Replacing pool light fixture/niche

[dpl252]

I've been replacing the lights in my pool, taking out the old incandescent bulbs and adding LEDs. I have 3 lights total, 2 in pool and one in attached spa. I replaced the 2 pool lights and they work fine, but when I went to replace the spa light I notice the fixture itself was full of water. The glass lens seemed fine so i'm assuming the gasket failed. The bulb was burned and the socket looks pretty corroded.

I'm guessing the socket/fixture itself is completely un-usable and needs to be replaced, which i'm fine to do but what kind of fixture should I replace with? Do they come in different sizes? I know my lights are 120V so I need to match voltage, I have a 120V LED bulb ready but i'll need to get a new niche and fish the line to my junction box.

I'm seeing a Pentair fixture that looks reasonably priced and matched voltage: https://intheswim.com/p/ec-602127--...utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_content={19700744302}_{147802186964}_{648431527914}&utm_term={387238}&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwp4m0BhBAEiwAsdc4aHNUZNQaXR4RrJYYur4VCzROkrHYtCQS42yeEESTCTPpx1vIUoPfCxoCMI4QAvD_BwE

Oddly, the spa light fixture I have is UL but the pool lights are Pentair. Here's pictures of the spa light fixture that needs replacing:

https://imgur.com/a/sgGI2Kn

Any guidance on what kind of fixture I could replace this with would be great, new light is LED 120V with 40W draw. I REALLY don't want to spend 700+ dollars on a light fixture.

 

[Mikes61]

Your light housing and attached sealed wiring will need replacing. That means pulling the wire out of the flooded conduit and pulling the new one back in and making the wiring connections. Someone will have to be in the pool and someone else will need to be pulling on the wire at the junction box. Look on YouTube for instructional videos.

I just did one of my lights. It was kinda a pain, but it’s only every 20 years or so.

The Pentair Amerilight is available a little cheaper on Amazon and EBay. Make sure you order the correct wire length or longer.

The UL stands for Underwriters Laboratories and is a safety rating, not a manufacturers name.

What failed in your flooded light is probably where the wire goes into the back of the light.

 

[dpl252]

Thanks! Is there any compatibility concern with this kind of light? As long as the voltage matches it should work fine right? And i'm guessing the niche will fit in the cavity okay or do I need to like match sizes?

 

[Mikes61]

Here’s my suggestion so you make sure and replace the light with the correct size.

Turn off the main house breaker. Open the junction box and disconnect the pool light wires. Get in the pool and remove the light from the niche and cut the wire. Leave it long, so cut the wire right at the back of the light.

Get on eBay and order 200ft of flat pulling rope, I bought orange colored, at 1000 lb test because you’ll be pulling hard. When that arrives, get back in the pool and tie that to the length of wire that’s hanging in the pool. You’ll need to do a special knot so it doesn’t form a big knob and not be able to pull through the conduit. YouTube can show you how to tie that knot.

Next you’ll need to pull the old wire out through the flooded conduit from the junction box side. . I used a hammer handle to wrap the wire around for leverage, then pull. You’ll have to pull hard. It helps if someone is in the pool and feeding the old wire and flat pulling rope into the niche and conduit. Keep pulling the wire out of the conduit until the flat, colored rope shows. Cut the old light wire off the flat rope and measure the old wire. That will be the length of wire that needs to be on the new light. Now the hard part is over.

Match up that light and size with what you want to reinstall.

For install, lower the new light into the bottom of the pool and use that special knot to tie the new light wire to the flat rope. Then start pulling the flat rope at the junction box while someone is in the pool feeding the new wire into the conduit. There are many ways to do the process, but this worked for me a couple months ago when I changed my pool light.

The rest you can probably figure out. I had my wife help me, I would recommend using a buddy instead lol.

 

[Mikes61]

Yes you need to match the size and voltage of your old light.

Thanks! Is there any compatibility concern with this kind of light? As long as the voltage matches it should work fine right? And i'm guessing the niche will fit in the cavity okay or do I need to like match sizes?

 

[Mikes61]

Sorry, I just reread your post again and saw that you are dealing with a spa. This is actually easier than a pool because it’s shallow.
Swap the word pool for spa in my above posts. Everything else is the same.