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 How Are Swimming Pool Lights Wired?

Swimming pool lights are a great addition to any pool, providing ambiance and visibility for nighttime swimming. However, many people have questions about how to wire these lights safely, especially since they are installed underwater. In this article, we will guide you through the process of wiring swimming pool lights, covering different types of lights and commonly asked questions.

Wiring 12V Swimming Pool Lights

Wiring 12-volt swimming pool lights is relatively straightforward. Whether your lights are 12 volts or 120 volts, they will come with sealed cables that are waterproof. You do not need to work with the wires attached to the lights themselves. Instead, feed the cable through the existing conduit or drilling you have done for the installation, and run it to the location where you want to wire it.

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Most swimming pool lights have a junction box. You will need to run the power cable to this junction box and connect the cables from the swimming pool lights to it, usually using wire nuts. Since we are dealing with low voltage lights, there will also be a transformer between the power source and the junction box. You will need to run a cable from the circuit breaker to the transformer and from the transformer to the junction box.

Some transformers, like the Hayward J-Box Retrofit Kit, can be installed inside the junction box to make things easier. If you want to add a light switch, you can wire it before or after the transformer. If your lights are dimmable, you can use dimmer switches, but make sure they are 12V dimmers installed between the transformer and the junction box. They cannot be installed between the circuit breaker and the transformer.

To wire your swimming pool lights:

1. Make sure the power is off.
2. Feed the cable from the lights through the conduit to the junction box.
3. Strip the wire to reveal the live and neutral wires, as well as the ground wire if present.
4. Run a cable from the circuit breaker to your transformer, ensuring you connect the live, neutral, and ground wires to the respective terminals.
5. Run a cable from the output terminal of the transformer to the junction box and connect the appropriate live, neutral, and ground wires.
6. Inside the junction box, connect the live and neutral wires from the transformer to those of the swimming pool lights. If the lights have ground wires, also connect them to the ground wire in the cable.

If you are installing line voltage lighting, there is no need for a transformer; otherwise, the steps are essentially the same. Run a cable from the circuit breaker directly to the junction box, and then wire the individual live, neutral, and ground wires to those of the swimming pool lights.

Wiring the Swimming Pool Control Panel

When it comes to “swimming pool control panels,” the term can refer to two different products that perform different functions, causing some confusion.

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The term can either refer to:

1. An outdoor panel designed as a secondary circuit breaker – it may have main switches for swimming pool lights, your motor, and your pool heater.
2. A smart panel that allows you to control your swimming pool lights from a separate hub or your smartphone.

The type of control panel will determine how you wire it. If it is the first type, you will want to install it before the transformer, on the circuit.

It should then have a wire running from the panel to the main input for the transformer, which you will wire as usual.

The purpose of these panels is to provide you with easy and quick access to a secondary circuit breaker outside. You can use them as main switches to control all your pool electrics from one convenient location.

The second type of control panel does not need to be wired to the lights – it’s an entirely separate device. Instead, you would mount it on its own circuit outside, and the smart relays on the circuit communicate with your compatible swimming pool lights. You simply run a cable from your circuit breaker to the smart panel, wire it into the live connection, and then wire the attached smart relays according to the instructions.

They do not work with just any brand of lights, but they often work across different brands, so check for compatibility before purchasing.

What Gauge Wire Should Be Used for Swimming Pool Lights?

Since swimming pool lights come with sealed cables already connected, the only wire you need to choose is the one running from the circuit breaker to the transformer and from the transformer to the junction box.

However, it’s more complicated than just choosing any wire for the job. The wire running from the main power supply to the transformer is not as much of an issue, but once you go beyond the transformer, there is a risk of voltage drop.

Voltage drop occurs when current encounters resistance, causing a portion of the voltage to dissipate. This happens in every electrical circuit, but it is more significant in low-voltage circuits because even a small loss of an already low voltage can affect the performance of your lights.

Choosing a thicker gauge wire will reduce the risk of voltage drop because there is less resistance for the current. When it comes to wire gauge, a lower number means a thicker wire. While some people use 14/2 wire, it is recommended to use 12/2 wire.

However, if you are installing your transformer a long distance from the junction box – let’s say 100 feet or more – you should still choose 10/2 wire to ensure there are no problems.

What Is the Ideal Distance for a Transformer from the Pool?

There is no single recommendation for the ideal distance from a transformer to the swimming pool. However, there is a minimum distance – a transformer should not be within 4 feet of the pool’s edge.

While they are waterproof against rainfall, there are still wires leading into them from underneath. As transformers still handle high voltage, you want to prevent any pool splashes from causing a short circuit.

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Then it is just a matter of the distance between the transformer and the junction box where you plan to wire the lights. If you buried the junction box near the pool, you will need to dig a sufficient trench for the cable to run from the transformer to the box – and make sure it’s a thicker 10/2 cable if it’s a long distance.

If the junction box will be close to the transformer, your distance is determined by your chosen swimming pool lights and how long their integrated cables are. It’s not a good idea to install a junction box and transformer too far apart that the cables don’t reach. Swimming pool lights often come with various cable lengths to choose from when purchasing, so plan your wiring installation before buying, and you’ll be fine.

Should a Swimming Pool Lighting Circuit Be Grounded?

Traditionally, electrical items have three wires, two of which are essential for how the light normally functions. The live wire carries the current to the device, and the neutral wire brings it back to the source, completing the circuit. The third wire is a ground wire. You can consider it an “in case of emergency” wire. If there is a problem with the circuit, this wire ensures that the voltage is directed to the ground to prevent serious electrical fires or shock.

Main voltage swimming pool lights will always have a ground wire that needs to be wired into the circuit’s ground wire. It is absolutely essential. There should also be a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) on the circuit, designed to cut the power if a ground fault is detected – when the voltage on the live and neutral wires becomes unbalanced.

However, low-voltage lights do not require grounding or a GFCI. The lower voltage is not as dangerous. Consider it optional, although your hand will be forced if your low-voltage lights do not have a ground wire – you cannot open the sealed cable and add one. If they have a ground wire, you can either truncate or wire it – it’s safer to ground it, so you might as well do it. The GFCI is optional, but it is safer to have one.

If you are using low-voltage lights, the one element that definitely needs grounding is the transformer – keep that in mind. Once the current is past the transformer and reduced to 12 volts, it is not dangerous. But at the transformer, you are still dealing with a main voltage of 120V, so it needs grounding for safety.

Conclusion

Wiring swimming pool lights is not overly complicated as long as you remember the steps involved. It becomes slightly more involved with low-voltage lights because you need a transformer, but it’s just one extra step – and it means that the lights you’re working on are safer in the long run.

Remember to never turn on the power when doing any wiring, even if it’s low voltage. Have you wired your pool lights yourself, or did you hire someone?