Pentair SAM light fix

[avpowerstn]

OK I have changed my Pentair SAM and Spa light 5 stinking times...it is only lasting about 1 week. I used high end Philips incandescent bulbs (MR16)

I just purchased some LED (MR16) bulbs. I have used the white and black light seals, using magic lube II and then not using any lube at all,....they still leak.

I am going to use silicone instead of Magic lube and try again...it's become personal the POS. Any tips on how I can make the SAM lights watertight..?

Just going to do the spa (they used a 2nd SAM instead of a SAL Light in the spa) and see what happens. if it fails again..I am ripping the lights

out and dragging their dead carcasses behind my truck for several stinking miles.

 

[tclayton10]

If you have water inside the light housing and are using new and correctly installed gaskets between the lens and light housing, then it is highly likely that the water is getting in from another part of the housing (like the back of the housing where the cabling exits). You also have to make sure that the mating surfaces on the lens and housing are clean and smooth. Any kind of buildup on those parts can allow water to seep, and it doesn't take much to kill the light once water is inside. I recently replaced both of my SAM lights and my SAL light with the Pool Tone LED lights from Florida Sunseeker. Not the cheapest thing to buy, but I absolutely love them.

Tracy

 

[avpowerstn]

I just googled them Tracy, they look nice..Price is not that bad at all...I will take your advice and make sure my cabling entrance is leak free (if I can).
Thank You Tracy, I will take this route, if mine fail and give up the ghost...it's like beating a dead horse...again Thank You

 

[tclayton10]

I just googled them Tracy, they look nice..Price is not that bad at all...I will take your advice and make sure my cabling entrance is leak free (if I can).
Thank You Tracy, I will take this route, if mine fail and give up the ghost...it's like beating a dead horse...again Thank You

A quick note on the PoolTone lights I forgot to mention...they sell kits with varying lengths of wiring, which means they can be used in a new pool build or as a complete replacement of the existing device and wiring. IF you are comfortable soldering and waterproofing, you can get the kit with the shortest amount of wire and then use their splice kit with the existing wire from the niche to the equipment pad. My two SAM lights were full wire-pull replacements, which wasn't the hardest thing I've ever done, but there are some tricks. My SAL light was a splice job, and it took me a couple of hours to do it, but it has been rock solid. Note that I work around voltage with some regularity, so I was very comfortable with splicing and ensuring the splices were completely waterproof. Only issue I had with the splicing method was that the service loop of wire in the niche wasn't long enough to get the fixture to the edge of the spa, so I had to drain my spa down below the first step so I had a dry surface to work from.

 

[avpowerstn]

Thank You, I love soldering (I have a portasol), I just bought the Dewalt cordless heat gun for shrink tubing. I just spliced two new Pentair 24 CAV actuators because of the block connectors at the end of the wire (didn't want to pull them). I am going to try the 70w LED first, and silicone the back were the wire enters the light, and silicone the gasket...if it fails I will go with the Pool Tones (it's a win win situation no matter what). My wife and I have missed the lights for years now, and the Pentair SAM's were expensive (matter of principle (price) on why I hesitated replacing them) The Pool Tones look Awesome...kinda hope the LED Bulbs fail...but my wallet doesn't...lol Thank You
Jim

 

[tclayton10]

Thank You, I love soldering (I have a portasol), I just bought the Dewalt cordless heat gun for shrink tubing. I just spliced two new Pentair 24 CAV actuators because of the block connectors at the end of the wire (didn't want to pull them). I am going to try the 70w LED first, and silicone the back were the wire enters the light, and silicone the gasket...if it fails I will go with the Pool Tones (it's a win win situation no matter what). My wife and I have missed the lights for years now, and the Pentair SAM's were expensive (matter of principle (price) on why I hesitated replacing them) The Pool Tones look Awesome...kinda hope the LED Bulbs fail...but my wallet doesn't...lol Thank You
Jim

Let us know how it turns out!

 

[avpowerstn]

Will do ...hoping to work on the Spa light in the next 4-7 days.

 

[avpowerstn]

OK update...pulled the spa lite the rust made it easy to reassemble acting as an orientation guide. The glass lense had a crust on it..I tried using a wire dremel gig, that did not work. What did work was using a fine stone (purple) on the glass rim (outter, and Inner). I could not get any voltage (looking for 12v with my setup) using a Fluke 177, so I am going to my expansion center, could be a relay (I got that) or probably the transformer. here are a few pics...I am lucky the bulbs and lens color I want was above the swamped water line inside the light. I am going to use (goop) or something more aggressive, when I seal the new rubber gasket to the glass lense this time, because Magic Lube II did not cut it. Going to seal the wire entry, outside and on the inside..like Tracy said...hopefully another attempt on monday...All I need is a 12v live socket...the rotator disintegrated... but always on blue will be fine with me. I may secure the color wheel with aluminum foil or gaffers tape or even glue it...will post again, after troubleshooting power issue. I have enough wire to actually go to the outer edge of my spa. I reassembled the light, just in case the dogs trip and pull the unit back into the spa.

 

[avpowerstn]

OK found this video...

My pool cleaner tested the relay (Omron G7L-2A-BUBJ-CB DC24) inside the Intellitouch box,
but I believe my problem is with the transformer....Going to test and see.

​

 

[macpak2]

OK update...pulled the spa lite the rust made it easy to reassemble acting as an orientation guide. The glass lense had a crust on it..I tried using a wire dremel gig, that did not work. What did work was using a fine stone (purple) on the glass rim (outter, and Inner). I could not get any voltage (looking for 12v with my setup) using a Fluke 177, so I am going to my expansion center, could be a relay (I got that) or probably the transformer. here are a few pics...I am lucky the bulbs and lens color I want was above the swamped water line inside the light. I am going to use (goop) or something more aggressive, when I seal the new rubber gasket to the glass lense this time, because Magic Lube II did not cut it. Going to seal the wire entry, outside and on the inside..like Tracy said...hopefully another attempt on monday...All I need is a 12v live socket...the rotator disintegrated... but always on blue will be fine with me. I may secure the color wheel with aluminum foil or gaffers tape or even glue it...will post again, after troubleshooting power issue. I have enough wire to actually go to the outer edge of my spa. I reassembled the light, just in case the dogs trip and pull the unit back into the spa.

Hi… I have a similar situation… SAM light had water and was tripping the circuit. I would like to bypass the flywheel light engine and connect the 12v input to the bulb . There are 5 wires coming in… One Green, One RED , 2 shielded ones,that go to each of the bulbs and one thin white wire. Looking for guidance on how to proceed….many thanks …

 

[avpowerstn]

Hi… I have a similar situation… SAM light had water and was tripping the circuit. I would like to bypass the flywheel light engine and connect the 12v input to the bulb . There are 5 wires coming in… One Green, One RED , 2 shielded ones,that go to each of the bulbs and one thin white wire. Looking for guidance on how to proceed….many thanks …

I ended up going with a, never could get the SAM working right. also installed a blue lens cover

Pentair 78456300 Amerlite Underwater Incandescent Pool Light with Stainless Steel Face Ring, 120 Volt, 100 Foot Cord, 500 Watt.​

 

[macpak2]

I ended up going with a, never could get the SAM working right. also installed a blue lens cover

Pentair 78456300 Amerlite Underwater Incandescent Pool Light with Stainless Steel Face Ring, 120 Volt, 100 Foot Cord, 500 Watt.​

Thank you ! I guess these things have a lifespan …

 

[avpowerstn]

Thank you ! I guess these things have a lifespan …

Yes, sorry to say they do. The Pentair light does not look as nice or change colors..but it is nice to have a pool light once again, at a better price.