Do I need to replace bulb only?

gregmatt

Member
Jul 11, 2020
7
crestwood, ky
  • New pool owner (year 2)
  • Last summer the light worked as expected.
  • One day it no longer worked, and I "assumed" a bulb will fix the problem?
  • Today, I took out the fixture (see below for pic), and while googling MR16, i found this site MR16 Light Bulb which had the same numbers that were on my bulb and they suggested a $23 bulb
  • Will this bulb work? If not suggestions?
  • Is it really this simple? Do I just take out the existing bulb, and replace with new bulb? (and also replace gasket)?
  • Are there better alternatives? The existing (burned out light) did change colors which is of course fun, so are their better alternatives (without changing the fixture) or is a quick $23 fix the way to go?
  • Suggestions are welcome.
Thanks in advance!


Some numbers on my bulb:
  • "165WATTS, 120V Bulb Type MR16, 75W"
  • "series 600015, 600016, 600017 and 600022"

Here's a pic if it helpsIMG_20210606_111038748.jpg
 
It looks like a Spectrum Amerilite - just replaced the bulb on a similar model. **not sure about the 120v vs. 12v thing** but this worked for me. My label did not say what voltage bulb but the manual said use 12v for 12v and 120v fixtures.

The alternatives were insanely expensive. This was fixed for under $25 in parts. Not sure how long the cheap bulb will last but we'll see.

Let me know if you are still working on this and I can provide further details. You'll find that the colors are generated by the color wheel, not the bulb. Be careful with the color wheel motor as you are replacing things.

A couple of notes -

1) Make sure you get an MR16 without a glass cover. These worked for me: Amazon.com: Sunlite 40711-SU 75MR16/FL/12V Halogen MR16 38° Flood Light Bulb 75 Watt, 12 Volt, Bi-Pin Base (GU5.3), Dimmable, UV Protected, 100 CRI, 2,000 Hour Life Span, 12 Pack, 3200K-Warm White, 6 Count: Home Improvement
2) After you've removed the cover and gasket, you'll have to remove the color wheel cover, the color wheel and 4 gold hex nuts to get to the bulbs.
3) Make sure you get a new gasket (I got a Pentair branded one from Leslie's). The gasket sits on top of the light frame which seemed counterintutive.
4) Once you've tested that it works, leave it in a bucket of water for a couple of days to make sure the seal is good before installing it back in the niche.

I founded reattaching to the niche to be a pain. In my pool, you could almost reach it but I ended up having someone stand on my shoulders so I didn't have to do this upside down.

This took me several hours to figure out. When I have to do it again, it will take about 5 minutes. Learning curve...

Marc
 
Also to note is the motor (turns the color wheel) on those are known to fail especially if water gets in. I ended up just replacing the whole fixture on mine with a regular Amerlite so I could use any LED or incandescent bulb. Pool bulb that is.
 
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