Upgrading from incandescent to LED pool lighting is one of the highest-payoff retrofits a pool owner can make. LED lights use 80% less electricity, last 10x longer, run cooler (which means safer), and can shift between colors at the touch of a button. Here’s how to pick the right LED upgrade for your pool.
What you can upgrade
- Bulb-only replacement: screw a new LED bulb into your existing incandescent niche. Cheapest, easiest. Works for most Hayward Astrolite and Pentair Amerlite fixtures.
- Full LED fixture: remove the old fixture and install a complete LED replacement. Better seal, longer warranty, color-changing options.
- Nicheless LED: install a small LED into an existing return outlet (no niche needed). Best for new construction or pool renovations where you don’t have a light niche to begin with.
Voltage: 12V vs. 120V
Older incandescent pool lights ran at 120V. Modern LED fixtures come in both 12V and 120V variants. 12V is safer (lower electrocution risk in a wet environment), required by code in many jurisdictions for new pools, and is the standard for spa lighting. 120V is fine for existing fixtures if you don’t want to add a transformer.
Color: single-color vs. RGB
- Single-color (typically white): cheapest, brightest. Pure white light for visibility.
- RGB color-changing: 5–15 preset color shows, manual color selection. Bigger price tag.
- RGB-W (color + white): the best of both. White mode for serious nighttime visibility, color for party mode. Highest cost.
Our top LED upgrade options
Hayward ColorLogic 4.0 LED, 115V, SS
Shop Now
Hayward Universal ColorLogic 4.0, 12V
Shop Now
PAL Treo Retro Multi-Color Nicheless
Shop NowEnergy and cost
An old 500W incandescent pool light costs about $0.08/hour to run. A modern LED fixture replacing it runs ~$0.015/hour. If you run pool lights 4 hours per night, 6 months a year, that’s $58/year in savings — plus the LED lasts 20,000–50,000 hours vs. 1,000 hours for incandescent.
For a full installation walk-through, see our upcoming pool light replacement tutorial. Reach out to PST Pool Supplies if you want help matching an LED upgrade to your existing niche — we’ll send the right fixture, gasket, and cord length on the first order.