Pool lighting makes up a major part of your overall swimming pool costs, so it’s important that you figure out which type works best before you install them. The two major types of pool lighting are in ground lighting and above ground lighting, and your budget, needs, and preferences all factor largely into deciding which type to install. We’ll help you break down all types of pool lights to help you make the best choice for your Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC home—just keep reading!

One of the biggest benefits of in ground pool lighting is its streamlined look and even lighting. The two primary options for in ground pool lighting are LED lighting and fiber optic lighting (we’ll get into the pros and cons of each further down in this blog post).

Usually much cheaper than in ground pool lighting, above ground pool lighting is perfect for DC area homeowners looking to install a pool on a budget. There are a number of different ways to install above ground pool lighting, including:

Floating Pool Lighting

Floating pool lighting is exactly what it looks like. This type of pool lighting involves lights that bob up and down on the surface of your pool. It is available in a variety of colors and shapes, from orbs, cubes, and pods to more creative features like jellyfish shapes, flowers, and more. Floating lights can be solar powered and tend to use bright LEDs, but since they move around they don’t provide perfectly even lighting.

Magnetic Pool Lighting

If you have a soft-sided pool, magnetic pool lights are perfect for you. These two-part lights can be attached to the liner of your pool for an in ground pool lighting appearance with above ground ease.

The two major types of in ground pool lighting are LED and fiber optic, and each type has its own advantages and disadvantages for homeowners in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. Consider the following:

LED lighting – LED lights are housed in waterproof bulbs that can be removed to change the bulb. The bulb itself should last around 10,000 hours, however, so you won’t need to perform even this simple task very often. One to two bulbs should be enough to illuminate your entire swimming pool.

Fiber optic lighting – bulbs for fiber optic pool lights are located out of the water, making them even easier to access and replace than LED pool lights. To illuminate a whole pool, you’ll likely need more than one fiber optic light, though, which can get expensive.

LED lighting – LED lights range from $400 – $900 installed, and bulbs can last anywhere from 10 – 15 years. Replacement bulbs will run you about $200 – $400.

Fiber optic lighting – a fiber optic pool lighting system will require a fan to keep the light cool, meaning fiber optic pool lighting will be more expensive than LED lighting—think anywhere from $900 – $1,500 per bulb system. Bulbs typically last about 3 – 7 years, and replacing them will cost about $200 – $300.

LED lights – despite having the lighting components under water, LED lights are very safe and have a very low risk of failure. In addition, LED lights use very low voltage, which mitigates the risk further.

Fiber optic lighting – since there are no electrical components housed in the water, fiber optic lighting has close to zero risk of electric shock.

LED lights – LED lights can be used to fill your whole pool with light and illuminate the whole thing at once. They can also change colors to create a truly unique look for your backyard.

Fiber optic lighting – these types of pool lights aren’t as good at illuminating the whole pool at once, but they can create points of light to give your pool a sparkling, starry appearance.

In purely practical terms, LED lights have the edge over fiber optic lights—they are less expensive, easier to maintain, and provide much brighter illumination. But there are advantages to both types of pool lights, and Kolb Electric can help you find the perfect fit for you and your home. We can also provide you with further pool lighting tips here.

Most homeowners in Los Angeles who buy an electric car, like a Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt, will want to purchase a special charger that allows them to charge their vehicles overnight. This is called a “Level 2 Charger.” It can take a Nissan Leaf, with a range of 100 miles, from empty to fully charged in about eight hours. A Chevy Volt hybrid, with an electric battery range of 40 miles, takes about four hours. Click here for more on Level 2 chargers.

Important Note: A few days ago, on April 27th, L.A. DWP announced a rebate of $2,000 to homeowners who install a Level 2 charger and a special electric meter as part of a DWP research project on charging electric vehicles. This rebate will result in a significant price reduction on charger installation. Call me for more info (800) 990-9490.

Of course, it would be more convenient to be able to recharge your car (electric vehicle or “EV”) with the speed of going to a gas station. Such chargers, “Level 3” are already available, but so far, only in Japan. Level 3 chargers fully charge a Nissan Leaf in 15-30 minutes…and cost about $45,000 installed. When they come to the U.S., they will most likely be installed for electric trucks and for fleets of company cars. But they will also be installed in the U.S. in shopping malls and gas stations. Shoppers and travelers will be able to top off their batteries in a relatively brief stop.

An even faster system is currently being built in Israel. A Palo Alto company called “Better Place” is building a network of “carwashes.” Only, when you drive your EV in, instead of getting a wash job, your spent battery is pulled out and within a few minutes, is replaced with a fully charged battery.

Better Place is also considering construction of car charging networks in Denmark and Hawaii. It’s focusing on small self-contained locations, what it calls “islands.” So, it probably won’t be coming to Los Angeles any time soon.

The good news is that the pressure to be fully charged when leaving home will ease as chargers increasingly are installed in public places. In Los Angeles, Level 2 Chargers are already available for a fee in train stations, LAX, the Burbank Airport, the L.A. Convention Center, and other public places. Some businesses, like Costco in Burbank and in Canoga Park, have also installed Level 2 chargers. Click here for an up-to-date map of public EV chargers near you.

Soon, more businesses and shopping malls will begin installing Level 2 or Level 3 chargers as an inducement for shoppers. Workplaces will be installing them as an employment benefit. We’re only at the beginning of a changeover to electric cars. With the federal government setting the goal of one million EVs on the roads by 2015, and with incentives provided by the State of California as well as L.A. DWP, charging your electric vehicle is going to get easier and faster.

For more about my company, The Electric Connection — all the stuff you wanted to know but were afraid to ask — click here. If you’re interested coupons for electrical work, for example $50 off installation of a Whole House Surge Protector in the L.A. area, click on our coupon page.

Electricity is like a kitchen knife. If you use it wisely, it can cut food and prepare delicacies. If you use it unwisely, it can end up cutting your finger. Electricity flows through anything that is a “conductor.” Interestingly, humans are very good conductors of electricity!

Since electricity is a form of energy, a strong current has the ability to seriously harm you. If the current is strong enough, you can be fatally injured. Due to the strong possibility of a fatal injury occurring, electric cables are insulated. Another important reason why they are insulated is to prevent energy from dissipating into the surroundings, allowing it to be conserved.