Fiber Optic Landscape Lighting
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The focus here is on using fiber optic landscape lighting for domestic applications. For commercial applications, fiber optic lighting is an increasingly popular alternative to neon lighting.
Fiber optic landscape lights provide a very different approach to landscape lighting compared with traditional outdoor lights, such as low voltage lights or solar landscape lights.
As the “fiber optic” name suggests, light itself travels down the cables rather than electricity. The benefits include:
- Electrical safety - these lights are ideal for pools, spas and water features because there is no electricity reaching the light fixtures and so no danger of shock.
- The light source can be installed in an indoor environment protected from the weather.
Fiber optic lights are also excellent for changing and colored light effects, because there is only one light source to control. The light from this source is then routed to a number of lights (and potentially this can be a large number of lights).
For really spectactular effects, you can use multiple light sources supplying a range of lights with shifting colors and effects.
Fiber Optic Landscape Light Fixtures
The light fixtures themselves can be very simple - in some cases they are just a simple acrylic stick as shown.
They can also be at the opposit eend of the spectrum and complex or intricate.
Some creative fixtures include paver lights, which can add an elegant touch to any landscape lighting plan. Paver lights can be used in path design, walkways, decks and to illuminate walls. Most paver lights accept 25 strand fiber optic cable and are constructed of a poly carbonate top with an ABS base.
Design and Installation Considerations
Fiber optic landscape lighting offers unique flexibility compared to conventional lighting, but it also has limitations. In particular, fiber optic lights are in general not as bright as conventional electric outdoor lights.
For this reason, areas with a high ambient light level (from other light sources) should be avoided as they tend to “wash out” the color.
On the other hand, a major benefit is that fiber optic lighting can be installed in areas not accessible to conventional lighting.
Fiber Optic Light Cables
As well as fiber optic light fixtures, you can also get fiber optic cables that emit light themselves. These cables ar eoften encased in a water clear PVC jacket for use in water features, underwater lighting for swimming pools, patios, facades, landscaping decks etc (see photo above).
Light is displayed in a so-called lineal fashion. This produces a brilliant light simulating a neon effect. The light emitting cable is flexible, easily installed, UV resistant and can provide vibrant color changes.
