How were pools lit in the past and how are they lit today?

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Exploring Evolution: A Journey from the Past to the Present

In the past, the PAR56 lamp was commonly used for lighting swimming pools. The suffix ‘PAR’ stands for ‘Parabolic Aluminised Reflector’, which means that these lamps have a parabolic aluminium reflector that helps to focus the light into a precise and direct beam. The number ‘56’ indicates the diameter of the lamp, expressed in eighths of an inch, corresponding to just over 17 centimetres (17.78 cm to be precise).

At the time, they were mainly appreciated for their robustness and ability to illuminate large areas with an intense, well-distributed light. However, their disadvantages were quite noticeable: they noted a relatively high energy consumption and the need for frequent replacement due to the limited lifespan of their light source.

How were pools lit in the past and how are they lit today?
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Limitations of a traditional lighting system

It is impossible to forget the characteristic ‘yellow cone’ of the PAR56 lamp, which for years we have seen in swimming pools all over the world as the only reference in the field of pool interior lighting. The typical cone shape of the light beam resulted from the characteristic narrow exit of about 30 degrees, which created the well-known lateral shadow zones.  For smaller or shallow areas, 50W dichroic lamps with a light output of around 35-40 degrees were used.

Constantly evolving lighting

Today, the way of building pools has changed and with it the way of lighting them. Increasingly, lighting is the factor that has the greatest impact on the aesthetic appearance of the pool in the absence of natural light. With the arrival of LEDs, there has been a real revolution, both in terms of energy and aesthetics: higher yields with lower consumption, greater homogeneity of light and the possibility of lighting pools in different colours.