New Pool Light Burned Out immediately... I'm assuming it was my fault?

[jonwb1]

Hi... I recently changed my pool light from a 500w incandescent to a 50w LED. I ordered a new round Hayward seal and tightened it down to what I thought was satisfactory. I returned the light to the sidewall, turned it on and everything was good.. actually better than the old light. The next night after it was turned on, the light soon started to flicker at a rapid rate and eventually burned out. This morning I removed the light and found it to have WATER inside the casing where the bulb was screwed in. I’m guessing THIS IS NOT GOOD?

What did I do wrong? Should I have used waterproof silicone around the seal or around the socket?

Thanks

 

[markayash]

I had a similar issue and battled it. I have 2 lights and the last set failed after a year..They weren't flooded but had enough water to cause issues.
What worked for me was first make sure the housing lip is smooth, I had to sand mine down some to remove build up..You want tt smooth as possible
2nd somebody suggested adding washers to both sides of the tightening screw, helps get it tighter..I cranked mine down a lot tighter the last time
Last, some said not to add lube and some said it helped..I just wiped a film around the inside of the housing to help the gasket slide down and seal.

So far no leaks but my last set had moisture and failed after a year...

If your not sure about the gasket inyopool.com can help..I sent them a few pictures and they told me which gasket to buy.

 

[jonwb1]

Good tips... thanks . The washer idea is great! The gasket is correct. I checked with another company. After the work, I'll run an underwater test overnight before attaching it to the sidewall. Glad your system is working now.

 

[markayash]

Good tips... thanks . The washer idea is great! The gasket is correct. I checked with another company. After the work, I'll run an underwater test overnight before attaching it to the sidewall. Glad your system is working now.

Its a pain, the edge of mt lip was rough but after sanding with 100 grit came out smooth so look at that..
I also washed the glass in the dishwasher

 

[jonwb1]

Ok, well I finished reattaching the housing after sanding the lip with 400 grit sandpaper. I used some waterproofing sealent around the gasket once it was tightened down and let that dry overnight. This time I also used a different area for the bolt/washer/nut combination and it seemed to tighten down better. The light has been on for 2 hours. Looks good.

Does anyone know what the proper burn-in time for the LED should be?

 

[red-beard]

I don't think there is a burn in time. I float my lights to see if water is entering before re-installing in the niche. I replaced my dead LED lights with standard light fixtures, and switched in LED bulbs. About 1/2 the price and the bulbs have the exact same functions as my original Hayward lights.

 

[carlos31820]

This may sound silly but here’s what I did when I replaced the expensive PCB board on my LED pool light.

Of course, I bought a new replacement gasket but after putting everything back together, I let the pool light sink into the deep end of the pool and DID NOT turn it on for several hours. I then pulled the light back up to the surface, dried the outside and inspected (without opening it) to see if any water had leaked inside before I fully installed It on the niche and tested it.

My thinking was that even if water got in, as long as I didn’t turn it on, perhaps I could open it back up, clean everything with alcohol or some other solvent and perhaps save the super expensive LED PCB engine (it's was over $600) before testing it.

 

[rphpool]

I just replaced all 4 of my incandescent lights to LED. The first light was a PIA, learning curve. So many ways for the gasket to fail while tightening down the band. It took till the last 2 lights to figure out how to clamp down the band and hold the unit so the gasket would not slip while tightening down the bolt. Anyway it has been over a week and all 4 seem to be sealed properly, no ,leaks, no blown out lights. I also did what they said above, float the lights for awhile and watch for bubbles or visual signs of water inside. Good Luck!