Pool Light Bulb Keeps Burning Out

[Windcrest]

I have the standard Hayward pool light that is a 500W Halogen bulb. It is the metal housing that has the gasket and then a tension clamp that holds the whole thing together. My problem is that the bulb keeps burning out. There is no water in the fixture to cause the bulb to fail. It will last for 6 months or so and then burn out at the start of every new season. I'm wondering if switching to an LED bulb might resolve this or if there is something I'm not thinking about that could be causing it. I check the GFCI to confirm that it was functioning properly and was putting power out to the light. Breaker is good as well.

The bulb only has 10 hours of actual on time or so. Thanks for any help!

 

[ping]

Have you turned it on while the housing is out of the water? Don't do this as the fixture needs to be submerged under water to cool it.

Make sure the housing is rated for 500W bulb. Was this a new pool build and any chance the fixture could be covered under warranty?

I wouldn't switch to LED as those are expensive and many fail.

 

[Windcrest]

The light has always been installed under the water level and not turned on outside of the water.

I haven't checked to make sure the fixture is rated for 500W. I always just replaced it with the bulb that was in it. I can definitely check that!

 

[bproosow]

Wear gloves or use a towel when you change the bulb. Halogen bulbs are prone to getting hot spots from the oil from your skin, which causes them to burn out prematurely. A better option might be to replace the bulb with an LED replacement rather than replacing the entire fixture. These work great and are under $100 (shop around, there are lots of options). I have to agree with Ping, I put in a Pentair LED light and it lasted 1 year and 1 week before it started having problems. I won't fall for that nonsense again.

 

[Meadow]

Strange! Our 17 yrs old 500W incandescent bulb just won't fail. I got tired of waiting for it to blow! So I went ahead and made the switch to color changing LED by INYOPOOLS.
Check this out > PureLine LED Pool Bulb

We got 2 of the 12V version. But having them for only 3 months, can't vouch for its reliability! I had them tied to our landscape lighting system and runs nightly for 4 hrs. So far, so good! There are far more cheaper LED bulbs out there from which I have no experience. The choice is yours!