The best pool lighting in Tucson uses a few well-placed LED pool lights aimed away from the house, a separate light for the spa, and soft, shielded landscape lighting around the yard. Add a fire feature for warm glow, keep landscape lights warm in color, and you get a backyard that looks great at night without lighting up the neighbor’s bedroom or the desert sky.
In Tucson, a lot of pool time happens after sunset. Summer afternoons are too hot, so evening swims and late dinners on the patio are when the backyard gets used most. Good lighting makes that time safer and more relaxing. Here is how to plan it.
What kinds of pool lights are there?
Color LED pool lights
Color LED lights are the most popular choice on new pools. They sit in a niche in the pool wall and can show a fixed color or slowly cycle through a light show. Pentair’s IntelliBrite Architectural Series color light offers five fixed colors and seven color-changing shows, according to Pentair.
Most families end up using a few favorite settings. A deep blue for quiet nights, a slow color cycle for parties, and white when someone wants to swim laps or check the water.
White LED pool lights
If you want a clean, classic look, white LED lights are a good fit. Some come in a warm white that looks softer against travertine and natural stone. Pentair says its Architectural Series white pool light is 12 times more energy efficient than incandescent lighting and uses 94 percent less power.
Why LED instead of older bulbs?
Older incandescent and halogen pool lights used a lot of power and burned out often. LED lights use less electricity, last longer and come in more colors. With TEP’s proposed rate increase still pending, lower-wattage lights are one more small way to keep your bill in check.
How many pool lights do you need?
There is no single rule, because pool shape, depth, finish color and how you use the pool all matter. These are typical starting points we use when planning a design:
| Pool type | Typical lighting plan |
|---|---|
| Plunge or small pool | One main pool light, sometimes a second in the steps |
| Mid-size rectangular pool | Two lights on the long wall nearest the house |
| Long or lap-style pool | Lights spaced along the length so the far end stays lit |
| Freeform pool | Lights placed to reach curves and coves that one light would miss |
| Attached spa | Its own light, separate from the pool |
| Tanning ledge or Baja shelf | Often a small light so the shallow area reads at night |
Finish color changes things too. Light plaster and light pebble finishes bounce light around and look bright. Darker finishes absorb more light and give a moody, lake-like look, so you may want an extra fixture.
The best way to judge it is to see it. Every Meraki project includes a 3D design with a VR walkthrough, so we can talk through light placement before any steel goes in the ground.
Where should pool lights go to avoid glare?
Glare is the most common lighting mistake. If a pool light faces your patio, everyone at the table stares into a bright spot all night.
Point lights away from the house
The usual approach is to set the main lights in the wall closest to the house or the main sitting area, aimed out across the pool. From the patio you see glowing water, not the fixture itself. If the pool is viewed from several sides, we balance placement so no seat looks straight into a light.
Think about the bedrooms
In many newer neighborhoods in Marana, Gladden Farms, Rita Ranch and Vail, lots are close together and two-story homes look down into backyards. Aim lights so they do not shine at your neighbors’ windows or your own bedroom.
Light the steps and edges
Steps, benches and the edge of a tanning ledge are where people trip at night. A small light near the entry steps, or lights that wash across the steps, makes getting in and out safer. Our post on tanning ledges and pool steps covers shallow-area design in more detail.
How should you light a spa and water features?
Spa lighting
A spa light makes the spa feel like its own space. Pentair offers spa-size versions of its pool lights, so the spa can match the pool’s color or run a different setting. A raised spa wall with glass or dark tile looks especially good when the spa light glows through spilling water.
Sheer descents, deck jets and bubblers
Water features come alive at night when light hits moving water. A pool light placed near a sheer descent makes the falling sheet of water glow. Deck jets and bubblers on a tanning ledge pick up color from the lights below. Our pool water features guide covers the options.
Tie it into automation
Lights, spa and water features are easier to enjoy when you can turn them on together from your phone. Our pool automation guide explains how scheduling and phone control work with Pentair equipment.
What about fire bowls and fire troughs at night?
Fire is lighting too. A pair of fire bowls on raised pillars, or a linear fire trough along a raised wall, throws a warm, moving glow across the water. It looks great next to cool blue pool lights.
A few tips from our builds:
- Use fire as an accent. Fire bowls set the mood, but they are not enough to light a path. Pair them with low step or path lights.
- Mind the wind. Tucson evenings can get breezy, especially during monsoon season. Placement and the right burner setup matter.
- Plan the gas line early. Fire features need gas run to them, which is easiest to plan during design.
