Pool cage lighting in Florida - All you need to know [+Prices]

Pool cage lights typically have prices from $60 to $250 per light, depending on several factors.

In the following article you will find all you need to know about pool cage lighting in Florida: Which are the lighting options, safety issues, which are the factors that determine their cost and all the relevant information to choose which is the best solution for your pool cage.

How do I light the area around my pool?

To light the area around your pool you must consider at least the following factors:

• Safety

• Local regulations

• Budget

• Aesthetic preferences

• Types of lights

Safety

The most important factor to take into account when you light your pool or surrounding spaces is safety. 

Lighting devices in the pool area must be properly installed and insulated from water, moisture, chemical substances (such as chlorine and saltwater) to prevent and avoid any electrical shock or electrical fire risk.

While you can DIY, it is recommended that the light and other electrical devices installation be done by professional contractors, to enhance the safety and quality of the job.

Local regulations

You also must comply with local regulations, such as building codes, homeowner association (HOA) rules and specific county ordinances when you are installing lighting devices in your pool cage and pool surrounding spaces.

Budget

As in any other home building or enhancing project, you must define your budget for pool cage and pool area lighting very well. This budget must be aligned with the following two factors: your aesthetic preferences and the available types of lights.

Aesthetic preferences

In addition to safety considerations and local regulations, your aesthetic preferences will determine the type, size, color, number and location of lights within your pool cage, and all of these factors will impact your budget.

If your pool, pool deck and pool cage area are painted or decorated with dark colors, you will need more lights, or lights with a higher output (and therefore, higher electrical power and consumption), than a pool, pool deck and pool cage area painted with lighter colors.

Types of lights

Actually, the most popular types of lights for pool cages and pool surrounding areas are:

• Halogen lights: The traditional lighting devices. Are cheaper than other types of lights but also have a shorter life span, lower energy efficiency and are prone to run hot with time.

• LED lights: Are the new standard in pool cage lighting. Are more expensive than equivalent halogen lights but also have a longer service life, higher energy efficiency and can be customized with color-changing technologies and even remote-controlled light displays.

• Solar powered lights: Are new-tech, budget-friendly and eco-friendly lighting devices. They will save a lot of money in energy bills but, on the other hand, they are not the best choice to illuminate large pool cages and their performance can be diminished after cloudy or rainy days.

Is it OK to hang lights over a pool?

No. Due to safety concerns, it is not recommended to hang lights over a pool.

If you want to light a pool you should install appropriate lighting devices in your pool cage and pool surrounding area, and must hire a professional, reliable contractor to do the job.

Poorly or inadequately installed lights, power lines, Christmas lights, extension cords, string lights and other electrical devices above water or too close to the pool increases the risk of electrocution and death. This is the reason because the National Electric Code (NEC) states strict regulations for pool area powering and lighting.

What kind of lights can you put in a pool?

As said above, the main kind of lights you can put in a pool, a pool cage and surrounding pool area are halogen lights, LED lights and solar powered lights. Now, the question is, Which are the best lights for your pool cage? Let’s consider some key factors.

• Pool size: Small and even medium sized pools can be illuminated with all kinds of lights. However, solar powered lights are not the best option to illuminate larger pools.

Halogen lights are brighter than LED lights, so you will need less halogen lights than equivalent LED lights to illuminate the same pool cage area. However, you also must consider the costs.

• Cost and energy consumption: Halogen lights have a lower purchase cost than LED lights and solar powered lights. 

On the other hand, the LED lights and solar powered lights have higher energy efficiency than halogen lights, thus, in the long run, LED lights and solar powered lights are more energy saving and budget saving than halogen lights.

• Features: Actually, some LED lights kits are available with user-friendly technologies, such as smartphone integration to dimmer switches, pre-programmed color changing, and so on.

