Outdoor Lighting for Ponds and Water Features

Karl Lundberg — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 15:21:04 +0000

Does your home have ponds and water Features on the property? It may be easy to enjoy their beauty during the day, but what about when it gets dark? Let Luminocity light up your favorite water feature or pond so that you (and your neighbors or passersby) can appreciate it no matter the time of day. Our lighting experts will know just how to highlight the water in all its glory.

Installing Underwater Fixtures

“When we install lights in a water feature we typically like to use a light that will enhance the look of the falling water,” says Karl Lundberg, owner and founder of Luminocity. However, when you are lighting a water feature, there are a lot of considerations to make, including whether the lighting fixtures are rated for submersion.

The Ingress Protection (IP) rating of IP68 means that the fixture is suitable to be continuously submerged under water. When we use a fixture with this rating, we can put that light at the bottom of a fountain in the water itself, and use a weighted bottom to shine up through the water.

Lighting from the Shore

Another option that Lundberg suggests is to light a pond or water feature from the ground on the side of the pond, also known as the shore. If you do not choose to use an IP68-rated submersible fixture, you can still beautifully capture the features of the water’s movement from this method.

“You might have a light shining straight on or from an angle,” says Lundberg. “Or sometimes you can also have lights that might shine down from a tree nearby.” The lighting experts at Luminocity know how to safely and securely install lights that will still accentuate the features of your pond.

Challenges with Water

There are a few challenges to lighting ponds or water features, just because of the nature of water. Light won’t shine nearly as far in water as it does on land. And sometimes, the water can get murky with algae, which can make it more difficult to see in the dark even with good lighting. “You’ll often need a very bright high lumen output for water features within the water,” says Lundberg. “It ultimately depends on the volume of water and the waterfall.”

Can you Light a Fish Pond?

Our Luminocity lighting experts have lit many fish or koi ponds in the Central Indiana area. “Sometimes people will have lights that shine across the water to capture the fish,” says Lundberg. “But there aren’t any issues with the fish that we’re aware of.”

What About Pool Lighting?

There is a big difference between installing lights in a pool and a pond. The only lights in a pool are those that the pool companies put in when initially installing the pool. However, Luminocity can install lighting around your pool grounds to help you enjoy a nighttime swim or to increase security in your outdoor living space.