Underwater & Pond Lights

An underwater pond light is a light fixture that is built to be submersed within water during operation. As a source of illumination for ponds and other water features such as pools or fountains, LED pond lights are typically used to showcase aquatic life, or to create interesting visual effects in the water.

LED lights for ponds and other water features use a reflector bulb, which houses small surfaces that bounce light from one direction to another, creating a more intense and direct light beam. Pond lights can utilize different types of reflector bulbs for their unique lighting purposes:

1. MR16 bulbs are 2 inches in diameter and produce a tighter spotlight beam.
2. PAR sized lightbulbs are slightly larger at 4.5 inches and can produce a wider beam of light across the pond.

An LED bulb reflector is a system of mirror-like surfaces within an LED bulb that are used to transfer the light for higher intensity and wider beam angles. Wider beam angles are useful in areas that require a large spread of general or ambient lighting.

Bulbs with light reflectors can shine light in various directions at one time, making them ideal for recessed and flood lighting purposes. In submersible pond lights, LED reflectors can keep focused lighting in the presence of currents and other distortions caused by the movement of water.

Your chosen form of submersible LED pond lights should be equipped to the comfort of any fish that you decide to place within the water. There are several factors to consider when selecting an LED pond light:

• The Kelvin temperature of the bulb: The light temperature of the bulbs can determine if the pond will be an energizing or calming experience for the fish. Warm light with a temperature of 2000K-3500K is best for creating a calm living experience while kelvin temperatures of 4000 or higher make the fish more energized within their environment, which is recognized by their increased movement.
• The suggested beam angle of each fixture: Narrower beam angles will create more concentrated light that works best in smaller water features, while wide beam angles fill large bodies of water with ambient lighting.

Because sunlight is a valuable resource to most fish in their natural habitat, the use of LED lights in your water feature helps them maintain their daily patterns of living:

• During the day, you can use less intense forms of pond lighting that imitates the natural sunlight to avoid the occurrence of skittish fish during feeding.
• During evening and nighttime hours, the lights will be more attractive to the fish, making them easily visible to you as they navigate towards the surface of your pond.

Species of Koi and Goldfish are most popular in ponds with LED underwater lighting due to their attraction to illumination and their vibrant color schemes that mix well with different colors of the LED lights.

Your LED underwater pond lights need to be installed by an electrical professional or lighting expert to ensure they operate safely. Most versions of underwater pond lights will require a transformer to adjust the levels of voltage to match other devices that are connected to the electrical circuit.

• Underwater lighting should be installed in an empty pond for the adequate placement of each fixture and other extensions to the power supply. In water features that have already been filled, underwater pond lighting is gently lowered into the water and moved to your desired position.
• When determining the placement of each light fixture, consider any surrounding outdoor lights, and how they illuminate against the water. Most ponds and other outdoor water features only need around 1-3 fixtures for ambient lighting. Certain models of underwater lighting sold at HomElectrical are larger fixtures that are designed to light most areas without the use of multiple systems.
• While some types of LED underwater pond lights may require additional mounting hardware, brands sold at HomElectrical are usually constructed with a sturdy base that can be screwed into the surface of your chosen placement. A lighting expert can help you determine the best place within your pond to mount your fixture.