Location
Home / Pond Education Center / How-To Articles / Light Up Your Pond for Evening Enjoyment

Light Up Your Pond for Evening Enjoyment

pond lit up at night

Imagine this: you arrive home after a long day at work or a long day of running errands. It’s dark, but when you open your back door you are greeted with the warm glow of lights reflecting off the surface of your pond water. It may be dark but you still get to indulge in the wonder of your backyard pond.

That’s the beauty of pond lighting. It allows pond owners to enjoy the fruits of their labor long into the evening hours. Without lighting, viewing time is cut in half and limited to daylight hours.

If you haven’t added lighting to your pond yet, now is a great time to make the investment and get your aquatic haven shining. The good news is that most pond lights nowadays are LED, so they’re somewhat inexpensive and economical to operate.

When choosing lights for a pond you’ll want to consider the layout of your pond and your design preferences, understand the types of lights available and then be prepared for installation (it’s easy we promise!).

Choosing & Installing Your Pond Lights

Design

If you have a waterfall, you’ll definitely want to spotlight it. Some people like to go the minimalist route and add one spotlight at the base of a waterfall as a main focal point, while others enjoy illuminating their entire pond by angling lights across it. If you have a waterfall with drops, you may also want a small light in each of those areas to illuminate that cascade. Most pond lights can be submerged underwater or used above water, so consider where you’d like to place them based on the design of your pond.

Types of pond lights

Submersible vs. Landscape Lighting

First, you’ll want to decide if you’d like to place any of your pond lights underwater. If so, you’ll need to make sure you get submersible pond lights. We carry many, and the great thing about these lights is that most of them can still be used above water, providing flexibility for placement as you play with your lightscape design. If you’re looking to light up a path to the pond or the perimeter of the pond we do also offer traditional landscape lighting.

Warm vs. Cool Lighting

Do you want warm white or cool white lighting? Pay attention to the Kelvin rating. 2700/3000K will deliver a defined “warm white” for its traditional yellowish glow. While 4000K+ will deliver a cool white. This kelvin rating is the same rating you find with household lights—the higher you go the more cool/blue like lighting a bulb will produce, and the lower you go the more warm/yellowish light you’ll get.

Full Spectrum of Color & Remote Management

If color is calling your name, then try a color changing light set. Most manufacturers of color changing lights provide an app you can download on your phone or tablet that allows you to change the color at will and to pick from a full spectrum of options (almost any color you can imagine!). With these apps you can program times for the lights to go on and off and you can cycle through colors. Aquascape makes great color changing lights. The pond featured at the top of this article is lit with the Aquascape changing lights. If you prefer to avoid using an app, Anjon has a beautiful selection of color changing lights that require a remote instead of an app for management.

Wattage

Don’t forget to consider wattage. It’s important to make sure your transformer can handle the total wattage of lights you’re planning to use. Total wattage choice also depends on your pond size. Do you prefer the look of one bright light or multiple low-wattage lights? The latter will set a more ambient tone. If you like the idea of bright lights you might consider the EasyPro 6 watt LED light or go even brighter with the 9 watt stainless steel option. You can angle a couple of 6 watts beneath the surface to light up the whole pond. (For reference, the EasyPro stainless steel 18 watt LED light is going to be similar to a car headlight—very, very bright. This may work for a very deep pond, but it would overload a small pond.)

If ambiance is calling your name then consider adding multiple 1 watt lights. These are perfect for smaller ponds. The Anjon 1 watt light is a really good value based on the warranty, construction and reliability. They’re fantastic lights. Plus they’re available in brass or bronze fixtures, and come with options for a solid base or ground stake.

Specialty Options

Lastly, there are even lights designed with faux rock encasings that you can hide in or around the pond. These lights are super easy to conceal and add a more natural feel.

In addition to standard base lights there are also up lights, led light bars and fountain lights that you can consider for illuminating specific elements in the pond like waterfalls and integrated fountains.

Installation

Installing pond lights is pretty straightforward. Most come with multiple base options including a ground stake or a flat solid base for placement inside the pond. But you don’t have to use a base at all if you want to wedge the light between stones (which can help conceal them). Most lights have adjustable heads that you can click into specific positions to achieve different angles. Pro tip: angle the lights away from your main seating location so you don’t walk up and have the lights in your eyes. After placing them in your desired locations, link them using splitters and extension cables, if necessary. Then, connect them to a transformer and plug them in to complete the setup.

Now Enjoy Your Pond at Night

After a busy day away from home, pond lighting allows owners to enjoy their ponds or water features in the evening hours. With lighting, water is reflective. Everything glows, and tranquility is enjoyed by all. When selecting lights to illuminate your work of art make sure to consider the advice given in this article. Choose where you want to place your lights, if they need to be submersible and the color and brightness right for the mood you want to set. If you have any questions when browsing lighting options or installing, don’t hesitate to reach out to our pond techs. They’re available M-F 9:00-4:00 EST at 1 (866) 819-7663 or sales@webbsonline.com.

Article Posted: 01/09/2024 09:50:14 PM

Shop Our Store for These Items

Anjon 1 Watt Small Brass LED Light w/Transformer
SKU: 42017
$79.00 $55.30 (Save 30%)
138 Points | In Stock
Anjon 3 LED Rock Light with Transformer & Photocell(MPN 3X1.5WRLKIT)
SKU: 44099
$229.00 $160.30 (Save 30%)
401 Points | In Stock
EasyPro 2-Pack 3 Watt LED Light Kit w/ Transformer
SKU: LED4WWK
$239.99 $215.99 (Save 10%)
540 Points | In Stock
EasyPro 6 Watt Warm White LED Light
SKU: LED6WW
$119.99 $98.99 (Save 18%)
247 Points | In Stock
Aquascape 2-Watt LED Color-Changing Waterfall and Up Light
SKU: 84057
$119.98 $95.98 (Save 20%)
240 Points | In Stock
Aquascape 4.5-Watt LED Color-Changing Spotlight
SKU: 84059
$209.98 $167.98 (Save 20%)
420 Points | In Stock
Get Exclusive Email Specials
Sign up for the latest Webb's Water Gardens news, updates and promotions.
© 1981-2024 Webb's Water Gardens
6200 Days Cove Road, White Marsh, MD 21162
Privacy Policy
© 1981-2024 Webb's Water Gardens  |  Privacy Policy  |  6200 Days Cove Road, White Marsh, MD 21162
Back to Top
Kryptronic eCommerce, Copyright 1999-2024 Kryptronic, Inc. - https://kryptronic.com/ [0.011746 / 1.773788]