Questions on Water Feature Lighting

[mrtrumpet]

I am about to embark on the second water feature I have added low voltage lighting to. The first time around I lit 4 falls, the stream bed, and 1 underwater light. It was very nice, but the 20w halogen spotlights weren't as bright as I had hoped

This time I find there's a whole new class of lighting out there. That, of course, is LED. And much to my surprise they even have 50 w LED spotlights that I would hope would light the falls even more brightly than my last pond.

So my questions are:

Has anyone used the new LED lighting? If so, how do you like it? Any negatives to report?

If you have used both wattages would you recommend the 50w spotlights over the 20 watters?

Do you have any other advice for lighting design when it comes to water features? A picture of my pond/stream is attached. All thoughts are welcome!

Thanks.

 

[tbendl]

I have no idea about the light but dang your falls are pretty!

 

[sissy]

I prefer LED light as you will notice the heat that comes off the halogen ones can even melt things or overheat the pond water .I actually used to use them to keep a hole open in my pond during the winter and they did a great job .But watch you don't burn yourself with them a combo of the water and the burn sent me to the doctor .yep love your waterfall also quite impressive

 

[mrtrumpet]

Thanks to both of you for the compliments. The water feature has been a great addition to our home.

The new challenge is to make it impressive after dark, too. Appreciate the tips on halogen, Sissy. Never thought about using them for holes in the winter. Might have to try that too!

 

[sissy]

Also was wondering do they have plastic lenses or glass because if you pull the lights out while on not only do you get a bad burn but the lenses will melt and you also have to watch the seals on them they will leak horribly if taken out of water while hot ,it ruins the seal .Also have to say I visited Asheville on my way to Cherokee NC and love it and also loved Maggie Valley .

 

[Chelseabreeze]

I haven't yet used LED lighting, but based on my research so far, I find the 20 and 50 wattages high for LEDs. Next season I will be adding Aquascape LED lighting to my newly completed organic swimming pond. Individual lights are available in 1w, 3w and 6w. Initially, I will buy just enough cabling and one light, likely a 3w, to test for suitability/brightness in different locations around the swimming and planting areas to make a decision for the entire lighting system. I want the lighting to be subtle, not overly bright, so I expect I should need 6 fixtures, wattage of each to be determined which could include varying wattages. Not to push Aquascape products because I haven't used any in my project, but they appear to have low wattage lights to accommodate any aspect of water feature lighting. Good luck.

 

[mrtrumpet]

Sissy, Asheville's great! We love living here, having moved from cold, snowy Western NY last October.. I'll even get to run my water feature for a month or so longer! Happy to give you a tour next time you're passing through..."Ya'll come back," right?

Chelsea, sorry about my use of 20 and 50w. I should have clarified that those were LED equivalents. I believe the equivalent 20w LED is 9w, while the 50w equivalent is 11w.

I'm continuing my research, but definitely going with LED at this point. I will almost surely go with the 50w equivalent, as one comment I saw said he used a filter to tone down the brightness. Better to start with more and adjust I think.

I also found this. It's probably the best document I've seen so far for those interested in water feature lighting. Take a look if you're thinking about it.

http://www.totallandscapecare.com/6-principles-of-lighting-water-features/

 

[addy1]

Great Falls!