Why Hanging String Lights Over a Pool Isn’t Worth the Risk

Those Pinterest-perfect backyards with string lights glowing over the pool may look stunning - but what you don’t see in the photo are the safety risks that come with hanging electrical fixtures above water.

Before installing overhead lights across your pool, it’s important to understand why this setup can quickly turn dangerous.

1. Water & Electricity Don't Mix

You probably plugged those lights into a GFCI outlet, so if those lights come falling down into the water you won't get electrocuted. But if you didn't...well, you can guess the rest. It's never good when water and electricity mix.

What the Electrical Code Says

The National Electrical Code (NEC) has strict rules about electrical fixtures near pools. Most temporary string lights are not rated for installation over open water, especially within certain horizontal and vertical clearances.

Even if plugged into a GFCI outlet, string lights:

• Are not designed for permanent overhead installation

• Can sag over time

• May not be rated for wet or direct splash zones

Code-compliant pool lighting is permanently installed, bonded, grounded, and designed specifically for aquatic environments.

“But My Lights Are Outdoor & Waterproof…”

Many modern string lights are labeled “outdoor rated” or “weather resistant.” That does not mean they’re safe to hang directly over pool water.

Outdoor rating protects against:

• Rain

• Moisture

• UV exposure

It does NOT mean:

• Safe if dropped into water

• Designed for overhead pool installation

• Rated for constant splash exposure

2. Changing A Light Bulb

How are you going to change a light bulb when it burns out?

Are you going to lean over the water and hope you don’t lose your balance while handling electrical wiring? Even standing on the deck and reaching across the pool can put you in an unstable position - especially at night when visibility is lower.

Or will you unstring the entire setup every time a bulb goes out? That means climbing ladders, disconnecting wiring, and reinstalling everything - just for routine maintenance.

Temporary string lights aren’t designed for frequent overhead adjustments above water. What seems simple at installation can quickly become inconvenient and risky when maintenance is required.

3. Pool Brush Mishaps

That pool brush has an awfully long pole - and whether it’s your pool service technician or you doing the cleaning, no one has eyes on the back of their head.

When you’re focused on brushing the tile line or vacuuming the bottom, it’s easy to forget what’s hanging overhead. One backward step or slight lift of the pole can accidentally hit a bulb or loosen a strand of lights.

All it takes is one bump to shatter a bulb, sending glass into the pool or onto the deck. What started as routine maintenance can quickly turn into a safety hazard and a time-consuming cleanup.

When lighting is installed directly above the water, even normal pool care becomes riskier than it needs to be.

4. Cleaning Glass Out Of The Pool

If a bulb breaks over the water, how are you going to remove every piece of glass safely?

Shattered light bulbs don’t just fall in large, visible chunks, they splinter into tiny, nearly invisible fragments. Clear glass is especially difficult to spot underwater, even in a well-lit pool.

Even after skimming and vacuuming, how can you be certain every shard is gone? What happens the next time someone steps on the pool floor, or you reach into the skimmer basket to empty debris? Small pieces of glass can lodge in filters, hide in corners, or settle into plaster surfaces.

Cleaning broken glass out of a swimming pool isn’t just inconvenient - it’s a serious safety risk that can easily be avoided by keeping electrical lighting away from the water in the first place.

5. Monsoon Season

Monsoon season in AZ brings in heavy gusting winds and rain...and it can cause your string of lights to become unattached from their high perch. High winds during monsoon season can:

• Snap light strands

• Pull anchors loose

• Send bulbs crashing into the water

• Damage nearby electrical connections

Even securely installed lights can become dangerous during dust storms and sudden wind gusts. Again, you risk electricity in water or broken bulbs on patio decking and in the pool water.

FAQs About Pool Lighting Safety

Are LED string lights safe over pools?

Even LED outdoor lights are not designed to hang directly over water unless specifically rated and professionally installed.

What type of lighting is safe around pools?

Hardwired, code-compliant, low-voltage or bonded lighting designed for aquatic environments.

Can GFCI outlets make string lights safe?

GFCIs reduce risk but do not make non-compliant installations safe over water.

Safer Ways to Get That Pinterest Look

It might not be Pinterest-perfect, but sticking with the underwater lights that are installed into your pool is always the better alternative to above the pool strings of lights.

You can still create a beautiful backyard ambiance, just do it safely:

• Install built-in LED pool lights

• Add landscape uplighting around trees

• Use pergola-mounted lights (not directly over water)

• Install professional hardwired outdoor lighting

• Add color-changing pool lighting systems

Built-in pool lights are designed to be safe around water, they're grounded and provide plenty of light for swimming. Best of all, if you need your built-in pool light changed, you can call a pool service company to do it for you.