ive been searching the web and cant find what i am looking for.

i want to do side illuminating fiber embedded into the pool floor in the shape of a certain logo or image... is this possible? or does this fall into the just because I can , doesn't mean i should do it category?

for instance if i wanted to do a palm tree at the bottom that illuminates.

so on a dark night i could have the pool lights off and just tthe palm tree glowing.


the reality is i want to do a UFO or alien image

I don't see why not.

[Link: fiberopticproducts.com]

KOT

thanks i found that site as well... but its only end light fiber... not side illuminate...

i cant find anything on if uv side lite fiber will work and stay properly imbedded...

It's all advertising hype, but worth a look, I'd guess, and thank you, Google, if this happens to work. From [Link: corning.com]. Searching the site for "side illuminating" brings up Fibrance.

I have this installed in a fountain

[Link: wiedamark.com]

keep in mind that the fiber will need to be replaced someday so however you decide to mount it make sure it can be redone in the future

What do you mean fiber needs to be replaced?

KOT

Sure, it's possible, but...if you want your given image on the bottom of a pool, how are you going to get the fiber down there and make it look good?

Without good conduit work, you'd just have to run it into the water from above and down to the bottom, then attach the fiber to the floor of the pool via whatever kind of fasteners. You mentioned embedded, though, so you'd need some sort of specialized artist to carve out the channels for your image to be embedded into. That being said, you'd need even more conduit work in the bottom of the pool so that the fiber lighting doesn't look like an etch-a-sketch job (ie, if you want the eyes of your alien to not have a line connecting them to the side of the head...). I'm not sure what pool codes are, anywhere, but I know they've got them, so you'd need a pool company to advise and/or do the work. Unless you are the artist and/or pool company. It would also be a great idea to cover and seal the channels that the lighting is in to protect it from the sun, water, chemicals, etc...could get up there. And yet another thing, concerning design, typically (so far as I know) pool fiber ropes are sold in specific lengths. How would you be able to design it so that it is just the right length to make your design and go back to the light source? Yeah, actually I imagine you could buy a rope longer than you need, cut it to size and properly terminate it at the light source... but still, it could all wind up being quite the hassle. As awesome as it sounds, I'd just get an Alf doll and put it on the table next to your lounge chair. And hide the cat.

you are my hero bueller... problem solved...

make a stamp out of acrylic on the water jet.. when the final gunite goes down(final pool plaster coat)press the stamp into the concrete. put plastic PVC under final coat in the proper spots... run fiber thru the pipe to the stamping..... when finished encapsulate the fiber in a clear epoxy to bring the surface level... problem solved.

if i ever want to change or get rid of it... simply drain the pool grind it out, replaster and all better....

i can buy spools of 500 or 1000 feet of side eluminating fiber... its easy to terminate and splice. it comes in uv rated as well....

the fiber will eventually need to be replaced-

it will not look the same 5 years from now as it does today-

I call bs on that. If fiber truly degrades in 5 years, then my stock in Corning would be sky high and beyond. With all the replacements having to be done. And with all the cable, telephone and other companies using fiber. They'll be replacing it every 5 years as you stated.

I most definitely know they don't replace it on a sub. And a sub is built to last 30 some odd years.

So I don't think it's the fiber itself. But rather the components that it goes to, or even from. Unless they are using super cheap plastic fiber. And I haven't heard of plastic fiber.

KOT

The main difference here is that Corning is using ultra high quality glass or polymers that are protected by layers of jackets. Fiber optics for pools and decoration would just be cheap plastic with a plastic jacket to diffuse the light. Clorine is not kind to plastic..

I watch people with under water pool lighting struggle with long term reliability and these fixtures are supposedly designed for purpose. I'm not optimistic about raw fiber ends sticking out of the pool floor. If the fiber is not attacked outright, there will be an imperfect seal as the fiber exits the floor and water will begin to creep back along the fiber, causing mischief -- especially if there is a freeze.

What happens when the pool needs painting?

If everyone can adopt the philosophy that mariners follow ("nothing is permanent"), and you get a few good seasons without major maintenance, things should be fine.


There is some light attenuation per foot of fiber. This is a good argument for keeping the fiber runs approximately equal in length.

I'm under the assumption that he'll be using an illuminator, something like this:

[Link: poolsupplyworld.com]

Well, something like one of those. Both ends of the fiber feed up into the box and are terminated there together (so it's like a loop kinda), so there would be no raw fiber in the bottom of the pool. Both ends of the fiber are fit into one of various diameter ends, and you use a hot knife to cut them all off evenly. That end (which is both ends) points up at the incredibly bright (and hot) light, so light is fed from there evenly in both directions through the fiber.

If I'm misunderstanding his plan, I got nothin. I'd love to see the end result, though.

for fcuk sake guys... we are/were custom AV guys... we solve problems that only the top 1-5% really have.

have you not done fiber lighting and side illuminating fiber lighting in any of your projects? its not a strech here guys.

fyi: side light fiber on the high end is available in a uv product... that should keep the dulling and degridation of the plastic fiber down to a minimum from sunlight. and being clear epoxy embedded should keep the chlorine away.

fyi: side light fiber can be illuminated with led light source...

i will do up a sample in the next month or so when i have time and money for a little side project. 4'x4' concrete with pattern stamped or carved in unset concrete. i will then insert side fiber, encapsulate in epoxy. and show you pictures...

I wasn't aware that telecom companies used fully sun and weather exposed plastic side emitting fibers such as those used in the application being discussed.






I do know that the fibers actually being discussed in this thread( yes, this application uses a different type of fiber then used for telecom)will degrade relatively quickly due to

1. they are plastic
2. exposed to direct sunlight
3 exposed to (at a minimum) a damp environment if not fully submerged
4. water treatment chemicals