Pentair Intellibrite color Led Burnt Out??

[Middy]

Hi. Please help. I’ve been reading the threads here and I’m am surely an amateur single mom trying and willing to do as much of my own work as possible, but I don’t understand all the technical talk.
I bought a home and the pool had 2 Pentair intellibrite color changing Led lights in it. One started flickering and is now completely out, the other just went to green only. I pulled one up onto the deck thinking I was going to change a bulb. I looked at it, called the pool company and they want $2,000 to replace each unit in its entirety or $1,100 to replace with white.
I’ve seen the replacement boards(maybe wrong terminology). Can someone please tell me if changing the internal board would just fix the lights. Seems too easy and wondering why the companies want to change the entire fixture if this is this simple? Thank you for any help and advice

 

[ajw22]

Welcome to TFP.

Is your light 120V version or 12V? You should do some basic diagnostics to confirm it is the board that failed. Do you have a multimeter? Have you confirmed there is power to the board?

The boards are known to overheat. Any signs of burn marks on the board?

You can read about IntelliBrite problems and repairs at Pentair LED Pool Lights - Further Reading

@ogdento has worked on the boards and may be of help.

Pool company’s just want to replace the light since they don’t have the time or knowledge to try to repair them.

 

[Middy]

Hi. Thank you for responding. I will go pull the light again and see what I can find.
One light still lights up green so it definitely has power to it. The other one flickered for weeks and then went completely out. Pool company says that those are tell tale signs of
the light burning out.
120V. I think there might be burn spots, never seen one so not sure. See pictures.

 

[Middy]

In addition to my post above, I would like to show you what I have found.
One is an aftermarket part than I am leery about using due to color changing not working/syncing with existing remote or panel.
The other appears to be the same exact part. Is it really as easy as just screwing the new one in and putting the light back into the pool??

 

[Middy]

Oh my! I see I have this posted in two spots. Im so sorry! I was not quite sure at first how to use this site, but now I have it figured out. Im using my computer instead of phone and its much easier for me.

 

[ajw22]

I have no idea about the aftermarket light. I would not touch it.

Yes, it may be as simple as replacing the light engine board.

I am concerned that the plastic on the power connectors is crumbling. See the red circles in the pic. If it was mine I would snip off those and out new spade connectors on the wires. The light shows it’s age and signs of heat stress.

 

[Middy]

I have no idea about the aftermarket light. I would not touch it.

Yes, it may be as simple as replacing the light engine board.

I am concerned that the plastic on the power connectors is crumbling. See the red circles in the pic. If it was mine I would snip off those and out new spade connectors on the wires. The light shows it’s age and signs of heat stress.

View attachment 133502

Ok. I think I could change those. When you say that you see that the light shows it's age, are you speaking of the metal housing? Is this a problem? Would you think that maybe I really should replace the entire units?

 

[Middy]

Thank you for helping me. Can I leave the light on the deck or does it need to be back in place while I am figuring all this out? Or can I leave it on the deck just closed back up?

 

[ajw22]

There are no guarantees with repairs how long it will last. For $300 to repair a $2,000 light I would give it a try. Really the light costs $550 - $600 plus the cost to have someone pull the old light cord out and pull the new one through. The light cord connects into a junction box somewhere between the pool and your electrical panel. Yiu do need to determine if yiu have a 120V or 12V light.

You can leave the light on your deck while you figure this out.

 

[Middy]

There are no guarantees with repairs how long it will last. For $300 to repair a $2,000 light I would give it a try. Really the light costs $550 - $600 plus the cost to have someone pull the old light cord out and pull the new one through. The light cord connects into a junction box somewhere between the pool and your electrical panel. Yiu do need to determine if yiu have a 120V or 12V light.

You can leave the light on your deck while you figure this out.

I have a 120V. It is on a wrap around the existing light and my electrical box also says 120V at the breaker. But I think I may have messed something up. Please look at the picture. I did not know where to remove from and broke it right off the board.

 

[Middy]

AJW..Is there a way to know if the transformer is out before I even spend $500 to try??

 

[ajw22]

I have a 120V. It is on a wrap around the existing light and my electrical box also says 120V at the breaker. But I think I may have messed something up. Please look at the picture. I did not know where to remove from and broke it right off the board.

Every light is 120V at the breaker The 12V light has 120V to an external transformer and then 12V to the junction box and light. The 120V light has 120V right into the light in the pool which has a transformer in the light.

Well you broke the tab off a bad board so not a big deal. I thought those connectors look sketchy. Yiu can pull the tab out of the connector or replace the connector on the wire since it needs replacement.

You need to do some tracing of what voltage is on the wires using a multimeter.

 

[Middy]

I will go get a multimeter. This is the label on the light itself, thats why I thought for sure it was 120V.
I sure do appreciate the time you have taken to help me.

 

[ajw22]

If the label say 120 then you have 120V to the light with an internal transformer.

 

[Middy]

If the label say 120 then you have 120V to the light with an internal transformer.

That's great. I'm going to take the plunge and order the replacement boards. Hoping it works!

 

[ogdento]

Hey I like that Pentair LED lights "further reading" link... Pentair LED Pool Lights - Further Reading

The "repaired" board on there looks exactly like the one on my bench!!

 

[ajw22]

Hey I like that Pentair LED lights "further reading" link... Pentair LED Pool Lights - Further Reading

The "repaired" board on there looks exactly like the one on my bench!!

It is, thank you for your contribution.

 

[Middy]

Thank you all so much! I'm feeling very confident that I can learn and fix most things that go wrong with this pool. It was very intimidating and I was starting to regret buying this house.
Today I fixed a check valve myself. Pool company wanted $179 and it cost me $40 total and
5 minutes to fix it.

 

[Sparks22]

Thank you all so much! I'm feeling very confident that I can learn and fix most things that go wrong with this pool. It was very intimidating and I was starting to regret buying this house.
Today I fixed a check valve myself. Pool company wanted $179 and it cost me $40 total and
5 minutes to fix it.

So did you have any luck with replacing the board?

 

[Middy]

So did you have any luck with replacing the board?

Sorry I never replied. Had my hands full as mom got diagnosed with lymphoma and I am caring for her.
Yes! I did replace one board using the board from the light that had a burnt out transformer. It worked perfectly once switched out. I have not replaced the light that had transformer out yet with all that is going on. Not sure I want to stick with the LED due to cost when they do burn out.