Pentair Intellibrite 5G Light Installed Incorrectly?

[kujibuji]

Hi everyone!

I'm new here and I just bought a house with a pool so I guess that makes me a first time pool owner!
As I'm slowly figuring out everything with the pool and how it's setup, one of the things I found was this..

The previous owner and listing boasted about this (expensive) Intellibrite colour LED light they had installed. But, as I was just opening the pool and filling it with water, I heard some dripping under the diving board.
I went to investigate only to find out that whoever installed it cut the cable of the light and spliced it JUST above water level under the diving board compartment. I made sure there is no power going to the light and opened the housing, only to find spliced wires floating in water)... After some reading, I understand that the conduit from the light opening will get water inside it, but I also know that the cable connection needs to be well above water level away from the pool somewhere.

This must be installed incorrectly and be an electrocution hazard, or am I mistaken? If so, then whoever cut the cord to this light might have rendered it completely unusable...

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Kujibuji

 

[Terryor]

Pretty bad spot for a splice. I have two intellibright lights but they are wired back to relays in my control panel. The light will probably work wired there, be sure of course to make sure it on a GFCI breaker. If it were me, I would not use the light wired like this spliced in this location.

 

[kujibuji]

Thank you! Yeah, no GFI, nothing... Just the light cable, cut at the end, and a regular plug attached, which then plugs into a non-GFI outlet in the pool shed.
I think if I have the water level high enough to fill the junction box, then whoever's in the pool would get electrocuted

 

[ogdento]

Kuji, that install seems pretty bad... it sounds like you've got a 120v light with the transformer in the housing? That at least needs to be plugged into a GFCI outlet.

The junction is altogether different problem... I'm not an electrician but I don't think you can have a 120v junction closer than 4/5' to the pool - @ajw22 Allen, what do you think?

I wouldn't use that thing as it's currently configured. If you can route a new cable, you could probably replace it (which may mean you need a new housing). And if you've got to replace the housing I'd get a 12v version instead, mount a 120 > 12 vac safety transformer (e.g. Intermatic PX100) away from the pool, and run low voltage to the light... that way a short isn't going to hurt anybody.

 

[ajw22]

Your pool does not meet current codes for the pool light junction box. At the time it was built that is what was done. Legally your pool is grandfathered from needing to meet current code. From a safety perspective I would at least connect the light to a GFCI and try to keep water out of the junction box area. Moving the light junction box to a code compliant location will require excavation of your deck.

The splicing of a light cable in a pool junction box is standard practice. Your problem is the location of your J-box and lack of GFCI.

pool light wiring

• ajw22
• Aug 20, 2019

 

[kujibuji]

Thank you both for the replies! I am not sure if the transformer is inside the light, how would I check to make sure?

And is getting a new cable/housing even possible I wonder?

I know the liner was changed in 2016 as I have the receipt for that. I know the pool light would likely have been installed at that same time, but I have no record of the light purchase/install...other than a hand written note about a pentair light on one of the receipts.

Here's another piece of the puzzle. I opened the installation instructions for the light niche and found this page with these two diagrams. "Canada Only" it says (I do live in Montreal). I wonder if whoever installed it, used the top diagram as a guide?

 

[ajw22]

Thank you both for the replies! I am not sure if the transformer is inside the light, how would I check to make sure?

It looks like a 120V connection. Trace the wire from he junction box back to your electrical panel and find what it connects to.

And is getting a new cable/housing even possible I wonder?

You need to replace the light to get a new cord. The manual shows the repair parts available...

https://www.pentair.com/content/dam/extranet/aquatics/residential-pool/owners-manuals/lighting/intellibrite-5g-white-color-pool-spa-lights-manual-english-french.pdf

I know the liner was changed in 2016 as I have the receipt for that. I know the pool light would likely have been installed at that same time, but I have no record of the light purchase/install...other than a hand written note about a pentair light on one of the receipts.

Here's another piece of the puzzle. I opened the installation instructions for the light niche and found this page with these two diagrams. "Canada Only" it says (I do live in Montreal). I wonder if whoever installed it, used the top diagram as a guide?

You will need to find out the code requirements for your pool.

 

[ogdento]

I was thinking of a "fix" very similar to that second diagram in the photo you posted... if you've got enough slack in the cable so you can still set the light on the deck, maybe you could extend the junction box up under the diving board to move it farther from the pool and raise it higher?

but like Allen said... you've got to make sure it's ok code-wise (particularly how far away it has to be, and how high above water line).

 

[kujibuji]

It looks like a 120V connection. Trace the wire from he junction box back to your electrical panel and find what it connects to.



You need to replace the light to get a new cord. The manual shows the repair parts available...

https://www.pentair.com/content/dam/extranet/aquatics/residential-pool/owners-manuals/lighting/intellibrite-5g-white-color-pool-spa-lights-manual-english-french.pdf

You will need to find out the code requirements for your pool.

The cord ends with a regular plug that someone attached. That goes into a non-GFI outlet so yes, I assume 120V.

Code requirements would be a municipal thing I imagine?

 

[kujibuji]

I was thinking of a "fix" very similar to that second diagram in the photo you posted... if you've got enough slack in the cable so you can still set the light on the deck, maybe you could extend the junction box up under the diving board to move it farther from the pool and raise it higher?

but like Allen said... you've got to make sure it's ok code-wise (particularly how far away it has to be, and how high above water line).

Yeah I have enough slack to probably do that, but I'm thinking it might be better to just get a quote from pool company / electrician to do everything properly and see how much it costs. I imagine it's not going to be cheap (especially with having to replace the light) and I could ask the previous owner to fork up the fix since this was a hidden defect during purchase.

 

[ogdento]

good plan. i took a look at the parts list in what Allen posted and it doesn't seem like they sell the housing separately but your led board is still good - so keep it for when your new one blows!

if it were my pool i'd consider a 12v intellibrite instead of a the 120, and run it from a pool safety transformer wired to a gfci (probably mounted next to the outlet you've already got). but i don't know if that's more or less expensive.