How to tell the watt of the pool light

[Bootaa]

Hi everyone, is there any way to find out the wattage of a pool light without taking it out? I assume there are limited types so I should be able to find out based on the look and size, correct? I am only interested in knowing the watt of the pool lights.

 

[JamesW]

If the light works, measure the power usage while the light is on.

What are you trying to do?

Do you have a picture of the light?

 

[Bootaa]

If the light works, measure the power usage while the light is on.

What are you trying to do?

Do you have a picture of the light?

Thanks. How can I measure the usage?
I'm going to install a smart device to control the pump/lights/air blower. For that, I need to know the watt of the pool lights.
I can take a picture tomorrow during the day.

what is the min and max wattage for the pool lights?

 

[JamesW]

The max is 500 watts for an incandescent light.

We need to know the make and model.

It might be incandescent, halogen, LED etc.

It might be 120 volts AC or low voltage.

We need more information.

 

[Bootaa]

They change colors, so they should be halogen (or LED?). They are also not very big, the whole gasket is 4" and is rubber.
And how can I know the make/model without taking it out?

 

[JamesW]

Pictures of the lights would be helpful.

Without pulling the lights out to look at the label, it's going to be difficult to ascertain for sure what you have.

Maybe some pictures of the equipment would help.

How old is the pool?

Did you put the pool in or buy the house with the existing pool?

Are there any documents from the original pool build?

You can measure the voltage and current going to the lights and that should give you enough information to do what you want to do.

 

[Bootaa]

The pool was built in 1994 or 1995 according to the neighbors. No documentation from the builder. But I will post a picture of the light tomorrow. Thank you.

 

[JamesW]

Try to find a light junction box.

How do you change colors of the light?

See if there is a light transformer for low voltage.

Show a picture of the breaker, junction box, transformer (if any) and switch.

What do you want the new automation to do to the light (on/off or change colors)?

How comfortable are you working with electricity and measuring volts and amps?

 

[Bootaa]

Ok, I took some pictures.
There are 3 lights, the one in the spa looks a bit different.



About your questions:
1. I don't control colors, it changes itself every time I turn the switch on and off. The colors don't change until the next time I turn on/off. There is a mode that colors change every couple of seconds but I need to turn off and on the switch multiple times to get to that mode.
2. I don't see a light transformer
3. A picture of the breaker, junction box, transformer (if any) and switch:


4. I would like to first turn the lights on and off. If I can change colors as well, it will be great.

5. How comfortable am I working with electricity and measuring volts and amps? Depends on my health insurance coverage and benefits!
Thanks

 

[JamesW]

The lights look like they are in poor condition. One looks like it has condensation forming on the inside of the lens. Are the lights on a gfci?

I don't recognize the lights.

I suspect that you're going to need new lights and you will need to have the power checked for gfci safety.

You probably need to have a service technician help you with this as it's more complicated than we can effectively deal with like this.

 

[Dirk]

We could go about this from the other direction. What is the max wattage rating of the HA switch you want to use? The ones I have can control a light up to 1800 watts. That would cover just about any normal pool light. And the brand I use offers another switch with an even higher wattage rating if I ever needed that, so you might be overthinking this.

James' post came in while I was typing. Heed his advice about having your lights and circuits checked out by a pro. Try to find an electrician that specializes in pool electrical systems, because they are more complicated, and have more potential danger, than typical house wiring.

FYI: my large Pentair 5G color-changing light only uses 30 watts. I could put dozens of those on a single 1800W HA light switch with watts to spare. If you have three color changing LED lights, all wired together, there pretty much isn't any HA light switch available that couldn't power those.

 

[Bootaa]

Thanks, James and Dirk.

James, not sure about the gfci. So if the outlet (in the box on the right side of the breaker box above) looks like a gfci outlet (like below), then I have it, correct? Is there any other place where lights can be on a gfci? I can check it tomorrow.


Dirk, there is no switch involved. Otherwise, I could see what is the max watt for the switch. It is a MultiRelay than can be controlled by your z-wave hub, so I can control multiple items at the same time, including the pump.

 

[JamesW]

The relay will have voltage and current specifications and limitations.

Pool lights should not exceed 500 watts.

As long as the relay can be used at 120 volts and 5 amps per light, I suspect that it will work.

