Fill in light niche?

[DallasSocFan]

Hi, I'm yet another newbie registering on this site because of a specific problem. I'd like to say in advance I appreciate greatly the help you will give me. The internet is pretty cool that way.

I've got a leaking pool light niche. I know it is what is leaking because I've had my lines pressure tested and the pool leak company said it was what is leaking. I can also tell from where the water in my alley is showing up. Its leaking at about 6-10 inches per week and the higher I refill the water line, the quicker the rate. Therefore, I have pretty much turned off suction to the skimmer and just use the main drain. It is too hard to keep up otherwise, especially because we aren't using the pool for the winter.

The pool leak company "epoxied" the leak three times before they started ignoring my calls on their "leak fix guarantee." I had another company come out and explained the history. They dye tested the light and confirmed it was leaking. They tried also to epoxy it. After that failure, we drained the pool and they did a better "epoxy" job. They told me that should do it and I shouldn't have any problems.

Here's the thing... I haven't used the pool light since we moved into the house years ago. It works and I can turn it on, but we just don't have a need.

Frankly, I'm willing to do anything at this point to fix the dang problem. Besides the cost of the water, trying to keep a pool balanced when you are continually adding water is terrible.

Can the light niche be filled in and plastered and if so, would that be a guaranteed way to solve my problem? Is this DIY, or should I leave it to the experts? (I'm a handy guy and do all the above ground work.)

Once again, thanks for the help.

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

The pool leak company "epoxied" the leak three times before they started ignoring my calls on their "leak fix guarantee." I had another company come out and explained the history. They dye tested the light and confirmed it was leaking. They tried also to epoxy it. After that failure, we drained the pool and they did a better "epoxy" job. They told me that should do it and I shouldn't have any problems.

Here's the thing... I haven't used the pool light since we moved into the house years ago. It works and I can turn it on, but we just don't have a need.

Have you tested it since that last repair?

Frankly, I'm willing to do anything at this point to fix the dang problem. Besides the cost of the water, trying to keep a pool balanced when you are continually adding water is terrible.

Can the light niche be filled in and plastered and if so, would that be a guaranteed way to solve my problem? Is this DIY, or should I leave it to the experts? (I'm a handy guy and do all the above ground work.)

It isn't going to match your existing surface and will stand out. I am surprised that no one has been able to fix this - maybe simpler to just replace the light niche but I don't know that's true.

With a pool light like that - doesn't the conduit also stay full of water? Could the leak be in the conduit?

 

[duraleigh]

Filling in the niche will present some problems....I wouldn't do it. Since you are handy, why don't you lower the water level to below the niche and you do the epoxy patch. It typically is not that difficult to find.

 

[DallasSocFan]

I haven't had it tested recently. It's been 18 months since the original test, but the leak has been going on since then at about the same rate. It got confirmed with the dye test and the "fix" after the pool drained seemed to help for about a month before the flood gates (pardon the pun) reopened.

I know that it isn't a confirmation, but my alley behind the pool is about 7 feet or less from the fixture and is about a foot above the height of the light due to it being below the ground line. There is an area of consistently wet pavement right there. The plumbing for the pool including the skimmer and the returns is on the other end of the pool near the house.

Does anyone have a link to the anatomy of a pool light. If I know how they were assembled into the structure, I'd have a better idea of the options. It is a gunnite pool.

 

[swimcmp]

Replacing the niche in a gunite pool would be pretty extensive. Filling it in would be a less than desirable option to me. Do you know exactly where in the niche it is leaking. That will be the most important factor. If it is leaking in the cord conduit that is one thing. It is another if it is the light can. If it is the cord look for a product called cord stopper, this is a rubber plug that is split to go around the cord and closes up the conduit opening. You just need to put some silicone on to seal as a precaution.

 

[X-PertPool]

I had a customer fill in a light on a gunite pool. it looked okay but you can tell there used to be a light there. If you don't want to use the light anymore i would take the light out of the pool remove the cord from the conduit. Now instead of having to epoxy around the power cord you can simply use a rubber compression plug in the hole of the niche and tighten it up. Depending on the length of the cord on the light you can either wrap the cord around the light and put it back into the niche or if you are positive you dont want a light you can snip the cord off the light and then put it back into the niche. so basically you are left with a fake/ non working pool light

 

[DallasSocFan]

Googling around, I think I've determined it is a swimquip niche and an Anthony pool. I don't know if that adds to the equation.

I'll try the stopper. For the price, it at least can't hurt.