Since starting my pond I have thought about creating a thread about pond lighting because I realize there is not a ton of information on lighting and I wish I had put a little more thought into it. As @GBBUDD mentioned in another thread, lighting is a must. It really looks nice at night seeing the pond and waterfalls lit up. I thought I would share what I learned as a newbie since most people do not buy underwater lights every day. All of you can chime in with pictures and thoughts to add.
Basic overview of pond lights: they are LED lights that come in various wattage sizes, from 1 watt puck lights up to 3, 6, 8 or higher watts for spot lights. Seems like most stick with 1 watt for puck lights and 3 and 6 for spot lights. There are several manufacturers with several different styles, you can look at Webbs, Underwater Warehouse, Amazon, etc. I went with Anjon lights, they seem well built, nice brass construction, not that it really matters how they look since they will be underwater. I have two puck lights, one under each waterfall and one 3 watt spotlight in the middle of the pond.
The lights will come with long power cords, seems like most come with 15' to 20' length. These are 12 volt cords so they are not your usual two prong plug for a lamp, they are the small connector types that you push in and screw a cover over them. The cords then connect to a transformer which will then have a regular plug that you can plug into your outlet. When shopping for your lights you may think you are getting a great deal but remember you need a transformer, they are sold separately or can come in a kit. You only need one transformer but you want to make sure you get one that can handle your total wattage and plan on expansion. They range is wattage size, of course the larger the wattage the more expensive but do not go for the minimum because you most likely will add lights. The cords come with T-connections (at least the Anjon did) so you can daisy chain your lights making the wiring a little easier. You most likely will need a splitter, I got a three way splitter, I should have gotten a larger one for future expansion. The lights will connect to the splitter and then you connect the splitter to the transformer (which is outside the pond). They also have extension cords of various lengths, so how you set up your lights is pretty limitless. You will also want to get a photocell timer to turn on/off your lights, some transformers come with a photocell built in, at a cost of course.
The lights can be white or multicolored. I went with white, they are not the old harsh white led, but a softer yellow. Many like multicolored lights for their ponds. You can also get remote controls and wifi connections to the lights.
I was guilty of rushing the lighting. I am sure I was like most of you that when you get near the time to fill the pond and turn on the pump you want to do it as quickly as possible. The lights were the last thing I did before filling it up. Wish I put a little more thought into it. The puck lights look great under the waterfalls, they shine all the way up to the maple tree branches above and shimmer off the leaves. The spotlight is across from the waterfall going out from the viewing area. It looks ok, my wife is not crazy about the look, I think she wants it to point more towards the bottom or maybe the top (not sure lol). I should have gotten a larger splitter for future expansion and more lights. I already bought another to add in the Spring. It is hard to know how it looks until the pond is filled and the lights are on. Its not a huge deal to add lights later but of course they are easier to do before filling the pond.
Do think about placement of the lights. They come with bases but you do not have to use them, in fact it is easier to place them without the bases since it can be hard to find a flat space to put the base on. You can fix their position by placing small rocks around them. For waterfalls I believe it is recommended to have them about 6-8 inches below water level. Other lights you want deeper if you are in an area that the pond might freeze. Seems like people have issues with their lights cracking sometimes. The bulbs can be replaced, not looking forward to that but they are LED so they should last long.
I would love to know what other people have learned about lighting. What types and sizes, placement, etc. Also wonder how much you do around the perimeter outside the pond or any spotlights outside of the pond. Pics would be great.
And just fyi, I am not totally against multicolor lights. We go full Griswold at Christmas time as you can see from the pics I have attached here, which does not show all of them
Basic overview of pond lights: they are LED lights that come in various wattage sizes, from 1 watt puck lights up to 3, 6, 8 or higher watts for spot lights. Seems like most stick with 1 watt for puck lights and 3 and 6 for spot lights. There are several manufacturers with several different styles, you can look at Webbs, Underwater Warehouse, Amazon, etc. I went with Anjon lights, they seem well built, nice brass construction, not that it really matters how they look since they will be underwater. I have two puck lights, one under each waterfall and one 3 watt spotlight in the middle of the pond.
The lights will come with long power cords, seems like most come with 15' to 20' length. These are 12 volt cords so they are not your usual two prong plug for a lamp, they are the small connector types that you push in and screw a cover over them. The cords then connect to a transformer which will then have a regular plug that you can plug into your outlet. When shopping for your lights you may think you are getting a great deal but remember you need a transformer, they are sold separately or can come in a kit. You only need one transformer but you want to make sure you get one that can handle your total wattage and plan on expansion. They range is wattage size, of course the larger the wattage the more expensive but do not go for the minimum because you most likely will add lights. The cords come with T-connections (at least the Anjon did) so you can daisy chain your lights making the wiring a little easier. You most likely will need a splitter, I got a three way splitter, I should have gotten a larger one for future expansion. The lights will connect to the splitter and then you connect the splitter to the transformer (which is outside the pond). They also have extension cords of various lengths, so how you set up your lights is pretty limitless. You will also want to get a photocell timer to turn on/off your lights, some transformers come with a photocell built in, at a cost of course.
The lights can be white or multicolored. I went with white, they are not the old harsh white led, but a softer yellow. Many like multicolored lights for their ponds. You can also get remote controls and wifi connections to the lights.
I was guilty of rushing the lighting. I am sure I was like most of you that when you get near the time to fill the pond and turn on the pump you want to do it as quickly as possible. The lights were the last thing I did before filling it up. Wish I put a little more thought into it. The puck lights look great under the waterfalls, they shine all the way up to the maple tree branches above and shimmer off the leaves. The spotlight is across from the waterfall going out from the viewing area. It looks ok, my wife is not crazy about the look, I think she wants it to point more towards the bottom or maybe the top (not sure lol). I should have gotten a larger splitter for future expansion and more lights. I already bought another to add in the Spring. It is hard to know how it looks until the pond is filled and the lights are on. Its not a huge deal to add lights later but of course they are easier to do before filling the pond.
Do think about placement of the lights. They come with bases but you do not have to use them, in fact it is easier to place them without the bases since it can be hard to find a flat space to put the base on. You can fix their position by placing small rocks around them. For waterfalls I believe it is recommended to have them about 6-8 inches below water level. Other lights you want deeper if you are in an area that the pond might freeze. Seems like people have issues with their lights cracking sometimes. The bulbs can be replaced, not looking forward to that but they are LED so they should last long.
I would love to know what other people have learned about lighting. What types and sizes, placement, etc. Also wonder how much you do around the perimeter outside the pond or any spotlights outside of the pond. Pics would be great.
And just fyi, I am not totally against multicolor lights. We go full Griswold at Christmas time as you can see from the pics I have attached here, which does not show all of them
