Light has decided to start tripping the breaker.
- Thread starter Skenn81
- Start date
Standard Pentair "Amerilte." They now use a stamped stainless-steel faceplate and a different clamp to hold it together.
- Jul 21, 2013
- 65,761
- Pool Size
- 35000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
That will be worse than having the breaker tripped all the time?
Should be warm enough in March to get this going then.
The closest replacement part would be one of these:
??
Amerilite - yes. If the light breaker powers nothing else, leave it tripped, won't hurt a thing. If there is something else on the circuit (there shouldn't be) don't turn the light on. If anything else is on that circuit besides a light it need to be moved to its own circuit.
You can use any large Pentair light.
You can go to LED in white or color.
Can you see a junction box anywhere?
Do you have a transformer?
Is it 12 volts or 120 volts?
You might be able to switch to a low voltage 12 volt light if you add a transformer assuming the light cord will fit the conduit.
12 volt cords have bigger wire and this might be an issue.
What size is your conduit?
Sometimes the bonding/grounding wire will break loose and there is no good way to reconnect it.
If you go to a 12 volt light, the supplemental ground/bonding jumper can be removed.
www.troublefreepool.com
You can go to LED in white or color.
Can you see a junction box anywhere?
Do you have a transformer?
Is it 12 volts or 120 volts?
You might be able to switch to a low voltage 12 volt light if you add a transformer assuming the light cord will fit the conduit.
12 volt cords have bigger wire and this might be an issue.
What size is your conduit?
Sometimes the bonding/grounding wire will break loose and there is no good way to reconnect it.
If you go to a 12 volt light, the supplemental ground/bonding jumper can be removed.
Rust from pool light ground wire
I had new Hayward Pool Light (non LED) installed last year. Shortly after, I noticed a streak of rust stains appearing above the light. The streak is easily cleaned with Vitamin C powder in a sock and being doing that every two - three weeks. I finally removed the light from the Niche to see...
www.troublefreepool.com
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Each light has two versions; a "TradeGrade" version, which is only available through a dealer and an "EC" model that is available through dealers online.
I think that the products are identical other than the warranty.
You can get 120 volt or 12 volt.
Verify the supplemental grounding wire/bonding jumper before deciding on a voltage as a broken off bonding jumper/grounding wire can create problems for a 120 volt installation.
I think that the products are identical other than the warranty.
You can get 120 volt or 12 volt.
Verify the supplemental grounding wire/bonding jumper before deciding on a voltage as a broken off bonding jumper/grounding wire can create problems for a 120 volt installation.
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Below, you can see the green wire, which is a supplemental grounding wire (aka bonding jumper), which is required for 120 volt lights if the conduit is not metal.
If the ground is missing or broken off, you might be better off going to a low voltage light.
Note: Pool lights, transformers and junction boxes have to be "listed" by a NRTL for Pool and Spa use.
The conduit is probably 3/4" or 1" and that should be fine for a low voltage (12 VAC) light.
Transformers are usually 100 watt or 300 watt.
Pentair 619962 120V Input, 12-14V Output: 100W.
Pentair 619963 120V Input, 12-14V Output 300W.
680.23 Underwater Luminaires. This section covers all luminaires installed below the normal water level of the pool.
If the ground is missing or broken off, you might be better off going to a low voltage light.
Note: Pool lights, transformers and junction boxes have to be "listed" by a NRTL for Pool and Spa use.
The conduit is probably 3/4" or 1" and that should be fine for a low voltage (12 VAC) light.
Transformers are usually 100 watt or 300 watt.
Pentair 619962 120V Input, 12-14V Output: 100W.
Pentair 619963 120V Input, 12-14V Output 300W.
680.23 Underwater Luminaires. This section covers all luminaires installed below the normal water level of the pool.
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It's straight 120, there is no low voltage anything here. No transformers that I know of. Maybe there is a junction box? I am not actually sure were the conduit sits to go to the light. It was all designed and installed before low voltage was a thing. The pump and salt water are powered by a feed that goes out of the left of the breaker box. I am not actually sure where there are two conduits leading out of the bottom. The whole system is a pump, a salt water system, and a light. Nothing else.
It's power going in and then power going out for the light. Why would there be three things total?
Pool is from the early 90s and never had any work done until we moved in. Pretty sure the plaster was the original as well until we got it redone. Getting the light switched to LED was on the list of items when we had all the work done but they were going to charge $1000 bucks for it. Looking at some of the LED prices on the websites listed it doesn't seem to high actually.
