RGB LED strip lights are a great way to add a pop of color to your above-ground pool. These low-voltage LED lights can be applied to the inside rim of your pool or around your pool deck. With RGB LED strip lights, you can choose from a ton of dynamic color-changing and single-color modes with adjustable brightness and speed control. They’re great for parties or late-night swims and can be easily installed. We’ve included installation instructions for our waterproof LED strip lights. Some cities require above-ground pool lighting to meet National Electrical Code (NEC) Article 680 standards, which would limit possible pool lighting installation locations. Before you purchase LED pool lights, check your city’s code requirements. We also recommend that you have a certified electrician install your lights.

1) Before ordering your LED strip lights, measure the diameter of your pool and multiply by 3.14 to find its circumference; this number indicates the total length of strip that you will need. The 21-foot pool used for these installation instructions has a circumference of 65.94 feet and requires 4 runs of 16-foot LED strips.

You will also need to measure the distance between where your power supply will be and both sides of your pool where the amplifiers will be installed (see the setup and wiring illustration below). These distances will tell you how much 18-gauge wire you’ll need for connecting the amplifiers to power. Make sure to account for the distance of any dips or turns that the wires may take along their paths.

Lastly, measure the approximate distance that will be between your controller and where your strip lights begin. This distance will tell you how much 22-gauge wire you’ll need for connecting the controller to your strips. You will also need two small sections of this wire for connecting your first and second strip lights to the amplifiers.

2) Before you’re ready to install your LED strip lights, be sure to drain your pool. Begin by creating or locating a dry area away from your pool for the power supply. The power supply should be contained in a weatherproof box. Power supplies should be installed between a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protected circuit and the pool’s junction box. It’s crucial to use a GFCI protected circuit as it shuts off if current flows where it’s not supposed to.

Wire the included plug to the power supply, but do not connect to power until the installation is complete.

3) Connect your RGB LED controller to the power supply. Cut the barrel off of the controller wiring. Strip back the remaining wires, and connect its wires to the power supply.

4) Cut the LC2 connector off of the remaining end of the controller, and strip back the wires. Run 22-gauge four-conductor wire to connect the controller to your low-voltage pool lights; use dolphin connectors to join like-colored wires. Connect your first two LED strip lights to the controller by joining each set of like-colored wire with a dolphin connector. You should be connecting four wires of each color (red, blue, green, and black) together. For added protection, cover all wire connections in this installation with electrical tape.

5) You will apply strip 1 clockwise around your pool rim and strip 2 counterclockwise. If you have a flat surface, use mounting clips to secure the strips in place as you go. If you want to mount the strips under your pool rim, drill small holes in the trusses approximately every 2 feet. Use cable ties to anchor the strip to the truss. You can also use speed nuts or cotter pins for strip anchoring to avoid drilling holes.

Solder a small section of 22-gauge four-conductor wire onto the strip’s end terminals. To reseal the LED pool light strip, slide wires through the holes of a 10-mm end cap, fill the cap with silicone, and slide it into place on the end of the strip. Be sure to cover all of the exposed conductive traces to ensure water resistance. Allow a minimum of two to three hours for the sealant to cure.

7) Once the new end wires are attached to the strip, you will mount the amplifier. Use the double-sided 3M foam pad to mount the amplifier in the middle of strip 1 and strip 3. For best results and added security, apply 3M adhesion promoter to the amplifier and its installation location on the pool wall.

8) Using a dolphin connector, join each like-colored wire on strip 1 to the same color on one end of the amplifier. Do the same when connecting strip 3 to the other side of the amplifier. You should be connecting three wires in each color (red, blue, and green) together on each side of the amplifier. The black strip wire will be joined with white amplifier wire. Note that the separate group of just black and red wires are meant to be connected to the power supply. Follow the same instructions for connecting strips 2 and 4 to the amplifier on the other side of the pool.

9) Use 18-gauge wire and dolphin connectors to connect the amplifiers to your power supply.

10) Plug the power supply’s attached cord into an outlet, and enjoy your LED pool lighting system! Refill your pool with water, but make sure to leave space between the water line and the lights.

For more LED pool lighting options, see our entire selection of waterproof color-changing LED strip lights.

For technical questions, don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 866-590-3533. Our customer service and technical support teams are available from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT on Friday.

Taking on a Thanksgiving get-together is no easy task, and if you’re going to do it, you might as well make it something guests will remember. Fortunately, making it memorable doesn’t have to be complicated. We have some simple LED lighting ideas that will help you dress up your home for the holidays.

September is National Preparedness Month—just in time for peak hurricane season in Maryland. Severe thunderstorms and floods are also common to the area and with winter approaching, it’s always a good idea to prepare for the possibility of heavy snowstorms. National Preparedness Month is a time to educate yourself on how you can prepare for sever weather so that if an emergency does occur, you aren’t left in the dark.

Every home and business should have a plan in the event of an emergency. Do you know what to do if cell phone towers stop working or the electricity goes out? While no one can prevent a weather emergency from happening, there are a number of things you can do to get prepared for any disaster. National Preparedness Month is a great time to:

At Kolb Electric, we support National Preparedness Month and want to help you and your family be ready for whatever weather emergency Mother Nature can throw at us! We install standby generators and surge protectors to keep Maryland, Northern Virginia, Washington, DC home and businesses safe and running even during a storm. For help preparing your home or building for a weather emergency, call us at 877 287-1179 or contact us online today!

No matter why it happens, it is annoying. The power does go out on occasion and while you may want to contact an electrician in Santa Monica like Electric Connection, you will have to spend some time without power. However, if you prepare ahead of time and keep these tips in mind, dealing with a loss of power will be just an annoyance, not a major issue.

As you can see, there are many ways you can prepare yourself for a power outage. One of the best is to talk with the experts at Electric Connection, the electrician Santa Monica residents rely on to help them during a power outage or for installation and repairs.

As we gear up for another winter, the Old Farmer’s Almanac warns it is going to be a rough one. Unfortunately, it isn’t supposed to be a wet one. However, bitter cold can make it difficult for the power grid to keep up with the demands of furnaces running everywhere. While the area typically has mild temperatures, there are times when a cold snap can result in widespread power outages. Many folks don’t have woodstoves to rely on and will be forced to ride out the power outage without their heaters. You can keep your family warm despite a power outage with the help of an electrician in Burbank. The team at The Electric Connection is ready to install a standby generator for your home that will ensure you have electricity on the coldest days.

A standby generator is a worthy investment. It can save you a lot of frustration and ultimately money lost by spoiled food and damaged electronics. A standby generator is essentially the same as a portable generator with the major difference being portability. The standby generator is wired directly into your house and is more of a fixture than something you bring out from time to time. Because of its more permanent setup, it is easier for the homeowner to use it when needed.

An electrician will go about hooking the generator up to your Burbank electrical panel. Depending on the size of the generator, you can opt to run the entire panel or a few select breakers. This is something you will want to consider carefully. The bigger the generator, meaning the more kilowatts put out, the higher the price. You will need a high-powered generator to run your furnace. Talk with your electrician or a generator dealer to learn more about the various sizes and what would work best for your needs. Give The Electric Connection a call today when you are ready to have your generator installed.