PAL Pool Lights on Normal 12V AC DC Converter

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p1zaul

p1zaul

Well-known member
Feb 10, 2016
77
Charlotte
I currently have the PAL pool lights with the PAL commander box. I am looking to put in a pool at a new house and really have no interest in the color changing or any other features the commander box provides. Does anyone know if these lights can be used with a normal AC to DC converter for low voltage lights? I was thinking of buying the white only version of the lights and skip the commander box and wire a caseta switch to the AC DC convertor and then to the lights. This would allow Wi-Fi as well as scheduled control of the pool lights all for under $100.

Thanks
 
When you say "a normal AC to DC converter for low voltage lights" I'm assuming you mean a power supply involving a transformer, not a switched-mode or switching power supply.

I'm also assuming these lights are underwater... so make sure your power supply is pool rated (typically this is a "safety transformer"). don't buy a non-safety transformer because it could fail and electrify your pool (disclaimer, I am not an electrician)

The NEC regulation states:

680.23 Underwater Luminaires.

(A) General.
(2) Transformers. Transformers for underwater luminaires shall be an isolated winding type with a grounded metal barrier between the primary and secondary windings, and shall be listed for the purpose.

This means that if the transformer has a coil failure (primary or secondary) the failed coil would contact the grounded metal barrier before contacting the other coil, resulting in at worst a dead short to ground and a tripped breaker... a non-safety-rated transformer could have a primary coil failure that shorts to the secondary and puts 120v in your pool.
 
I have the PAL 'Color Touch' variants and these simply run off 12V DC.

The controller box has an internal power supply that steps the incoming mains voltage (240V AC in my case being DownUnder) down to 12V DC.

My lights are a 4 wire setup due to the color changing option - Basically there is one 'common' connection plus another 3 wires which connect the individual RGB LEDs.

So yes - you can connect these to a suitable 12V DC source and control the lights manually.

Here is a quick pic of my controller's internals - The power supply which drops the 240VAC down to 12VDC is located right up the top in a sealed/potted module.

HmPBsa.jpg
 
I wouldn't use that for a pool light... even though it's supposedly totally waterproof, it does not appear to be a pool rated safety transformer.
A safety transformer has a metal shield between the primary and secondary windings, so a failure in the primary will short to the shield (and blow the breaker) before shorting to the secondary and putting 120 volts into your pool.
 
Yes it's just protection against a failure of the transformer... transformers are pretty durable devices but they can and do fail.

Notice there's no ground on that thing... so there's no way there's a grounded protective shield between the two coils.
 

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