How Long Do LED Pool Lights Last?

LED pool lights are an essential installation in any swimming pool. They not only enhance your swimming experience with their bright illumination but also provide a better ambiance. For customers, the lifespan of LED pool lights is of utmost importance. Let's explore the answer to the question: How long do LED pool lights last?

Three Types of Pool Lights: INCANDESCENT, HALOGEN, and LED; Which Lasts the Longest?

The use of lamps has a long history, from fire to oil, gas, and modern electric lights. The advancement of science and technology has made it possible for human ideas to become reality, and lighting is used in various fields. In recent years, lights have been used in water fountains, hot springs, swimming pools, water parks, and other underwater applications. The development of underwater lights has also undergone various changes. People strive to create more durable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly underwater lights. There are three common types of underwater lights: incandescent, halogen, and LED pool lights, with LED lighting dominating the market. Let's compare these three types of pool lights and see which one lasts the longest.

Incandescent

The incandescent lamp uses electricity to heat the filament to an incandescent state and emits visible light through thermal radiation. The invention of the incandescent lamp met the lighting needs of people in its time and made a significant contribution to humanity. However, incandescent lamps are gradually being phased out due to their low light efficiency, short lifespan, high power consumption, and high maintenance costs. Some countries are already planning for the phasing out of incandescent lights.

Halogen

Halogen lamps are a type of incandescent lamp that is an improvement over traditional incandescent lamps. The biggest difference between halogen lamps and other incandescent bulbs is that the glass envelope of the halogen lamp is filled with halogen gases. The invention of the halogen lamp significantly extended the service life of incandescent lamps. The service life of an incandescent lamp is almost four times longer than a regular incandescent lamp, and it has higher brightness and light efficiency than ordinary incandescent lights.

LED

LED, a light-emitting diode, is a solid-state device that directly converts electricity into light. The characteristics of LEDs determine their many advantages, such as small size, low power consumption, environmental friendliness, high brightness, long lifespan, etc. LEDs are light-emitting diodes. Under the correct choice of current and voltage, the lifespan of good quality LED pool lights exceeds 50,000 hours, surpassing the lifespan of traditional light sources.

After comparison, we have concluded that LED lights last the longest.

At this point, why do LED pool lights have the longest service life?

Why Do LED Pool Lights Last Long?

The reason for the long lifespan of LED pool lights is that they utilize a special light emission principle. Unlike incandescent lights, LED lights do not need to heat a tungsten filament to emit light. Prolonged heating can cause the tungsten filament to become thinner or even burn out, leading to the end of an incandescent light's life.

LEDs are cold light sources that convert electrical energy directly into light by allowing an electric current to flow between two doped areas (positive and negative). This special light emission principle enables LED lights to have a longer lifespan while being highly energy-efficient.

So, how can we purchase long-lasting LED pool lights for our consumers?

How to Choose LED Pool Lights for a Long Lifespan?

LED underwater pool lights, in all aspects, are of higher standards than ordinary lights. To purchase a long-lasting pool light, we need to pay attention to two aspects: the material and safety.

Safety of Pool Lights

Then it comes to the most important aspect to focus on, safety. A qualified LED underwater pool light should meet the IP68 standard to ensure no water ingress and no electrical leakage. A qualified pool light also uses a safe low-voltage design, namely 12v-24v. This means that the voltage design should be in line with the international standard of safety voltage below 36 volts. In case of leakage, it will not pose a life-threatening risk. Therefore, the most crucial thing in the choice of pool lights is to choose the lights from a reputable manufacturer.

High-quality low-voltage pool lights are very safe, and you can use them with full confidence.

Certification

In addition to meeting IP68 protection grades, underwater pool lights, as electrical appliances, also need to meet certain safety and performance standards. These certification standards vary from country to country and region to region. Choosing a certified product ensures its safety and reliability.

Material of LED Pool Lights

Stainless Steel Pool Lights

Currently, many LED pool lights come with stainless steel housing.