Pros and cons of each kind of lights can be summarized in the following table:

Table 1: Pros and cons of different types of pool cage lights

Type of lights	Halogen lights	LED lights	Solar powered lights
Suitable for	All kind of pool cages and weather conditions	All kind of pool cages and weather conditions	Small to medium size pool cages.  Poor performance under rainy or cloudy weather conditions
Purchase cost	Lower	Higher	Higher
Energy saving	Lower	Higher	Highest
Operation cost	Higher	Lower	Lowest
Additional Features	Few	Many (remote control, color changing, etc.)	Few

While these are the main factors to take into account, you can ask your contractor for more practical advice regarding pool cage lighting.

What are the safest pool lights?

Actually, the safest pool cage lights are the LED lights.

The voltage of standard LED lights for pool cages is 12V or 24V, which meet the safety regulations.

On the other hand, LED light manufacturing technologies don’t include traditional glass and don’t contain mercury, thus, you will never have a mercury leakage or need to worry about getting cut.

However, you always must complain with all relevant safety regulations, follow the manufacturer recommendations, and ask your contractor in case of any doubt.

How much do pool enclosure lights cost?

Pool screen enclosure lights typically cost between $60 and $250 per light, depending on the type of lights, the manufacturer and the light control system.

Traditional halogen lights are cheaper, while high-tech solar powered lights or LED lights have higher purchasing per unit costs.

You must take into account that pool cage lights with additional features, such as Wi-fi enabled remote control, color changing options, pre-programming effects, multi technology integration (i.e., with Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomePod, etc.) will be more expensive.

Thus, to estimate your budget, you will determine how many lights your pool cage requires (based on its size and the preferred type of light) and multiply the per unit cost by the required number of light devices, plus the additional features, labor and installation costs.

To have a better idea of the pool cage lighting costs, ask a free estimate to your pool cage maintenance reliable contractor.

Are LED pool lights worth the money?

Yes. LED pool lights worth the money, to the last penny.

We have already stated that LED lights have higher energy efficiency than equivalent halogen lights. For instance, a 45-watt LED light has the same brightness than a 300-watt halogen light, thus, on the same usage time basis, the LED light will have only 15% of energy consumption of the halogen light, and that means also the 15% of the energy bill cost.

On the other hand, as LED lights generate less heat, that means they also will have a longer per unit service life than comparable halogen lights, around 10 times the life expectancy of a traditional halogen light bulb.

LED lights are smaller and lighter than comparable halogen lights, hence, they will need less installation work, lighter structural supports, and will have a lower aesthetic impact.

Thus, LED lights are a great choice when lighting a pool cage and pool surrounding area.

How many lights do I need for my pool cage?

An empirical rule is this industry recommends installing a minimum of one light for every 100 to 200 square feet of pool surface area. Some lanai designs include LED light arrays installed every 12 inches, and they look very beautiful. However, there are many factors that determine the number of lights needed for a pool cage. Among them:

• Size: When lighting a pool cage you must take into account not only the surface area but also the height of the pool cage. 

Light brightness and intensity diminish with the linear distance, thus, you should ask for advice to your pool cage contractor about the number of lights required.

• Type of pool cage screens: The type of screen (i.e. privacy screen, pet screen, etc.) and the density of the mesh will affect the number of lights required for your pool cage.

• Purpose of lighting: You must tell your contractor if you want a relaxing illumination or a brighter one for parties and social events.

Other factors can be taken into account to determine the optimal number of lights for the pool cage, such as aesthetic preferences, type of lights, local regulations, etc.

Are lights for pool cages suitable for Florida's weather conditions?

Yes. Manufacturers of lights for pool cage screen enclosures build their products to withstand the weather conditions in Florida, which can include heat and high humidity around the year, and occasional heavy rains.

However, any electrical device installed in a pool cage, including pool cage lights, must comply with the National Electrical Code (NEC) regulations. When it comes to pool lighting, the NEC states that any 12-Volt light in the pool area must be separated at least 10 feet from the pool edge.

Additionally, other local regulations, HOA (HomeOwners Association) rules and common sense must be followed. It is advisable to use only devices rated for outdoor use, made from durable and weather-resistant materials, and always use ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) for enhanced safety.

In case of doubt, just call your pool cage maintenance contractor and ask for advice. If you want to know more about pool cages, lanais and pool cage maintenance, visit our blog section!