Pool lighting dilemma

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casita-bonita
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Pool lighting dilemma

Postby casita-bonita » Sun May 12, 2019 4:23 pm

We all like a bit of colour in our lives, especially my better half. I am looking to replace the standard white pool lights which cost an arm and a leg and only seem to last 5 minutes with a couple of these new fangled multicolour LED Par56 devices.

Almost pressed the button on 2 x 36 watt lamps on amazon then had second thoughts and went back into research mode. My pool is 8m x 4m.

Has anybody any experience of them?. My main issue at the moment is what power do I need. Don't want to spend best part of 150euros to end up with the equivalent of candles in my pool. Nor do I want to be visible from the spacestation.
Regards

Bob

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gerryh
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Re: Pool lighting dilemma

Postby gerryh » Sun May 12, 2019 6:45 pm

Are you after underwater pool lights or lights for lighting the pool side area?
Can you provide a link to the ones you have looked at?
Cheers
Gerry
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casita-bonita
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Re: Pool lighting dilemma

Postby casita-bonita » Sun May 12, 2019 7:11 pm

Hi Gerry

Underwater. They should be a drop in replacement for the existing bulbs, don't even need to mess with the psu since they are ac/dc. Now the water is warm enough to get in and change them.

These are the ones on Amazon.es, the same, or they look the same apart from the remote control which are also 36w on amazon.uk for 45 quid or so.

https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B07DG8 ... ARRT&psc=1

Then there are 18 watt and 54 watt...

Issue i have is 36watt gives no indication of how bright they are, and it seems to vary i guess on the efficiency of the leds. I've just fitted 3 x 3watt led bulbs in a ceiling light and it's like looking into the sun, but a single 5 watt gives more than sufficient illumination to the room. I had a different 3 watt led bulb in the bread oven and it may as well have been a candle.
Regards

Bob

casita-bonita
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Re: Pool lighting dilemma

Postby casita-bonita » Sun May 12, 2019 7:24 pm

These are also on amazon.es, but also amazon.uk for 45 quid or so.

https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0721BLRJS?ref ... AawtDnjGwE

Apart from the remote control i cant see much difference in the spec.
Regards

Bob

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gerryh
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Re: Pool lighting dilemma

Postby gerryh » Sun May 12, 2019 8:43 pm

Different manufactures give different, usually optimistic, equivalent Halogen wattages for their LED wattages.
You can reckon on a 18W LED being roughly equivalent to a 70 W halogen or a 100 watt standard lamp.
Also the LED lamps give Red Green and Blue colours which can be mixed to give other colours.
The apparent brightness varies with the colour.
What wattage lamps do you currently have?
Cheers
Gerry
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casita-bonita
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Re: Pool lighting dilemma

Postby casita-bonita » Sun May 12, 2019 8:58 pm

I actually have no idea what the current lamps rating is. Just went into a pool shop and asked for par56 light for my pool please. But these are filament bulbs so their power rating bears no telation to that quoted for led lamps. Far as i can see the power rating gives no clues as to the actual number of lumens of light that comes out of the thing. Hence the confusion. But if someone says that they have 36w led lights in their pool and they are bright enough, then Robert is your father's brother.
Regards

Bob

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Re: Pool lighting dilemma

Postby Raffke » Wed May 29, 2019 1:46 pm

I have the exact same question, apart from the fact that my 2 bulbs are still working.
This is also an 8m x 4m pool and I have 2 traditional PAR56 bulbs, rated 300W each.
I was told, that one can exchange them by LED without changing the transformator, as long as both require 12V.

But you are right, as you observed with the ceiling light: the wattage is not sufficient to describe the resulting brightness.
I already contacted the seller to get more details about the lumens, which would measure the brightness. But they responded with "the RGB model does not have any lumens" :think:

The slightly cheaper model seems to ba a pure RGB, while the first link shows an RGBW, which have an additional "white" color. The other would simply light all 3 colors to mix them to white. I guess, this results in RGBW producing a slightly brighter white than RGB.
If gerryh's assumption is correct, the 36W model would match a 200W Halogen. I personally think this would be sufficient, as the 300W are a bit too bright for my taste.

