I lost 3" water in 6 hours

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bk406 said:
Your description of the light has a me a little confused. Also, i cant tell from your post's but is this a concrete pool or fiberglass? The niche that your light fits into is usually a wet niche. In other words, there is supposed to be water in there. I'm not sure of the gasket you mention. Usually, the gasket on a light keeps water out of the fixture itself. A bad gasket will only let water into the light housing, but wouldnt cause a leak. The main cause of a leak around a light is either
1) a cracked housing allowing water to leak out that way, or

2) a cracked conduit that goes out the back of the housing. The conduit leads to a deck box that connects to the main line back to the power source. If the conduit is cracked, water will leak out the back of the light niche.
Click to expand...

Thanks, bk. I just learned something. Now I know what that electrical junction/breaker box in back of the pool wall is for!! Which, will be helpful for changing out the light, of course. Now, it is a marcited pool, no fiberglass. I had my doubts when my friend said the leak was surely caused by the light "gasket". Now, it is evident based on your description, that can not cause a MAJOR leak. But then why did the water level keep going down, about say, 1/2" a day (if I remember) without the pump on? I could check the conduit, I guess. I may have to dig 3' for it. Also, this percieved cause of a leak doesnt explain why the leak was intensified while the pool pump ran, right?

I think I may be chasing a ghost with the light. (no All Saints Day/post Halloween pun) At this point, its all up in the air. Anything is possible, I guess.....
 
OK, I just checked, and that box is not a typical breaker box but a transformer!! It just hit me: maybe the light bulb is still OK, but the transformer is bad/ I mean, would that transformer be for something else? I know Im handling 2 problems at once...........still, might as well tackle them.

Tanks!
 
I dont think thats a transformer. Thats a deck junction box. Post a picture of it and we can tell you.

If it is the light niche and the conduit, that can be repaired without digging everything up. I would really suggest getting a pool company out there and looking at it. They can tell you for sure where the leak is.
Dont worry about the leaking water with the pump on or off at this point. If the water is below the returns and skimmer, that likely rules out the plumbing.

The only other possibility is that the main drain is leaking. The fact the water stopped at the light points to the light niche. But, if the water is leaking out the main drain at the bottom, the water level could have stopped dropping when the pressure equalized. In either case, you should have it narrowed down to the light niche or the main drain.
 
OK, BK, makes sense. I thought of the pressure effect, but wasnt sure. Maybe Ill have to call a pro. Oh, that box does say "swimming pool transformer", Model MT 300, low voltage, max 300W, 25Amp.Its directly behind the light, thats why I figured it has to have something to do with it. .Sorry..I cant post pictures..only by e mail. But, that info should help identify it.
 
Whew, took a while to get back to this but I think problem is solved! I got JB Weld underwater epoxy putty, kneaded it up well, stuffed it around the light wire between conduit walls real nice. Filled up pool say, 1' until I got over the top of light. Then started pool vac, and monitored ot for a few hours, then a day, now its been about 5 days and NO LEAK as water level is holding steady!

Except for say, 1/16' a day for eveporation....thats what I always had for 10 years. Well, people, I thank you all for your support!! I may be back here, who knows. In a few days, I will fill it up to the tippety top and watch is still, cautiously.
 
Man, finally got all my stainless steel nuts for the new light bulb/trim ring. Was all excited so I tried the light , switching the on switch for 1 second to verify light, and no light...Dang!!

Then, I checked for voltage, and NO voltage!! Breakers appear fine in main box, so should we be suspecting the transformer, guys?

Thanks!
 

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LOL....maybe I'll get this done before Christmas.......2011!!

So, I opened up the tranformer, and NO voltage!! Pool pump is running fine, so power source from that circuit cant be the problem unless say, the wire continues toward the box. Maybe the wire was cut with a shovel(?). So, thats what I have to determine. All breakers are fine.....
 
I have this inexplicable urge to mention that a volt meter is a really nice tool to have. I dunno why.

If you have an extra set of C7 lights lying around, you could lop one socket off with a short section of wire and use it for a make-shift test lamp... you can twist the wires to the 120V input wires to the transformer, and power it up. Make sure that the connections cannot touch anything or each other. If the lamp lights, you have input power.
 
Thnaks, Ohm boy, but maybe I didnt explain well......I have no voltage at all. No 110v coming in!! let alone the 12v going out. I'lll have to dig out the conduit to follow it to the power source, as I dont know any other way. Man, kinda depressing........
 
susa said:
you likely do have power from one hot leg @120v coming into the transformer, which is bricked and should be replaced.
Click to expand...

This doesnt make sense. What does "bricked" mean?

One hot leg? He doesnt have power at all to the x-former. That means there is a break/short in the line coming from the breaker. For 120 VAC, there is one hot and one neutral. I doubt his x-former is fed by 240 VAC.
 
Thanks, guys, for the support. Update: yesterday, I realized that yeah, while I didnt have any power at the input, it was because of somehow, the power is dependant on all THREE switches needing to be ON in the kitchen! man, I never would have guessed. No wonder. Beats me how tat was wired up. I heard of Dipole breakers, but never imagined "tripole"????

Whew. Now I have 110v AND yehooooooo, I also have 12v coming out!!

So then, I went and kind of bundled up the long wire in back of the pool light/lamp, and then, I couldnt get the lamp to fit nicely into the cavity. Dang, I tried a few times, but seems like theres something in the bottom preventing the lamp from seating evenly into the cavity. Upon studying it, the lamp has of course, the feed wire coming out of the bottom, which should be positioned at the bottom (6 oclock) right? I mean,it has to be on the bottom, I figured, cuz the seal/gasket /cover ring has a notch at 6 oclock position, and at 12 oclock there is not a notch, but of course, a hole that you push the screw on to attach to the pool surface. I mean, is there any way that the light should be inserted into the cavity upside down (with the wire at the top vs bottom?) If on top, that would provide more room in the bottom end of the tight cavity for the lamp to seat better so I can screw in evenly.

I know this is hard to visualize....maybe a picture would help.

Maybe if I could locate a diagram online for hayward lamp.......
 
OK, heres a simplar diagram:
http://store.poolcenter.com/hayward-spx ... 68625.aspx?

The supply cable, as they call it, is at the bottom/6 oclock position. Thats how I assumed mine should be installed. The whole lamp assembly/unit is copper, and at the same 6 clock position is a "notch" that apparently simply falls into place at a fastener/bolt sticking out of the pool. Its gotta be that way. So, then, the power supply cable HAS to be at the 6 oclock positon. Right? Then why is it so tight?? The lamp does not lie flush with pool wall surface. Top sticks out just a tad.....say, 1/4", preventing me from inserting bolt to screw in evenly.
 

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