Pool Accent Lighting Installation
Installing Pool Accent Lighting
Installing string lights around your pool can seem to be a daunting project. While there are different ways of hanging lights around the pool, you should choose one that works with your pool surroundings and you are comfortable installing. Plan ahead and take your time. A number of youtube videos are available to learn tips on string light guy wire installations. It is pretty simple for a DIYer.
While this is not a complete step by step guide, it should provide enough detail for you to take on your DIY project. Hopefully this installation approach will spark ideas for you to use in installing lights around your pool or deck. You may need to adapt this installation to your specific layout and use alternate materials as you see fit.
My String Light Installation
After watching various youtube videos, I decided to run the string lights around the pool at about a nine foot height between the house and light poles. Since I am leaving the pool lights up year round, I used wire rope between the house and light poles for extra support on the light string wires and to provide a more uniform professional look with no sagging.
One key component of the installation is determining the type of support for the light string. I affixed the light string ends to the house structure and installed three powder coated 3” by 3” by 16 gage steel tubes (light poles) at 30 feet intervals, more or less. I bought the light poles at the local iron supplier and had them powdercoated. I drilled a 1/2” hole at ground level and at the top to run my low voltage DC 5V Extension cords. I also drilled two holes through the top of the light poles to insert a threaded 1/4” eye bolt. I concreted the poles in the ground and placed a polypropylene cap on top to keep rain out. It is not watertight but eliminates most of the rain from getting inside the tube.
The guy wire I used was 1/16” wire rope.
I began at the house and ran the wire rope to each light pole and back to the house forming a quasi semi-circle. At the house, I made sure I had a solid anchor to the structure using an eye bolt. I then attached the 1/16” wire rope to the eye end of the hook and eye turnbuckle and fastened the wire rope with the 1/16” wire rope clamps. (Tip: fully extend the turnbuckle so you have the greatest ability to tighten the wire after installation). Use the hook end to connect to the eye bolt on the house. I ran the wire rope to the first light pole. I cut the wire about a foot longer than required so I had enough wire to grab onto as I fed the wire through the eye bolt on the light pole. Once tight, I used the 1/16” wire rope clamps to secure the wire. I cut off the excess wire rope and tightened the turnbuckle until the wire was taut. Next, I continued installing the rope wire around the poles and back to the house structure using this same method. Each span was 30 feet, more or less, to coincide with extending power to each light strand.
For electrical power, the previous homeowner had placed electrical outlets spread around the pool already. All three outlets were controlled by a with in one location. I replaced the existing switch box with a waterproof one and installed a Wemo smart switch. I can now control the outlets with my phone, Alexa or manually. They can also be scheduled for automatic on/off cycles.
I then measured the distance around the pool where I wanted the string lights to hang. The guy wire length was 90 feet around. I got one ColorBit Lighting Kit-60ft, one Extension String Kit and two 4 meter (13.1ft) DC power Extension Cables. This was everything I needed for my install.
I connected the components together according to the instruction and began to affix the light string to the wire rope. I untwisted the light string wires so all the LED bulbs hung in one direction. I did this by first stretching the wires and then from one end untwist them. This allowed the light string to “flatten” against the wire rope as the zip ties were tightened. I used a zip tie between the LEDs to hold them tight against the wire rope. This may have been excessive but seemed like the best way to keep the lights looking uniform. Next, I inserted the power injector between the successive light strings. I used the heat shrink to waterproof the connections and zip ties to obtain consistent LED spacing.
I plugged in a power supply and connected to the controller according to the instructions provided with the kits. I plugged the other two power supplies in the outlets and used the DC Extension Cables to run into the steel tube at the bottom and out at the top. I plugged the extension cable into the power injector to power each string. I use the heat string to waterproof all the connections. I used zip ties to affix the DC extension cables to the wire rope as needed for a neat appearance.
I followed the instructions provided in the kit on downloading the app and making the wifi connection. I changed the settings to 300 LEDS (3 light strings long). And I was ready to enjoy my ColorBit LED Lighting System around my pool.