If you fear, the LEDs are too bright, be reminded that both Coolwest models should(!) support dimming with the remote control.
But I'd expect them rather being too dark. If you feel comfortable with your existing bulbs (and assuming these are also 300W models; when did you last replace them?), it might be safer to buy those 54W (18x 3W) models you mentioned...

BTW: There are also differences in the beam angle. The Coolwests both have 90 degrees only, there are different types with 120 degrees. This might look much better in a pool. But still, I'm also not sure which one to buy!

Cheers,
Raffke

casita-bonita
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Re: Pool lighting dilemma

Postby casita-bonita » Wed May 29, 2019 9:42 pm

I plumped for the coolwest 38w RGB lamps from amazon uk. They were cheaper from uk even taking delivery to spain into account. They arrived in a couple of days.

Fitting was a breeze a straight replacement for the halogen bulbs utilising the existing 12 volt ac transformers. I have since bought a couple of their 60w 12 dc powersupplies which i have yet to fit. Only really because the transformers take up a lot of space in my pool electrics cupboard and they will free up space.

So the acid test. They are more than adequately bright for the pool, snd as noted they are dimmable and will do white light by mixing all colours. Certainly fill the pool with light

On the negative side

1. I would have liked to have more choice of dynamic sequences
2. Each remote control works both lamps concurrently which can make it a little tricky to synchronise them to the same pattern.
3. Once in the niches and under water the remote range is seriously reduced so that you have to be right above the bulb for it to respond to controls. There is a plus side to this though as i can now control each bulb individually.

Very good value given their relatively low price. Have the pool lights on a timer now rather than turn them on a handful of times per year. Hopefully thay should last a lot longer than the halogen lights and certainly make the pool more attractive at night.
Regards

Bob

casita-bonita
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Re: Pool lighting dilemma

Postby casita-bonita » Wed May 29, 2019 9:44 pm

I plumped for the coolwest 38w RGB lamps from amazon uk. They were cheaper from uk even taking delivery to spain into account. They arrived in a couple of days.

Fitting was a breeze a straight replacement for the halogen bulbs utilising the existing 12 volt ac transformers. I have since bought a couple of their 60w 12 dc powersupplies which i have yet to fit. Only really because the transformers take up a lot of space in my pool electrics cupboard and they will free up space.

So the acid test. They are more than adequately bright for the pool, snd as noted they are dimmable and will do white light by mixing all colours. Certainly fill the pool with light

On the negative side

1. I would have liked to have more choice of dynamic sequences
2. Each remote control works both lamps concurrently which can make it a little tricky to synchronise them to the same pattern.
3. Once in the niches and under water the remote range is seriously reduced so that you have to be right above the bulb for it to respond to controls. There is a plus side to this though as i can now control each bulb individually.

Very good value given their relatively low price. Have the pool lights on a timer now rather than turn them on a handful of times per year. Hopefully thay should last a lot longer than the halogen lights and certainly make the pool more attractive at night.
Regards

Bob

Raffke
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Re: Pool lighting dilemma

Postby Raffke » Wed May 29, 2019 10:22 pm

Thanks for the report, I guess I will also order two of them then! :-)
Is this the correct link for the UK site?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0721BLRJS

Then I guess I'll have to wait to check the UK price...

casita-bonita
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Re: Pool lighting dilemma

Postby casita-bonita » Wed May 29, 2019 10:53 pm

Copied url from my amazon order, the cost was £115 including delivery for the pair. The (not strictly necessary) 12dc supplies were 14euros each from amazon.es

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1

However Amazon uk is showing them as currently unavailable at the moment.
Regards

Bob


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