of hermetic fittings.
Further, through an organized connector, a lamp is connected and fixed, also suitable in diameter and fixation system. Electric wires to the LEDs are already laid to the pool using a corrugated hose. Experts do not recommend organizing underwater lighting for pools using spotlights. They are optimally suited for volumetric external lighting, but due to their large size, it is undesirable to mount such structures on the bottom of the bowl. In the process of integrating small spotlights, waterproof silicone sealants should be used. All outlet channels must be securely sealed without the slightest cracks or gaps.
Water drain is organized separately and away from the installation sites of lighting devices.
Organization of the tape lighting system
Strip LEDs will allow you to implement underwater lighting around the entire perimeter of the structure. It sinks to the bottom and forms a ring of illumination. Fixation is carried out on magnets if the structure is metal. In other cases, adhesive methods of fastening to the same sealants or waterproof construction adhesive should be used. Tape lighting wiring from the pool is usually displayed along the functional elements of the structure, for example, along the pipes of the railing, through the same sides, etc.
Fiber optic lighting installation
A relatively new way of lighting, based on the work of fiber optic elements. The main advantage of such systems can be called a high degree of tightness and safety. There are special fiber-optic lighting devices for water bodies, more like projectors. The system is formed from many light-conducting veins, the glow of which under water becomes diffuse and voluminous. That is, a small light beam visually increases many times, although its source is small.
It is important to emphasize that fiber optic circuits conduct light, not electricity. Directly under water there will be no conductive parts at all, and this is the main advantage of this system over LED lamps. Pool lighting on fiber optics is performed according to the type of the same tape. The flexible contours of such elements allow you to mount the backlight of any configuration, but even in this case, you will need to create holes in the walls for layingdiffuser fiber.
In practice, this option is not only the safest, but also economical. Its disadvantages include only modest possibilities for regulating the parameters of the glow.
Lighting control
In the simplest version, if you use underwater and jellied top lighting, you can limit yourself to switches or a dimmer. The controls are located either in the technical room or near the switchboard. Modern technologies allow you to use the remote control directly in the pool. The most complex configurations for changing the settings for pool lighting are implemented using controllers and drivers for LED systems. Actuators of this type support several programs and glow modes, in which not only the color gamut with brightness changes, but also the flicker frequency. Moreover, the driver signal can be linked to the audio input to a CD/MP3 player or music system. In this case, the color combinations will play in time with the music. Real light shows allow the realization of controllers connected to a computer. By connecting each lamp through the digital bus of the controller to the control panel, you can create full-fledged light and music performances.
Implementation of security systems
The presence of protective electrical devices is a prerequisite for the organization of any water lighting system. At a minimum, experts recommend using transformers to connecttape lamps and 12 V lamps. Even with a small total power of up to 28 W, the presence of at least one 30 W transformer will not be superfluous. Again, the devices must have moisture-proof insulated cases, since they will have to be located close to the operation site, for example, in a technological pit.
It is also worth including safety blocks and a stabilizer in the lighting system for the pool if you plan to use energy-intensive controllers.
Conclusion
Providing a pool with light is not just a utilitarian practical task, but in some way a creative task through which you can express all your design preferences. Playing with light and water, you can create a variety of visual compositions that will undoubtedly decorate the surroundings. At the same time, we should not forget that swimming pool lighting is also a technically complex system that requires special attention at every stage of its implementation. It is mandatory to think over the issues of safety and reliability in the operation of the future electrical infrastructure.
We cannot ignore such qualities of the system as functionality and ergonomics. These and other characteristics must be balanced and calculated.
