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Ponds often are the main attraction of any landscape, and accent lighting can enable your water garden to be enjoyed both day and night. Choosing the right pond lighting can be a challenging process since there are many different options to illuminate your water garden as discussed below.
There are several types of pond lights to consider..
- Solar - with no need for electricity, there aren’t cord restrictions to deal with and these lights can safely float along your pond's surface and light up the night just the same as if you were to place it on the surrounding ground.
- Rock - enclosed in housing resembling the surface of a rock, these lights are designed to blend in with the overall garden landscape. These lights can come in faux stone housing that simulates real rock or can even be available in genuine rock like granite, for example.
- Submersible - light under the water is one of the most aesthetically pleasing lighting alternatives to make your pond shimmer during the night. It is important to use proper mounting brackets to ensure the lights stay in position and don't move over time.
- Floating - These lights are typically found constructed out of temperature and water resistant circular shapes and require the use of 5 watt bulbs. They can compliment your pond decor, namely lily pads and other plants.
Halogen vs LED
Halogen submersible lights are still the most economical type of pond light and are offered in warm white light which is popular. They are typically the preferred choice when a bright beam or wide area of illumination is needed. Available in a wattage range of 10 watts up to 150 watts, they use minimal voltage and are capable of reflecting a variety of colors. However, the bulbs will need replaced more often than LED bulbs.
LED pond lighting possess modern technology and can be expressed in a variety of colors in or out of water. LED bulbs are cooler, last longer and use less wattage than halogen. Although more expensive than the halogen at first, these lights will be less expensive to maintain over time.
So which lighting system will you choose?
Basically the first thing that you have to ask yourself is what will I be using it for? Is it purely for illuminating the pond or do you need it for some sort of supplemental landscape lighting as well?
Many ponds are level with the ground, so illuminating the walkways clearly defines where the pond ends, and the walkway begins.
Thankfully, the amount of low voltage lighting systems is increasing all the time, plus there are solar powered options now.
The transformers supplied should have a rating on them, indoor or outdoor use. Never use an indoor transformer on an exterior socket, the outdoor ones are designed to be weatherproof but do not immerse them in the pond unless the manufacturer rates them as completely waterproof.