I want to stick with a light bulb light though as those I can replace for much cheaper over having to pull the entire fixture and replace the entire thing when it breaks with all all in one units. $800 to switch a light every time it goes bad seems a bit high to me.
This might be the junction box (red arrow).
If not, it should look like the bottom picture and it will be about 6" above the ground between the light and the subpanel.
Check the green bonding jumper/supplemental grounding wire to see if it is ok.
You will have to remove the light and look into the light niche to see the bond wire.
If not, it should look like the bottom picture and it will be about 6" above the ground between the light and the subpanel.
Check the green bonding jumper/supplemental grounding wire to see if it is ok.
You will have to remove the light and look into the light niche to see the bond wire.
One conduit probably goes to the light and the other probably goes to an outlet somewhere.
I cannot think of any other outlet or power anything in the backyard that would require power this power. Could the other side go back to the switch? The switch for the light is in the house and not really close to the picture here and also a bit away from the light itself. Maybe it's power going up and in from the main and then off into the house for the switch?
Since the breaker is off can I just go open this up and see what's in there?
Since the breaker is off can I just go open this up and see what's in there?
Possibly.
If you're comfortable working with electricity, then I would open it up to see what's what.
Shut off all breakers and check the wires for power to be safe.
This is what a pool light cord looks like.
There is a thick black cable with 3 wires inside Black, White and Green.
There is a thick black cable with 3 wires inside Black, White and Green.
Love electrical, hate plumbing.
I will open it up tomorrow and post some pictures.
So as we wait, I was thinking back on when we got the pool replastered a year+ ago. The light would trip the breaker after that, but not like this, as in it would trip, we would reset the breaker, and it would be fine for a bunch of months. It might do it again and then resetting the breaker would be fine again. Didn't think much of it until now when the breaker flipped and now won't stay on. Always thought it was weather related (don't ask me how, just what I decided). Ever since that work was done it has been acting funny.
They did remove it to do the work so maybe something happened when they screwed it back in?
I will open it up tomorrow and post some pictures.
So as we wait, I was thinking back on when we got the pool replastered a year+ ago. The light would trip the breaker after that, but not like this, as in it would trip, we would reset the breaker, and it would be fine for a bunch of months. It might do it again and then resetting the breaker would be fine again. Didn't think much of it until now when the breaker flipped and now won't stay on. Always thought it was weather related (don't ask me how, just what I decided). Ever since that work was done it has been acting funny.
They did remove it to do the work so maybe something happened when they screwed it back in?
That looks like it's probably the light cord.
If you can verify that the #8 bonding jumper is secured in the niche, then you can probably go with a new 120 volt light.
If there is an issue with the #8 green bonding jumper/supplemental ground, then you might want to consider going with a 12 volt light.
You can install a low voltage transformer near the subpanel.
The junction box should be a "Listed" junction box specifically labeled for Pool and Spa use.
How far is it from the subpanel to the light?
Is there any sign of a different junction box anywhere?
Can you verify that the wires go to the light and the light switch?
If you can verify that the #8 bonding jumper is secured in the niche, then you can probably go with a new 120 volt light.
If there is an issue with the #8 green bonding jumper/supplemental ground, then you might want to consider going with a 12 volt light.
You can install a low voltage transformer near the subpanel.
The junction box should be a "Listed" junction box specifically labeled for Pool and Spa use.
How far is it from the subpanel to the light?
Is there any sign of a different junction box anywhere?
Can you verify that the wires go to the light and the light switch?
Okay lets see:
1) To verify the bonding I need to take the light out and look, right?
2) It's somewhere between 30 to 40 feet depending on how the wire is run under the ground, I dont know if its a straight shot or goes up and over, but 40 on the high side
3) No other junction boxes around
4) From the images posted I believe the left wire in the junction box, the one that is clamped with the metal thing is the light wire, the right side looks like a basic switch wire. My guess is the metal clamp is there so if the light is removed and moved around the wire wouldn't fall back into the conduit.
It really seems like the next step is to take the light out, without that there isn't much I can do.
Behind the light itself is the conduit itself sealed or something that I need to know about? What is back there to prevent the water from leaking out? In the guide video they just pull it through with the string and that was it. So I am assuming its engineered somehow to handle all this water?
Yes.
The conduit should be watertight and the conduit will have water in it up to the same level as the pool.
Sometimes a conduit will leak and sometimes people will seal around the cord with putty, so you might find an open hole or maybe a hole with epoxy putty.