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Solar pool lights are an incredible invention as not only are they a great way to light up your swimming pool around dusk and into the night which always looks so good, the correctly chosen ones are are safe to use around the pool and even in the water itself. Check out our best solar pool lights from our top rated together with the most important considerations you need to know before buying and installing. Let’s get started!
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While solar pool lights are safe to use around your swimming pool, some of them shouldn’t be submerged into water. It is very important that you know what type you’re about to buy and whether it is submersible or not. Most of the good modern solar pool lights can be used in and around the water (while still outside) but only the best solar pool lights are completely submersible.
A solar powered pool light works by getting the sun’s energy via the solar panel and converting it into power for the light to recharge at night when you need them most. After a few hours of hitting some sunlight, they can last all night long or even for a few days until the sun comes out again.
There are a variety of solar pool lights on the market that can be helpful in many different ways. We’ll break down the most common types here and what they’re used for.
These solar pool lights are long, tube-like poles that you can install along your pool fence. They may have a few bulbs on them or they may have a series of spots where the light shines down onto the ground around your pool to illuminate it well.
Ground mounted solar powered light fixtures are flexible in where they can be placed as you don’t need to have any mounting hardware. This means you can place them wherever you want and there’s no holes or marks left on your lawn after installation.
These solar pool lights are buried in the ground around your swimming pool so they can shine light towards your pool in the evening. This works wonderfully if you don’t want to invest in expensive electrical lights but still want to make your pool look fantastic after dark.
Solar spotlights is one type you need to have if you want to highlight certain areas of your pool at night or show off some furniture. These are usually powered by rechargeable batteries and as such don’t need to be waterproof but it is very important that they can get enough sunlight during the day time to charge up their batteries.
Solar outdoor path lights will do a great job of lighting up your pool and garden area around the swimming pool. These lights can be solar powered or just regular electric powered ones while in direct sunlight and as such will require an electrician to install if they’re not self-powered. Either way, these are good decorative outdoor lights that help your pool stand out at night.
Solar post lights are great for putting around your pool (or anywhere else outside) as they won’t get easily dimmed by the shade of trees and other objects. They can be very expensive if electric powered but if solar powered, just ensure that you place them in a spot where they’ll catch enough sunlight at day time so they can recharge their batteries at night.
Ground Cap Solar Lights are great for highlighting the area around your pool as they can light up any kind of garden, path or just about anything you want to highlight like features and such. Again, these are solar powered so have to ensure that they get enough sunlight during the day time to charge up for light at night time.
Floating solar pool lights are an interesting new invention and are gaining popularity fast. These are solar powered but float on the water’s surface and therefore don’t need to be grounded nor attached to anything for them to recharge at night time. They usually have a lighted halo that revolves around a still portion of the floating unit which is great as they can move with the breeze.
Solar underwater lights are submersible solar lights, used for actually in swimming pools. They must be rated at IP68 for submersion. They will be surface mounted onto the sides of the pool so are more of a fun inclusion.
Solar post caps are used to put around the tops of solar post lights so that they can catch more sunlight during the day which will increase their battery capacity thus increasing how long they can light up at night. These usually come with the solar post lights.
It is very important to read and know how to install your solar pool lights before getting one for your swimming pool. It’s good if you already own them but better if you read ahead of time so that installation goes smoothly. Here are some tips on installing solar pool lights.
Here are some safety tips when it comes to solar powered pool lights you should know: – don’t close or seal off any vents on the light / solar panel and if there is any plastic cover, make sure that there is enough venting so that air gets in and out – if the solar light is submersible, don’t go beyond 3 feet deep with it otherwise water pressure will build up inside and can damage the lights glass bulb – make sure that you don’t place any object on top of the solar panel or obstruct it from catching enough sunlight during the day time.
It should face south so that’s best but if you have trees, make sure there is an unobstructed area below the solar panel so it can still catch enough sunlight and charge up – remember to clean your solar pool lights regularly as they can get dirty on the outside due to sun exposure.
