Light niche and draining the pool - vinyl worries.

[thelonegazebo]

Hello all,

I’ve got an older pool (1990s) with a vinyl liner from 2019. The light niche ring has corrosion on it, and the light itself has been malfunctioning. There is not enough slack in the cord to access the light niche without draining the water, so the pool guys drained the water down below the niche. Both the pool company and the electrician said it was necessary because the prior installers did not do the wiring right inside the niche.

They warned me about draining the pool that much, and know it is a risk, however I don’t know how much of a risk it is. The electrician is planning to come out early next week to do the repair, so if I refill it immediately will that avert the risk?

The pool is covered and winterized at this point, and I plan to check it daily for signs of problems. Anything else I can do?

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[thelonegazebo]

To follow up, the shallow end has about 4” of water in it, and the deep end has a few feet. The water line is just below the niche. Here’s a picture!

 

[thelonegazebo]

As a follow up, I'm keeping a close eye on the liner. So far no tears or bubbling, thought the corners in the deep end have come out just a little bit from the wall. The liner still feels tacky and pliable, not rigid, so I'm hopeful that this brief dry spell won't harm it too much.

I've got an electrician lined up to replace the light with a low-voltage LED this week and to raise the junction box up (it was ground level, so water and dirt could seep into it...). Hopefully this sorts the issue out. If anyone has anything to add, please let me know. For example, is there anything special I should do when refilling the pool? Should I have the pool company come out with a wall vacuum to pull it back while filling it?

Thanks!


Jeff