Light fixture wiring question

[ATX61]

In process of replacing light fixture. In the junction box everything looks pretty straight forward, except there is a heavier gauge (10 I think) wire (not part of fixture wiring) coming from the niche. Connected to it with wire nut in the junction box is 3 small gauge green wires (one each from switch/GFCI/fixture). I get the fixture out and the heavy gauge wire is just floating in the niche and not connected to anything, in fact it is snipped off flush with no bare wires. I do not have my new fixture yet so I haven't seen exactly how it hooks up. What do I do with this wire? Is it supposed to be connected to the niche or fixture?

 

[avspin]

It's the bonding wire and needs to be attached onside the niche not the light. It's attached to a lug that also has a bonding wire attached from the outside. You may need to find where it came off of and reattach.
here is a diagram.

 

[avspin]

This thread may help

Pool Light - No transformer?

In-ground pool light is dead. In fact, never has worked. Pole light used to work, but hasn’t for years. Finally got around to having a good look for a transformer yesterday. No plates in the concrete, nearby posts, etc. Is there a chance the pole light (fixture?) could somehow be used as a...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[DLip]

If you look inside the niche do you see a bonding lug? It should attach there. After the bonding wire is attached to the lug it’s covered with a potting compound, so your lug may be covered with a blob of dark compound.

 

[ATX61]

Thanks for the responses, very helpful as I have never worked with pool lights before. Chipped the potting compound off the lug, cleaned corrosion off the wire and attached. I looked into reapplying potting compound but found out that it needs to be a dry application. That will have to wait until Fall when pool season is wrapping up and I have other needs to drop the pool water level. Additionally I attached an 8 gauge wire at the j box and ran it to the bonding network connected to pool/pumps/heater.