There are many types of steel. However, the main application in underwater lamp housing is stainless steel 304 and stainless steel 316. Since the underwater light will be working in water for a long time after installation, we need to choose a material that is corrosion-resistant, stainless steel. Is stainless steel 304 different from stainless steel 316? Which one is better? Firstly, it is in the appearance. The two do not look very different. Secondly, 304 and 316 are austenitic stainless steel. 316 has molybdenum added to 304 and has more nickel elements, making 316 more resistant to seawater corrosion than 304. 316 is usually used in a marine environment. As for the price, 316 stainless steel is more expensive than 304 stainless steel due to the addition of molybdenum and nickel elements in 316.

Stainless steel 316 is undoubtedly a better material. But if you have a limited budget, stainless steel 304 is also a good option. However, for saltwater pools, it is best to choose stainless steel 316 underwater lights. In any case, it is good to purchase LED underwater pool lights that suit your needs after proper consideration.

Plastic Pool Lights

Stainless steel pool lights tend to sell more than plastic pool lights. If you are on a budget, plastic pool lights are the way to go.

They are very durable as the body of the light is manufactured with antioxidants during the manufacturing process. These products are equally good in quality while being affordable.

Lens

Apart from paying attention to the lamp housing material, you should also focus on the lens material.

The lenses of our LED pool lights are made of tempered glass or PC.

PC lenses have good strength and toughness and do not easily break, which is why they are also called safety lenses. PC material has the advantages of lightweight, high impact strength, high refractive index, good electrical insulation ability, environmental friendliness, etc. Everything has its disadvantages. PC lenses should not be used in overheated environments, otherwise, they will deform. But when applied in the pool, this disadvantage can be ignored. Therefore, PC lenses are the perfect material.

Tempered glass is called safety glass, which gives the glass surface a compressive stress. When the glass bears external force, it can counteract surface tension, upgrading the load-bearing capacity. Besides enhancing the load-bearing capacity, it helps enhance wind, heat, and cold resistance, etc.

Even if the lens is destroyed by external force, the LED pool lights that use tempered glass as the lamp housing will not lead to severe danger. Its characteristics determine that tempered glass is not only durable but also safe.

These are the common materials of pool lights. In reality, there are more materials that can be used to manufacture pool light housings and lenses. You can read Material Selection for Pool Lights to learn more about their characteristics.

After installing the LED pool lights, how should we maintain the lights to extend their lifespan?

How to Maintain LED Pool Lights for a Longer Lifespan?

Here are a few maintenance tips; do the following to ensure you will have a long-lasting pool light.

Regularly check and repair the LED pool lights. When you find that the pool light's brightness is diminishing, check it during the time to identify the reason. If it is not working at all, repair the lights and replace them in a timely manner. Do not delay. Besides checking the lights, look for water leakage in the light.
Use a controller that is compatible with the pool light. The current LED pool lights are highly advanced, with a variety of control methods. Such as WIFI control, remote control, and external control. Prolonged use of a controller that is not compatible with the pool light is also detrimental to the life of the pool light.
Clean the pool regularly to prevent the accumulation of excessive impurities, which can pollute the water quality and may damage the underwater lights in the long run.

Over the past few decades, LED pool lights have been continuously updated to meet the test and demand of the market and the majority of users. Today, you can see all kinds of LED pool lights in the market. For example, there are floating pool lights, built-in pool lights, nicheless lights, and wall-mounted pool lights. Customers have more stringent standards for LED pool lights, which encourages pool light suppliers to innovate. Now, LED pool lights can meet the needs of users in terms of performance or aesthetics. So, choose an LED pool light for your pool, enjoy your swimming pool, and have a good time with your friends.

FAQs:

How long do LED pool lights last?
The lifespan of good quality LED pool lights is over 50,000 hours, which is much longer than traditional light sources.
Which type of light lasts the longest?
LED pool lights last the longest due to their special light emission principle and cold light source.
What material is best for pool light housing?
Stainless steel 316 is the best material for pool lights as it is more resistant to corrosion. However, stainless steel 304 is a good option for a limited budget.
How can I extend the life of my LED pool lights?
To extend the life of your LED pool lights, regularly check and repair them, use a compatible controller, and keep your pool clean.