The photo at the top of this post shows a lit fire bowl on a stacked travertine pillar at the end of a tiled raised wall in Marana. We build fire bowls, fire troughs and fire pits as part of our outdoor living work.
How should you light the rest of the backyard?
Low-voltage landscape lighting
Low-voltage landscape lights are the workhorse of backyard lighting. They run on a transformer, are safer to install around a yard, and use small LED fixtures. Good places to use them:
- Path lights along walkways from the patio to the pool
- Step lights in raised walls and deck steps
- Uplights on a palo verde, mesquite or palm for a soft accent
- Wall wash lights on stacked stone or block walls
Keep it soft. A few warm, low lights look better than bright floodlights, and they are easier on the eyes when you are trying to see the stars.
String lights and patio lights
String lights over a deck or along a covered patio add a relaxed, café feel. Keep the bulbs warm white and dim if you can.
Does Tucson have dark-sky lighting rules?
Yes. Southern Arizona takes its night sky seriously. The 2012 City of Tucson/Pima County Outdoor Lighting Code says its purpose is to protect residents’ access to the dark night sky. A few parts of the code matter for backyard lighting:
- Warm color. The code says the rated color temperature of outdoor light sources shall not exceed 3500K, with some exceptions.
- Shielding near neighbors. Residential fixtures within 25 feet of a neighboring residential property line must be full cutoff, meaning no light goes up above the fixture.
- Aim floods down. Flood and spot lamps must be aimed no higher than 45 degrees above horizontal when the light source can be seen from a neighboring home.
- Underwater lights count less. When the code adds up total outdoor light, underwater fixtures are counted at a reduced share of their rated output.
If you live in Oro Valley, Marana, Sahuarita or another town, your local rules may differ, and many HOAs in Dove Mountain and other master-planned communities have their own lighting guidelines. Our HOA pool approval guide explains how to plan for review.
The good news is that dark-sky friendly lighting also looks better. Warm, shielded lights pointed down make a backyard feel calm, cut glare and let you see the stars from the spa.
How do you plan pool lighting the right way?
Lighting is much easier to plan before the pool is built than after. Niches for pool lights are set into the shell, conduit runs under the deck, and gas lines for fire features go in before the pavers. Here is the order we follow:
- Decide how you will use the yard at night. Swimming, soaking, cooking, kids playing.
- Place pool and spa lights so they shine away from the main seating area.
- Add accents for water features and fire features.
- Light paths and steps for safety.
- Add soft landscape lighting last, kept warm and shielded.
- Choose controls. A timer at minimum, or automation so you can run everything from your phone.
If you already have a pool with old lights, a pool remodel is the best time to switch to LED, since the pool is drained and the deck may be open.
Ready to light up your backyard?
We design pool, spa, fire and landscape lighting as one plan in your 3D design, then build it with our own crew. Call (520) 342-8335 or request a free estimate. Meraki Pools AZ is a family-owned, licensed builder, AZ ROC #342505 and #352797.
Put this guide to work
Planning your own project? See our Water & Fire Features in Tucson and Custom Spas & Pool-Spa Combos in Tucson, or read about building a pool in Marana, Gladden Farms or Oro Valley.
Frequently asked questions
How many lights does a pool need?
It depends on the size and shape of the pool. A small pool or plunge pool often looks good with one light, while a mid-size pool usually gets two, and long or freeform pools may need more so the far end does not go dark. A spa usually gets its own light.
Where should pool lights be placed?
Most designers put the main lights on the wall closest to the house so they shine away from where you sit. That way you look across lit water instead of straight into a bright fixture. Lights in steps, benches and spas fill in the rest.
Are LED pool lights worth it?
Yes, for most pools. LED lights use far less power than old incandescent pool lights and last longer. Pentair says its IntelliBrite Architectural Series white pool light uses 94 percent less power than incandescent lighting.
Does Tucson have rules about outdoor lighting?
Yes. The City of Tucson and Pima County share an outdoor lighting code meant to protect the dark night sky. It limits light color temperature, requires shielded fixtures near neighboring homes and limits how high floodlights can be aimed. Other towns may have their own rules.
Can I change the color of my pool lights from my phone?
With the right setup, yes. Pentair color pool lights can be controlled through a Pentair automation system and the Pentair Pool app. On a new build we plan the lights and controls together so they work from day one.
Can I add LED lights to an existing pool?
Often, yes. Swapping old fixtures for LED and adding automation is a common part of a pool remodel. It is easiest when the pool is already drained for resurfacing.