Check the specifications of the relays.

If you assume 5 amps per light, that should give you a starting point for choosing the right relays.

 

[Dirk]

Dirk, there is no switch involved. Otherwise, I could see what is the max watt for the switch. It is a MultiRelay than can be controlled by your z-wave hub, so I can control multiple items at the same time, including the pump.

Gotcha. Just consider this. If your HA components are anything like mine, they are not particularly reliable, at least not for something as mission-critical as pool equipment. I have to swap mine out every so often. They just poop out. If everything pool is wired to one multi-component, if that component fails, you'll lose everything. If each pool function is wired to a dedicated switch or single relay, then if one goes out, you don't lose everything, and the repair/replacement will likely be less expensive.

Just a little HA-reliability strategy for ya... it usually comes down to some sort of trade off: programming convenience vs ease of installation vs reliability vs initial cost vs repair cost... etc.

 

[Dirk]

With the pool lights on, if you push the test button on that GFCI outlet, and the lights go off, and then back on when you reset the GFCI outlet, then your lights are protected by GFCI.

Unless you can find an outlet or breaker that turns off the lights when its GFCI test button is pressed, then you can't assume they are protected.

I'll leave the rest of the conversation about the lights to you and JamesW, he's got you covered.

 

[Bootaa]

As long as the relay can be used at 120 volts and 5 amps per light, I suspect that it will work.

If you assume 5 amps per light, that should give you a starting point for choosing the right relays.

1. I have already purchased the multirelay. There are 3 relays: Maximum Load: Relay 1: 15 A, Relay 2: 15 A, Relay 3: 20 A. ---> Am I good?

2. The lights are not low voltage because I do not have a transformer. Correct?

3. Can an incandescent light change colors? Or should be either LED or halogen?

If your HA components are anything like mine, they are not particularly reliable, at least not for something as mission-critical as pool equipment. I have to swap mine out every so often. They just poop out. If everything pool is wired to one multi-component, if that component fails, you'll lose everything. If each pool function is wired to a dedicated switch or single relay, then if one goes out, you don't lose everything, and the repair/replacement will likely be less expensive.

Just a little HA-reliability strategy for ya... it usually comes down to some sort of trade off: programming convenience vs ease of installation vs reliability vs initial cost vs repair cost... etc.

4. What do you use for your setup (brand, hub, etc)?

5. The multirelay has 3 relays. Hopefully, if something goes wrong, I won't damage the actual equipment. I don't care if I need to replace the multirelay. I do care about the pump and air blower.

6. I read in other threads that the pool lights are expensive. I didn't review them carefully, but can I replace them with cheaper lights? It seems yours are about $600/each. Also, should one only change the bulb? Or the whole wiring needs to be replaced?

7. Ok, it seems the outlet is a gfci. The test button is broken, I tried to push it but didn't work. I assume I can just but a 15 amp or 20 amp GFCI outlet and replace this, correct?


Thank you!

 

[Dirk]

1. That should be plenty for lights, for sure.

2. Yes. As long as you're sure there isn't one. It might be somewhere else, other than in the breaker box or at the pad.

3. Not sure, I think only LEDs are color-changing.

4. Insteon. No hub. I have a dedicated computer running things 24/7.

5. I'm not comfortable advising about connecting the pump and blower to the multi-relay. I don't like to offer too much in the way of pool electrical advice. It can be dangerous if done incorrectly, and trying to teach someone how to do it with a few posts and pictures is asking for trouble (IMO). Others here feel that is an overly cautious concern. I always advise to seek a licensed, pool-experienced electrician to do pool electrical repairs and modifications.

6. Different lights require different things to be replaced. Some just require a new bulb and o-ring. Others need the entire fixture and attached wire to be swapped. Mine is the latter.

7. That GFCI needs to be replaced, and frankly I wouldn't let anyone in the pool until it was. Certainly the breaker to that circuit should be turned off. The amp rating for the replacement is determined by the amp rating of the breaker that controls that circuit, 15- and 20-amp replacements are not interchangeable. It's pretty easy to mis-wire a GFCI, because their screws are not always doing the same thing from brand to brand. And mis-wiring one is not always obvious. The light might work, but not actually be protected by the GFCI. Another example why an electrician might be your best bet.