Rusty light niche in inground pool, staining.

[ian81]

Howdy all, had some serious staining on my walls last year, they would wipe off with the ol vitamin c trick, and when I pulled my light for the winter, a bunch of bright orange rust came out with it.

Called the pool company, they haven’t been out yet. I managed to drain the pool enough to get a good picture of the cause of the rust in my light niche.

How screwed am I? attached picture of where the cord goes into the back of the niche.

 

[ajw22]

Replace the light.

 

[ian81]

Replace the light.

Could you be more specific? The whole fixture, cord and all?

 

[ajw22]

The whole fixture, cord and all?

Yup.

Cord is not detachable. The fixture and the cord is one unit.

Instead of using a pull string you can cut the cable off the fixture then use that as the pull cord to pull the new wire from the pool to the junction box. Which direction you do it may depend how easily the existing cord pulls out.

 

[ian81]

Yup.

Cord is not detachable. The fixture and the cord is one unit.


Instead of using a pull string you can cut the cable off the fixture then use that as the pull cord to pull the new wire from the pool to the junction box. Which direction you do it may depend how easily the existing cord pulls out.

Wow, ok! So it seems it’s not as bad as I expected. Thanks a lot for the info.
So in my picture, that’s not a big rusty nut rusted in place, but just some sort of clip?

 

[ajw22]

So in my picture, that’s not a big rusty nut rusted in place, but just some sort of clip?

Dunno, but it is not replaceable.

 

[ian81]

Dunno, but it is not replaceable.

if you don’t mind answering another, What about this? I don’t seem to have a visible bonding lug in my niche, what could that mean?
Would I be unknowingly be disconnecting a wire behind the niche? Don’t need a lug because it’s a metal niche?
I’ll still wait for the pool guys but worse case scenario….

 

[ajw22]

Take a look at the discussion on this thread …

Pool light install - Ground wire?

We had some new pool lights installed, Pentair IntelliBrite 5G colored LED. At the time our pool guy that installed that said there was an issue fitting the cable and running it to the panel, so he said he removed the ground wire to run it. I immediately questioned this for many reasons, safety...

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[ajw22]

You are replacing the light fixture, not the niche. That picture shows the light fixture screwed into the niche. The bonding lug is on the outside of the light niche.

 

[JamesW]

Picture of the light and the label on the light?

 

[ian81]

Picture of the light and the label on the light?

 

[JamesW]

Ok, that is really old.

If there is no ground lug in the niche, you will probably need to switch to a low voltage light because a low voltage light does not require the extra ground wire.

A low voltage light requires a transformer.

 

[ian81]

Ok, that is really old.

If there is no ground lug in the niche, you will probably need to switch to a low voltage light because a low voltage light does not require the extra ground wire.

A low voltage light requires a transformer.

Yeah the pool was built in 76. Why the need to switch to 12v? because the code has changed? It is a metal conduit, and the light still works, I’m just getting rust in the pool from it.

The videos I’m seeing of people pulling the wires through, they don’t mention a bond or ground or anything. This is because their already low voltage lights?

Why couldn’t I just pull a new light and wire through? (I’m thinking because I’d un attach the bond lug when pulling?) if I’m picturing this correctly? Argh.

 

[JamesW]

It is a metal conduit,

A metal conduit counts as a ground, so you should be ok.

 

[ian81]

You are replacing the light fixture, not the niche. That picture shows the light fixture screwed into the niche. The bonding lug is on the outside of the light niche.

Thanks for the help. Is it usually wired separately? I wouldn’t bother it if I pulled a new light and wire through? Or might there not be a bonding lug because of metal conduit?

 

[JamesW]

I wouldn’t bother it if I pulled a new light and wire through?

The bonding lug should not be disturbed when replacing the light.

 

[1poolman1]

View attachment 494544

Is the conduit coming from the pool red brass? If so, that is the bond/ground. Very likely on a pool of that age. When builders went to PVC conduit a separate 8ga was then required. Give it a scratch with a knife to find out.
Very old American, now Pentair, Amerilite.