How Does It Work?

Like the luminescent swords used in combat in the 'Star Wars' series, fiber-optics can now create futuristic lighting effects around the pool or spa perimeter or underwater without the use of electricity.

Fiber-optic lighting works with the help of technologically-advanced, light-transmitting glass cable originally developed for communication and medical applications, says Kevin McKee of Hayward Canada, which manufacturers the 'SuperVision' fiber-optic lighting system in Oakville, Ontario. A light source is used at one end of the cable located in a remote location away from the pool and other potential water hazards. The halogen bulb (up to 500 watts intensity) is directed at a fiber end collection fitting which groups fibers together tightly. When bulbs burn out and need to be replaced there is no need to lower the water level in the pool because the bulb located off-site.

To change colours, a colour wheel (a pane of glass divided into sections of four to eight colours mounted on a motorized wheel) is placed between the halogen bulb and the fiber ends. "This allows for a cycling of various colours or the selection of one in particular," says McKee. "The exceptional light transmitting characteristics of the fiber-optic cable carries light to the particular application with minimal loss of intensity."

When light strikes this interface between core and cladding within the confinement angle, Total Internal Reflection (TIR) is maintained and light continues to bounce (reflect) down the fiber within the core, says Kevin Potucek, the vice-president of product management for PacFab Incorporated, which makes the 'FIBERworks' fiber-optic system. "The inherent loss of light over the distance is approximately two per cent per foot," he says, "some of this lost light manifests itself as a glow emitting from the side of the fiber.

                                What Are The Different Types?

There are two basic types of optical fiber used in the pool industry today, says Jody Smith, product manager for Teledyne Laars /Jandy Products of Oakville, Ontario, which makes the 'Sheer Radiance' fiber-optic system. "Several companies offer small-diameter-plastic strands bundled together in various numbers from as few as 12 to as many as 300 depending on the desired light output," says Smith.
Cable sizes and applications also fall into two categories. PacFab has the large core (fiber generally over 1/4" in diameter) and a small bundled fiber (.03" diameter fiber bundled together in cables). "The small bundled fiber is far more popular in our industry because of its long term physical flexibility, non-yellowing characteristics, and resilience when exposed to water," says Potucek.

Hayward's most common fiber-optic lighting system is a collection of multiple small diameter fibers grouped together. "The intensity of light relates directly to the number of fibers used in the application," says McKee. "The second less extensively used fiberoptic cable is a large core, single strand cable. There are also two distinct types of fiber used in these systems. One is multi-strand, and the other is solid core. Multi-strand means there are many smaller individual fibers contained in a single sheath. The more fibers, the brighter the light output. This is the more popular type because it is flexible, and many different fiber-optic cables can be combined into the same optic port," says Dan Kellog, director of marketing for Fiberstars, which makes the 'Fiberstars Fall' fiber-optic system in Fremont, California. "Solid fiber strands are made in different thicknesses. The thicker the fiber, the brighter the light. These fibers require a harness that accepts certain combinations of fiber thickness."

                        Systems Are Safe And Cost Effective

These pool and spa lighting systems are ideal for use in wet or underwater environments because they are corrosion resistant and transmit light energy without using electricity or producing heat, eliminating the chance of electrical shock.

If installed properly, it is nearly always safe for passive aesthetics, says Potucek. "For proper illumination of a pool or spa intended for bather use, safe illumination is defined as enough light to allow the bather to safely enter, swim and relax in the water," he says. "If specified and installed properly by a trained technician, this can generally be achieved by fiber optics in pools with white or lightly coloured surfaces, although dark-surfaced pools usually require conventional lighting for effective illumination."

Fiber-optic lighting is ideally suited for use in environments that can be considered hazardous, says Smith, such as pools, fountains and hard to reach locations where bulb replacement is difficult or dangerous. "With the use of a fiber-optic lighting system, all of the electrical connections needed to power the light are absent from the pool /spa area," she says.

The beneficial properties of fiber optics in the lighting industry are forcing conventional electrical lighting systems to change to the new generation of fiberoptic lighting technology, says Martin Walker, a C.E.O. of Optic-Light Incorporated, a manufacturer of the 'Light Jet' and 'Contour' fiber-optic lighting systems in Niagara Falls, Ontario. "A close analysis of these properties will reveal its (fiber-optic lighting) ability to carry light without emitting heat, electricity or ultra-violet rays," he says.

Not only are fiber-optic lights safe to use around a pool or spa, they are cost effective too. A single 'Photon Generator' system from PacFab for in-ground pools consumes less than 250 watts, while the 'FiberLuminator' perimeter fiber optics for above-ground pools uses the 'AquaLuminator' as its light source, consuming less than 50 watts, says Potucek, while Hayward's and Teledyne Laars /Jandy Products' entire systems can be operated off a 115V 15 amp circuit. "A typical application in the pool and spa industry is night lighting," says McKee. "Therefore the fiber optic light system will be used less than four hours per night, limiting power consumption to negligible levels."

The light produced by a fiber-optic lighting system creates a different effect than halogen or an incandescent lighting system, says McKee. "The intensity of the light is related to the number of fibers exposed to the end glow lighting, size of the pool, position of the end glow light(s), and the colour of the chosen liner."

The type of light produced can also vary depending on the type of bulb used in the light source. Quartz halogen bulbs, for example, which are the most common in use today due to their low cost and availability, produce excellent colour rendering, while metal halide bulbs offer a higher light output and longer bulb life, but are more expensive than halogen bulbs.
"Fiber-optic lighting cannot compete with conventional lighting when it comes to simplicity of installation, total illumination or lumens per dollar," says without adhesives. Potucek, but it is the dazzling colour that is available with the flick of a switch that makes fiber optics so exciting, Likewise conventional lighting cannot deliver the'pizzaz' of soft, neon-like perimeter fiber optics or the versatility and colour that fiber optics affords water features."