What Are Underwater Spotlights?
Underwater spotlights are a type of spotlight designed to function underwater. As a refresher, spotlights focus their illumination on a single area. This makes underwater spotlights a great way to highlight a particular feature either underwater or directly above the water.
Benefits of Installing Underwater Spotlights
- Illuminate the Water – With underwater spotlights installed, you can easily see what is within the water, even at night. This lets you see the interior details of a fountain, pool, or birdbath. On a dock, it lets you see obstacles that your boat could hit or you could swim into.
- Expand Functionality of the Feature –Because you can see the water and the structures containing it at night, installing underwater spotlights lets you use the space or feature at night in addition to during the day.
- Can Light Surrounding Area –Depending on the spotlight you choose and its strength, it can also help light up some of the areas directly around the water feature. This could include other elements of the fountain or space directly around the feature.
- Safety – Having the water feature lit up helps ensure that everyone who comes on the property knows that it is there. This prevents accidents. That prevention is particularly important for water features because, in addition to the risk of tripping and falling, there is also a risk of drowning, especially for smaller children or animals or deeper water features.
- Security –Combining the underwater spotlights with other landscape lighting can deliver a well-lit property. This helps keep your space secure by deterring wild animals, even seemingly harmless ones like raccoons or skunks and criminals.
- Easy to Install –Because they are frequently low-voltage lights, underwater lights can be fairly straightforward to install. This means that if you are handy, you can save on installation costs and do it yourself.
- Available as LEDs –The best underwater spotlights will use LED lights. These give you all of the advantages of LED lights in addition to the benefits of underwater spotlights. As a refresher, LEDs are more energy-efficient, delivering savings on your electric bill. They also last longer and require less maintenance. They even tend to have better and more uniform light quality.
What Are Different Types of Underwater Spotlights?
- Pool lights
- Pond lights
- Fountain lights
- Dock lights
- Spa lights
Where Are Underwater Spotlights Used?
You can use underwater spotlights anywhere. In landscaping, they are particularly common in ponds, pools, and fountains. You can also find them on docks and other areas where you want to light up the water.
How to Choose Underwater Spotlights
1. Waterproofing
The first thing you should always check when looking at underwater spotlights is whether they are waterproof. There should be a waterproof rating, and the product information should let you know that you can leave the spotlight underwater.
Keep in mind that some spotlights are designed for above-ground use outside and can therefore handle rain. Those spotlights cannot necessarily handle being submerged. As such, you need to confirm that your chosen lights are submersible.
2. Consider LEDs
Although other options are available, it is typically best to opt for LED underwater spotlights. This will give you all the benefits associated with LED lights, including energy efficiency, durability, longevity, and improved quality of light.
3. Voltage
The best underwater spotlights will have a low voltage as this reduces the risk associated with having the lights right by the water. You also don’t need a higher voltage, and a low voltage makes it easier for the average person to install the lights without a professional’s help.
4. Brightness
As with any other type of lighting, consider how bright you want the spotlights to be. Remember that spotlights tend to be brighter than other types of lights just due to their design. The best way to judge the brightness is by looking at the wattage of light.
5. Beam Width or Angle
You will also want to think about the width of the light beam. Spotlights tend to be more focused with narrow angles, but you can easily find options with wider angles if you want to illuminate a wider area. The best options will even let you adjust the angle of the beam.
6. Material
Pay attention to the material of your chosen underwater spotlight as well. It should be a material that will handle being submerged. Although there are other options, the most popular are stainless steel and brass. If you are putting the light in a pond with fish, do not use copper lights. The copper will leach into the water, and this can poison your fish.
How to Install Underwater Spotlights
1. Choose Your Placement
Before you can start installing the underwater spotlights, figure out where you want to put them and how many you need. This will also be when you decide how far apart they should be. Most of these factors will depend on personal preference and your ideal brightness level.
2. Install When Dry
Even though the spotlights will be used underwater, it is best to install them when the fountain, pond, or water feature is dry. If you cannot install them when it is dry, hire a professional instead of doing it yourself, as it will get much more complicated (and they may still need to drain the water).
3. Make the Holes
You will want to start by drilling holes for the wires in the light as well as an area for the base of the light to sit. There will be screws or something similar to hold the light into place, so expect to drill holes for these as well.
4. Take Care of Wiring
Once the holes are in place, you can place the wiring through them. Make sure to put plenty of sealant around the wire.
5. Finish Installation and Seal
Wrap up by securing your light into place with screws or bolts. Remember to seal up any areas that water could potentially leak through, including the holes you drilled and the back of the light.
Why Choose Underwater Spotlights from RC Lighting
With underwater spotlights from RC Lighting, you don’t have to worry about anything. The company always starts with the best raw materials and uses an efficient ISO9001-certified production cycle. You also get the benefit of seven years of experience and numerous certifications to give you extra peace of mind.
RC Lighting puts all products through rigorous testing to ensure they can handle tough use, and that includes a soaking test and a water pressure test, both of which are crucial for underwater applications, like in the case of these spotlights. Some of the other tests confirm the lights can handle high-pressure sprays, high temperatures, freezing temperatures, and aging.
Conclusion
Underwater spotlights are a convenient way to illuminate your pond, swimming pool, fountain, dock, or any other area with water. They can enhance the appearance of your space and improve its safety and security. You can find great underwater spotlights to fit your needs at RC Lighting, so explore our selection.
