Misbehaving lights - PAL PCR-1Z-65 Treo

[P00LNerd]

New pool almost 1 year old, lights just began to malfunction a week ago.

Controller: PAL COLORTOUCH single zone remote control LED controller PCR-1Z-65

Lights: Seem to be Treo model, but not sure

While sitting unused the last several weeks, we found the two lights flashing one short blink on approximately 1 second intervals one evening last week. Each light has a small ring of maybe 8 LED's, with one assembly flashing all bluish white, and the other having one LED flashing red in a ring that's otherwise a similar blue/white.

No idea what it means, there's no mention of this behavior in the literature. Power cycling the remote or breaker does not change behavior. Contacted PAL USA, but no reply yet.

Thanks!

 

[P00LNerd]

Well, I'll answer my own thread, just in case anyone else comes across this problem. The connector at the back of the Treo light was corroded and wet, after just 11 months.

Possible factors:

1. My installers did not use PVC cement on the conduit, they just dry-fit it, so it's full of nasty ground water. PVC conduit commonly leaks, it's considered a "wet environment" by NEC, so I'm not sure how much this matters, but...

2. Because conduit is full of water, and I drained pool below lights, I was concerned the light fixtures would freeze and crack in our cold winter weather (sometimes below 0F). So, I back-filled the conduit with RV antifreeze. It's possible the gasketing in the Treo light connector is not impervious to RV antifreeze?

3. Most likely, my installers just failed to properly tighten the connector on that light. There's enough other things that weren't quite right, that this seems the most likely scenario.

Next winter, I think I'll remove the lights and cord sets (can't remove light without also pulling cord... due to open connector sitting in wet conduit). I can then plug the conduit and back-fill with antifreeze. My main concern is possible water freeze cracking the light fixture housings.