Outdoor Lights for the Garden Pond

We like to hide the light source when lighting water.  Always place the fixture at the section or end of the feature you?™ll be viewing from.  This way you see the light and not an unpleasing glare.  If you?™ll be viewing the water from many areas consider building a small underground cave or grotto for the fixture.  This will provide only reflection and not glare.  Or you can put the light at the bottom and disguise it with rock.  We like low voltage fixtures with bulbs 40 watts of incandescent light or lower.

Down lighting directly onto water is not generally very pleasing.  The lighting conflicts with perimeter lighting and ruins the reflection of the landscape.  It?™s better to leave the surface of the water dark and let the lighting from the  surrounding landscape be reflected on the water.  This creates a very nice effect.

The water feature won?™t be very attractive unless the water is kept clear. Water features that are murky and cloudy just don?™t look good.  You?™ll need a good filtration system or expect to analyze the water and possibly use water treatment weekly.  This is no different than an aquarium.  The water will grow algae and muck if not maintained properly.  

Outdoor Garden Lighting Corrosion and Maintenance Issues

After the outside lighting is installed we recommend implementing an annual or bi-annual maintenance program.  You can do this yourself or hire the installation contractor to do it for you.  A Maintenance program would consist of adjusting the fixtures to accommodate that year?™s plant growth, cleaning off the dirt debris that has accumulated on the lenses along with water spotting, replacing bulbs as needed and keeping the system free from corrosion.  

Keep shrubs and ground covers and shrubs trimmed away from the fixtures to prevent distortion of the intended patterns.  Branches and leaves near tree mounted fixtures are often welcome as they help reduce glare.  Consider fixture adjustment after major tree pruning since the original patterns may no longer be pleasing.

Clean the lens to remove dirt, leaves and mulch that may have accumulated.  For obvious reasons this will change the effectiveness of the fixture.  Some people opt to change all the bulbs at one time since the bulbs have a similar life expectancy rather than having to change a  bulb out here and one out there, they prefer to get it all done at one.  

In areas with salt air or areas where salting the road is done near your fixtures you can expect some corrosion.  Annually remove all the bulbs and spray the sockets with a silicone-based lubricant.  Perhaps do this task and change out all the bulbs at one time.
You?™ll extend the life and enjoyment of your system with some maintenance.

Outdoor Fixtures Lighting Water in the Garden

There are two types of fixtures available for lighting garden fountains and pools.  One is built into the pool during the construction, wired to an underwater junction box and becomes a part of the pool wall or floor.  Leave this to the builder due to safety issues.
The second is added after the feature is installed and plugged into a receptacle.  I recommend hiring an electrician to locate the receptacle, again for safety reasons.  If the receptacle is located near the waters edge, be sure to check with your local codes for to make sure you are not to close to the water.  A GFI is often required too.

If you have an existing receptacle not too far away consider using it and running an extension cord to the feature.  Be sure it is heavy duty and can stand the weather.  If you bury the cord make sure to put it in electrical conduit.  This way should someone run into it down the road they?™ll know it is electrical and proceed with caution.   You don?™t have to bury the cord however.  Just make sure it will be safe from lawn mower activities.  Take good care to disguise any part that will be visible in the garden.  You can hide it with plants, gravel, and even mulch.