Light Niche installed to high

Barnon · Oct 12, 2016

Help!

I installed the steel wall panel with the light niche upside down so the light niche is too high. According to specs it needs to be 18 inches below the surface of the water. Seems impossible to fix at this point. Should I just put a cover on it and make it impossible to install a light cord or is there any type of light that doesn't have a mounting spec of 18 inches water? I wonder why the 18 inches deep?

Thanks for any suggestions

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kimkats · Oct 12, 2016

Is the light all the way under the water? What does the light manufacturer say? Does it HAVE to be under water?

tcrote5516 · Oct 12, 2016

I can't imagine that would cause a problem aside from throwing some light up and out of the pool (more than normal).

Unique pool · Oct 13, 2016

Good question! The reason for the top of the light to be at least 18" below the water line is the NEC code states that if your leaning on the wall of the fixture and arms are on the deck the fixture will not be located directly in front of a persons chest or heart... If there is a short in the fixture.. Now you also have to have the #8 green coated wire bond in the nitche attached to the bond lug inside of it completely coated with perma bond with no holes in it for water not to be able to touch the lug or striped end of the wire. The only option you have is to purchase a nitchless light and an adapter plate to shrink the nitch down to the new light size. IT HAS TO BE A NITCHLESS LIGHT THOUGH! Because it does not require a ground. But you WILL STILL NEED THE BOND WIRE FOR THE NITCH IN THERE AND COATED WITH PERMA BOND... Hope this helps you out? AND REMEMBER TO CALL IN YOUR NITCH INSPECTION BEFORE YOU FILL THE POOL WITH WATER! Lol... Check with your local building department because more than likely he will have to enter the pool to check it before you fill? Don't want to have to waste water!....��

pooldv · Oct 13, 2016

bmoreswim · Oct 13, 2016

So they want the electrocution to happen where it will REALLY hurt versus where it can kill you. Probably makes sense but also makes me not want to lean up against a light!

atttech-2 · Oct 13, 2016

Unique pool said:
The only option you have is to purchase a nitchless light and an adapter plate to shrink the nitch down to the new light size. IT HAS TO BE A NITCHLESS LIGHT THOUGH! Because it does not require a ground. But you WILL STILL NEED THE BOND WIRE FOR THE NITCH IN THERE AND COATED WITH PERMA BOND... Hope this helps you out? AND REMEMBER TO CALL IN YOUR NITCH INSPECTION BEFORE YOU FILL THE POOL WITH WATER! Lol... Check with your local building department because more than likely he will have to enter the pool to check it before you fill? Don't want to have to waste water!....��

I am certainly no expert so just looking for clarification...

Assuming we are taking about DC led lights, I was told that nitchless led lights do not require a bond or a ground to the light itself . If I recall correctly the Jandy nitchless lights I have are 2 conductor they do not have a ground or a bond. The only ground and bond for the lighting is at the junction box. I do have a bond to the water but that is in a different location.

The pool water still needs to be bonded even with a DC light so bonding the adapted neich is not a bad idea it is just not required if what I was told is correct.

PoolguyinCT · Oct 13, 2016

Above points are valid, plus attracting insects. - any decent inspector carries a mirror, if not have one handy

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gwegan · Oct 13, 2016

First let's get the rule correct. It's NEC 680.23(A)(5). Although not written this way it provides that no light can be less than 4 inches below water and must comply with the depth requirements of its manufacturer and UL listing. If it's more than 17 3/4 inches it's generally always ok.

I think you can fix this with riveting a panel and lowering the light niche. That may affect your liner.

The chest arguement isn't in the code and doesn't make much sense because an energized 120 line in a pool puts out deadly voltage for at least five feet from the source. Reference on request. Not an experiment to conduct at home.

If I understand it correctly, Unique is incorrect, if you use a low voltage nicheless light (and they are all low voltage that I know of) a bonding jumper is not required in the niche from the shell to the junction box. That's NEC 680.23(b) (2) (a&b). Read the whole thing it's not easy to follow. But I might install a jumper anyway.