Pool Light Blown?

[SilverJK]

I turned my pool light on this morning and it came on, got dim, then brightened and flickered before it went out. I went to check my junction box and it had some water in it, but I never heard my GFCI outlet pop or reset. I have had this happen previously when it was full of water and drying it out worked. This time, I kinda think it may be the bulb.

my GFCI outlet sits behind the light switch that turns on my pool light. Short of putting a circuit tester on the junction box, I really don't know how else I can troubleshoot this. I did pull the pool light up to the deck and it is a Hayward (white/plastic). I';m hesitant to pull it apart as I do not have a replacement seal for it.

What should I do next to determine if its the bulb? I'm getting a new liner installed next week and want to make sure there I'm not needing anything else.

 

[SilverJK]

Update:
Upon looking at the fixture, I touched the nut that holds the clamp on and it just fell off. It was just waiting to fail.

Since I was committed at this time, I completly disassembled the fixture to find a bulb with a brown post on it; this tells me that need a new bulb. The bulb that in in there is made by Halco and is 500W. That's all I know about it and not sure where to get one (other than a pool store, which I would rather not do).

I assume is a blown bulb (brown spot even on back of bulb). Is so, can someone suggest where I can find these and do I need a new gasket? I assume I need some sort of lube to make it seal properly?

Thanks

 

[diyindux]

Plenty of online suppliers carry this bulb, but with shipping added in you might not be too far ahead of buying it locally. As for the seal, I have Hayward stainless fixtures and they just use a rubber ring that seals the two halves together once the band is tightened. I only sprayed it with silicone before putting it back together and it works just fine.

If you have a Hayward Astrolite, you can look at the manual for your fixture at this link to make sure you reassemble it correctly. http://www.hayward-pool.com/pdf/manuals ... SP05xx.pdf

 

[SilverJK]

I believe I do have that design that you referenced; mine is SP0583L. I briefly tested the fixture with an ordinary house light bulb and confirm that it does indeed work.

When I look up this type of bulb, I see prices anywhere from $8 to $90, so I'm not sure what decent priced bulb would be. As far as the gasket; I assume I need a new one? Should I use silicone when reassembling it?

 

[diyindux]

The standard bulb should be under $20. As for the seal, they are reusable as long as they aren't dried out and cracked. I sprayed my with a silicone spray just to make it slip together easier.

 

[SilverJK]

I was cleaning the inner lip of the fixture yesterday and noticed some pitting on the lip. Is this okay or should I use some steel wool to try and polish it down prior to sealing the the fixture?

 

[diyindux]

Pitting on the stainless steel? I wouldn't use steel wool. Any steel left on the fixture from the steel wool will be a starting point for more pitting. Use a scotchbrite pad. Make sure the inside of the seal is nice and clean as well, then you might want to add some o-ring grease on the inside of the seal to help smooth out the pitting. If you are concerned about the seal being watertight you can always assemble it and hang it in the water overnight and then check it in the morning.

 

[SilverJK]

I got the bulb from the local pool store for about $32 & went ahead and bought the seal since they had it. Installed it and noticed no leaks. Secured it to the niche and powered it on/off several times (heat up/cool down) and it looks to be good. It's been there for 3 hours; is that enough time to see if it leaks?

 

[diyindux]

Should be fine. The way that seal is clamped it is not too easy to make it leak.