Pool light housing - re-use or replace?

[DrRadar]

We had our in-ground pool replastered in April. The vendor asked if we wanted to replace the bulb in the light. It was working fine but was 22 years old and I was under the impression the water level had to be below the light to replace. Always learning something new...I should have researched it first. He quoted $75 to replace the bulb and that seemed a fair price for prudent service.

The light worked for a while then starting dimming and finally went out. After doing some research, I suspected it had leaked because I'm not aware of a new gasket being installed.

Pulled the housing out tonight and disassembled. While the interior of the housing was very damp (like condensation on the walls), there was no standing water which surprised me. The socket does show signs of arcing as shown in the photo below. You can also see the amount of water on the housing inner wall.

I'm asking for opinions on whether this housing should be re-used with just lamp and gasket replacement or if the conditions I described warrant replacing the housing as well.

Also, what is the purpose of the metal "spring loop" in the housing? Is that a heater?

Thanks for your time,
Lloyd

 

[HermanTX]

The spring is of high technical value. Inside some fixtures you will find a bare coiled spring wire. This is non-electrical but is designed to break a circuit. The spring lays against the bulb. If the bulb bursts when in use, the spring sweeps across the filament, cutting the electricity in the circuit. Therefore, if water has entered into the fixture, a live electrical circuit has been severed and avoids electrocuting someone in the pool.