Guide
How to Choose LED Underwater Lights
Six decisions, in the order that settles an underwater lighting order: position, protection, size and power, beam, colour, and control — each one readable from the datasheet models.
1. Fix the position first
Submerged in a fountain basin, recessed in a pool wall, or resting on a pond floor are three different jobs. The documented range is IP68 as listed across its four datasheet models, which covers immersion; what changes with position is size, weight and impact exposure. A pool wall fitting meets swimmers and cleaning poles (the IK10 models, LX-SC009, LX-BG84786 and LX-UD-001A, are the impact-rated choices); a pond fitting disappears and should be chosen for beam and colour rather than presence.
2. Match power and size to the water
The documented span runs from the 3W LX-UD-001A for steps and niches to the 24W LX-SC009 for main pool and fountain fields, with the 9W / 12W / 24W LX-UD005 between. Water depth, turbidity and the distance from fitting to surface decide where in that span a project sits; clear shallow water needs far less power than a deep, aerated fountain basin.
3. Choose the beam for the surface you are lighting
Beam angles on the datasheet models run 10° / 20° / 30°, with the LX-BG84786 at 15° / 25° / 45°. Narrow beams thread through jet columns and pick out features; wide beams wash basin floors and pool walls. The beam angle guide works through the geometry model by model.
4. Decide colour and control together
Static white (choose a colour temperature inside the listed 2200K-6500K span) or colour programmes (RGBW models under DMX512) is a system decision: the control variant ships with the fitting. The models grouped on the RGBW DMX series page are the colour-capable shortlist.
5. Check the housing against your water
Chlorinated or salt water points to the SUS#316 housings fitted across the datasheet range; the LX-UD-001A additionally lists brass and aluminum. The housing comparison guide covers the reasoning.
6. Write the inquiry with the open points named
Send position, water type, target model, colour and control through the inquiry checklist, and read the range from the underwater lights category page. Long-term care is covered in the maintenance checks article.
Confirm before ordering
Confirm model, colour variant, control variant and housing material for your configuration in writing before ordering.
Worked example: a 6-metre hotel pool
A rectangular hotel pool, six metres of lit wall, clear treated water, static warm-white by night with the option of colour at events. Position: pool wall, submerged — the documented range applies. Protection: IP68 as listed across the datasheet models, no conflict to settle. Size and power: the wall wants an even field, so the mid-size mixed-colour model in its B variant is the natural starting point, spaced for beam overlap. Beam: 30° for the field. Colour and control: the event option settles it — RGBW with DMX512, even if the daily scene is a warm white, because the variant cannot change later. Housing: treated water, so the SUS#316 housing the datasheet lists. Six decisions, each traceable to a line in a document: that is what a clean underwater specification looks like.
Common shortlisting mistakes
- Choosing by wattage first and discovering the beam ladder afterwards.
- Treating a category title as a specification; titles carry no values.
- Mixing control methods across one programme and discovering it at commissioning.
- Leaving the housing material to default in treated water.