POOL LIGHTING
Atmospheric Zone say the knowledge of light needs to be understood in
more depth than simply ‘plonking lights here and there’
Illuminating Ideas
THE LATEST LED AND FIBRE OPTIC LIGHTING SOLUTIONS ARE WITHOUT DOUBT ENHANCING MANY NEW POOL BUILDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND HAVE MEANT REFURBISHMENTS CAN LITERALLY BE SEEN IN A NEW LIGHT. THANKS TO THE LATEST, TRULY INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCTS THAT ARE HIGHLY ENERGY EFFICIENT, IT’S A SECTOR THAT IS PROVIDING ILLUMINATING IDEAS FOR SWIMMING POOLS OF ALL SIZES
By Andrea Hartshorne L
ong gone are the days when pool lighting consisted of nothing more than plain, functional white lights with the occasional coloured filter thrown in for good measure. Copious options are now available to all regardless of budget and as more systems are developed and become available the choice of variations just keeps growing. Steven Mallory of lighting specialists Atmospheric Zone feels that the pool industry is entering into unknown territory and as a company they are getting involved in helping more and more companies out of problems caused by incorrect advice given. Not wishing to sound as if they know everything – they think a word of ‘advice’ is needed to companies relying and trusting certain ‘Box Shifters’ and the misinformation being supplied.
‘Beware false economy’ is a key message from Golden Coast, which is urging pool owners to consider energy and maintenance costs when choosing their lighting. Golden Coast’s Managing Director Jamie Adams explains: “Halogen lighting systems may be cheaper to buy, but they use five
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times the wattage of LED. Their bulbs also have a much shorter life. So anything you save on the purchase price is soon wasted on higher electricity bills and on the continuing inconvenience and expense of replacing bulbs.”
But low running costs and high reliability are only part of the LED advantage, adds Adams. “You really need to think about what kind of lighting effect you want to achieve. LED will give you uniformly bright illumination from wall to wall, which improves both the look and the safety of your pool. You can also choose from a wide variety of options and effects to set any mood you wish, ranging from subtle or deep background colours to mesmerising light shows above and below water.”
LED (Light Emitting Diode) and fibre optics are very much the professionals’ choices for spas, swimming pools and exterior lighting now and LEDs look set to continue to lead the way as the lighting of choice. They operate differently to traditional incandescent style lights as instead of using a brittle metal filament that is susceptible to shock and vibration, LEDs are solid-state devices with
no moving parts and use an electronic chip in an epoxy substrate.
Fibre optic on the other hand, is exactly what it says. Optical fibres use pure glass pulled into ultra fine strands. Fibre optics use conditions where all the light encountering a surface between two materials is reflected. Light can travel for long distances through fibre optic cables, reflecting off the cables inner walls, even when the cable is bent. Although a fibre optic cable is transparent, almost no light escapes from it. This form of lighting can be used in areas difficult to service and because the light source is remote, it can deliver multiple lighting options. Due to the endless options available, pool lights have the advantage of enhancing decking, water features, paths and other outside spaces. A modern mix of cleverly installed lighting can provide dramatic effect or be used to soften walls and outdoor finishes. Whole areas can be improved with thoughtful and imaginative lighting, providing both safety and style to complement the surroundings.
SPN June 2014 71
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