Solar pool lights will not work properly if they do not receive adequate sunlight. The amount of light it receives is directly proportional to the amount of power that can be generated so you may have to consider changing your area a little bit if you are having trouble getting sufficient light during the day. Some solar lights come with built in sensors which regulate how long it will be turned on at night based on how much light it received during the day.
If you use a pool cover, make sure the solar lights are rated to be submersible as they will get wet when the cover is on. This can damage them so look for a higher rating if using covers. Sunlight will also be cut off during this time making it difficult for solar lights to work effectively.
It’s always good to put in an all-in-one solar panel especially if the solar lights are scattered around your pool area. With that, you don’t have to worry about loose cables or wires as it combines everything into one. However, some solar lights are not sold that way. Instead, they will have a solar panel and then each individual light has to connect onto the solar panel with its own wire leading back to it. If so, make sure that you tie up any loose cables as much as possible so no one trips over them or they don’t get snagged by your dogs or cats.
Solar pool lights use solar energy as its source of power. They are usually made up of a solar panel which catches sunlight during the day time and converts it to electrical energy to store in its battery for later use at night time. The lights are also submersible but there are some which just sit on the top surface of your pool and shine down onto part of it, like solar post lights and solar wall lights.
Solar pool lights are generally made from plastic or glass with some stainless steel used as well. They are powered by solar energy which they get from the sunlight during day time, and at night they use that stored up energy to light up the area around your swimming pool or hot tub.
Solar pool lights made of glass are usually submersible while the plastic ones which just sit on top of your pool will be splashproof but not submersible due to their lower waterproof rating. Glass is also used as one of the coating materials for solar panels, as it helps to improve efficiency and clarity of the panel.
Most solar pool lights are rated IP65 and IP68 i.e. that they are splash proof or waterproof and can withstand water splashing on them as well as being submerged up to a few feet deep in the pool. The higher the rating, more submersible it is so look out for that before buying one.
Just like choosing any other product, you need to consider what features are important for your needs. Here are some common things that should be looked into when looking for solar pool lights:
Most solar lights are not compatible with each other so make sure that you know what kind of fixtures you have and then choose the right solar light for it. Sometimes, there is no need to replace your old ones if they still work but just want to upgrade them. Also, read up on the solar lights that you plan on getting to know their features better and what they offer.
Remember, higher price does mean higher quality! Whilst there are many cheap solar pool light brands out there, it is poor value in terms of how long they last and the service after sales. It may be tempting to buy the cheapest solar pool lights to save money but it’s better to invest your time and money on quality solar pool lights that will work for longer.
Solar powered pool lights may cost anywhere from $15 to up to $2000 depending on the size and other features it has.
It’s important that the solar lights you buy will last a long time. Since they are powered by solar energy, it’s best to check out how durable the unit is and how well made it is. Make sure all parts are strong enough to withstand exposure to water and sunlight with higher quality plastics or polycarbonates.
Solar lights for pools come in a range of colors which gives you options to choose from depending on the kind of look you want. Besides white or yellow, solar pool lights can also be red, blue, green and there are even color changing ones too! You can mix and match the different colored lights around your pool area to create that romantic and relaxing ambiance for your pool.
Just like with other things in your pool area, you want to make sure that the lights will also not become an eyesore after a period of time. Look into how maintenance free they are and if parts can be easily replaced. Also look out for warranty information which will come in handy when there’s anything wrong with your solar powered lights and you need the help of the seller.
Solar lights for pools may have a few extra features to make it more appealing and useful such as waterproof buttons, remote control and solar panels that can rotate to capture more sunlight. You may want to get these if you think they’re important but also be prepared to pay a bit more too.
Solar lights come with lots of other features nowadays to make your pool area more user friendly and attractive at night time such as LED light strips, color changing lights, solar security lights plus much more. You can also find solar lights that have a built-in pool thermometer, so you can check the water temperature and weather conditions at night time. Know what features are important for your needs before making your purchase.
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