How to Repair a Pool Light
Underwater swimming pool lights are standard features in most in-ground swimming pools and are common to above-ground pools as well. Like any electrical bulb, a pool light only lasts so many hours before it wears out and you need to replace it. While the fixtures themselves sometimes need repairs due to pool treatment chemicals, most pool light fixture repairs center around replacing the pool light bulb and the gasket separating the pool fixture from water in the swimming pool. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Check with your local municipality before you begin any electrical repair work on a swimming pool. Most cities require that licensed electricians do this type of work. If you have the electrical skills and can get the necessary permits, proceed with repairing your swimming pool lights as a do-it-yourself project. Otherwise, hire an electrician to perform the repairs for you.
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Examine the ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) that connects the light fixture with the rest of the pool’s electrical system. If the red button is out, reset the GFCI. See if resetting the GFCI returned electrical power to the pool light bulb. Check that the fuse is operational and that nothing has tripped the circuit breaker.
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Kill all of the electrical circuits to the swimming pool. Use an electrical test meter to make sure the circuits are dead.
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Put on your underwater goggles. Remove the screw at the top of the glass lens that holds the underwater light fixture in place. An older pool light fixture may have more than one screw. Slide the light fixture out of its niche in the wall, and bring it to the surface to work on it. Most pool light fixtures have sufficient electrical cord behind them for repairs like this.
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Look for damage to the cord as well as to the light fixture once you get it to the edge of the pool deck. Gently pry off the glass lens. Change the light bulb with one that has an identical wattage. While a pool light bulb may look like an ordinary floodlight, don’t try to make that substitution. Only use a light bulb designed for underwater use.
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Replace the old lens gasket. Set the lens back in place on the light fixture, making sure that water cannot get into the light bulb.
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Rewind the extra electrical cord so that it fits back behind the light fixture in the niche. Slide the fixture back in place. Replace the screw(s) that held the fixture to the pool’s wall.
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Turn the electricity back on to the swimming pool. Make sure the GFCI circuit stays set.
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Tips & Warnings
Working on electrical items around water without taking the proper precautions can be fatal.
References
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Comments
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We all appreciate DIY projects, but pool light repair should only be done by an highly-experienced and qualified pool technician who can pr ovide credentials for electrical repair of underwater lighting fixtures. There are too many pieces of information that are missing in the above instructions that relate to the safety of the both the DIY'er and the swimmers. Unless an electrician is experienced in this area, that person should not assume that they are qualified to inspect, test, and assemble an underwater fixture without the help of a qualified pool technician.
