Having a beautiful water feature in your yard is lovely to enjoy – the sound and sight of water can have a very calming effect. Using landscape lighting is a great way to admire your waterfall or pond even after the sun goes down and seems to transport your yard to a world of sparkling magic and ethereal beauty. Creating the perfect lighting for your water feature isn’t quite as easy as setting up a spotlight. Safety also needs to be considered since electricity and water don’t mix well so hiring a professional is imperative. Here are some things to consider when using light and water:

1. Type of Light

Traditional incandescent lights are familiar, their colours are vary from soft and warm to cool and bright and they are initially less expensive, but can have a large impact on your hydro bill and are less environmentally friendly. This is why most landscape lighting professionals are leaning toward LED lights.

LED lights use less energy and have longer usage and are therefore less costly in the long-run, though may be more expensive up-front.

Solar powered lights are another option as they have no cost other than the initial install and maintenance. The light produced, however, may not be as bright or consistent as incandescent or LED lights, which will affect how the water feature is seen.

When you’ve decided on which type of lighting best suits your needs, you’ll need to remember that the cords and junction boxes need to be hidden somewhere. You’ll want to see your gorgeous water feature, not an ugly cord.

2. Light Changes In Water

Regardless of which type of lighting you choose, remember that the properties of light change when it hits water. Water dissipates light beams, causing them to create different angles by bending the rays of light. It can also create a glare if just angled in the wrong direction.

Because of how light changes when shone at or immersed in water, it’s a good idea to do a test-run before installation, especially if your water feature is complex. This is where hiring a professional is a good use of money. The last thing you want to do is to take apart your hard work because a few lights just won’t react the way you expected them to.
Also remember that you’ll probably need more light, as much as ½ more than anticipated, because of how light dissipates in water, especially depending on the type of material being used and the depth at which the light will be at.

3. Maintenance

You will need to have your lights maintained a couple of times a year. Don’t believe systems that say they are maintenance-free. Lights can become cloudy, plant life will grow around it and water will become murky. Landscaping professionals like Nite Time Décor offer year-round lighting maintenance packages to keep your water features looking amazing, no matter what.