Sylvan pool light fell out...

[Gibbs]

The Sylvan pool light I just spent an inordinate amount of time replacing the two halogen bulbs suddenly and unexpectedly fell out of its niche this morning. The length of supplied electric cable is just long enough for it to rest comfortably on the deepend pool floor without dangling by the wire. At first I thought the Hayward pool vac got on it and pulled it loose as the pool vac was tangled in the wiring but that wasn't it.

I got in the water today and did my Lloyd Bridges routine with mask and flippers of grabbing the light and reinserting it in the niche. This task took me a considerable amount of time needless to say. Anyway I dried off and came back outside to admire my handiwork and to my dismay saw the Sylvan pool light once again out of it's niche and resting on the bottom again...

The light just presses gently into the niche, there's a "keeper" on the bottom of it that fits a slot and you just press the top of the light into the niche and it holds it in place. If there was a latch or holder mechanism of any kind it is not there anymore, corroded off long ago, missing or never existed. Is there a way to jam or wedge something waterproof when I press the light in or some type of adhesive material that will stick underwater and be just strong enough to hold the light in place but not so strong that removing the light in the future will be impossible?

 

[zea3]

I am no expert on I ground pool lighting, but you may be able to use regular plumber's putty to hold it in place.

 

[Melt In The Sun]

Every light I've ever seen (admittably not a huge number) has had a screw that holds the fixture into the niche. You sure there's no hole for that?

 

[Gibbs]

There’s a notch on the light assembly at the very top and this may have been where a screw went and this would make sense. Looking at a picture of the niche from another thread there is a place at 12 o’clock where a screw would go. I did find a couple of small sheet metal Phillips head screws in the deep end drain (it’s missing a drain cover but that’s another thread), the larger head 5/8” screw was slightly magnetic and the other Phillips head 5/8” completely non-magnetic. Had a devil of a time getting them out too. Hopefully the screw just worked its way loose and didn’t deteriorate and have the head break off and if it’s sunny tomorrow I’ll get in the water again and check it out. The fun, adventure and joys of pool ownership never ends does it? :lol:

 

[Gibbs]

I am no expert on I ground pool lighting, but you may be able to use regular plumber's putty to hold it in place.

Plumbers Putty sounds like it will be the quickest and easiest solution. Will the plumbers putty have enough "stick" to be applied underwater? I'm assuming a bead of about 2"-3" at the top part of the light will be enough to do the trick. I'm envisioning an RTV like sticky substance that can be applied underwater to two wet surfaces and will "dry" or cure just enough to retain the grip yet be pliable enough down the road to be gently pulled apart.

 

[Gibbs]

I researched the plumbers putty and it starts to deteriorate after 7 years so I’m leaning towards a “tack weld” using a small dab of A+B Epoxy Putty. Later if the lights need replacing it should easily pry loose.

 

[Gibbs]

The light has finally been repaired. After many unsuccessful attempts to putty, epoxy, etc. the light underwater with mask and fins we finally decided to drain the pool down enough to get at the niche dry. Being within a month or less of winterizing this was a tough decision but anyway we took the water level down 3 ½ feet and used a ladder. Drilled out the old rusted screw and replaced it with a stainless steel screw and the light is well and good once again.

The epoxy just didn’t have enough to “grab” underwater and this wasn’t really a desired solution anyway. The job was a hundred times easier with the water out and really the only way to do it. Hopefully this repair will be good for another 37 years.