How do you light a pool or water feature?

You can light a water feature with three layers of waterproof, low-voltage LED fixtures: submersible spotlights inside the pool, fountain spotlights aimed at moving water, and downlighting from nearby trees to mimic moonlight on the surface.

You’ve likely invested a lot into your pool. To see it go dark every night at nine o’clock feels like a waste, and you want to do something about it.

The glow-from-within look that you’ve seen on TV, social media, or maybe at a neighbor’s home comes from submersible fixtures that sit just below the waterline. The housings are corrosion-resistant and backed by GFCI-protected wiring, running on 12V LED bulbs. They make the water look like glass after dark.

Fountains and waterfalls need their own fixtures aimed at the splash zone. Too steep and the cascade washes out, but too shallow and you lose the movement. But with the right angle of lighting, you can really make magic happen.

Aside from the pool itself, there is a whole layer overhead, easy to forget about, and yet full of potential. You can do a lot for your pool by mounting fixtures up high in nearby oaks or magnolias and aiming them downward. The light goes through the tree canopy and creates this dappled, moonlit quality across the surface of the water.

Beyond the pool area, there is the surrounding landscape. Uplighting can bring out the natural beauty of mature trees, and you can do a lot with a simple soft wash along the back fence line. Accent lighting on the right walls and fixtures can push the eye past the water and out toward the property edge. This takes the pool from being what would otherwise be a little island of light in a sea of dark yard to being a centerpiece and a gathering point.

If this has you dreaming of a beautifully lit pool, it is worth mentioning outright: this is a professional project. Any lighting that goes close to water needs to be handled with the utmost care. Electrical work needs to be done to meet NEC code. All fixtures anywhere close to the water need to have GFCI protection, and transformers need tobe placed at the right distances. And as with outdoor fixtures of any sort, weatherproof connections are always a must.

OLP Memphis has been designing pool and water feature lighting across the Memphis area since 1995, with COLT-certified technicians who handle these installations from design through completion. Ask about a complimentary nighttime consultation, and you can see what’s possible on your property after hours before making a big commitment.