Tar inside pool light fixture

[break80]

After about 25 years my pool light seemed to be getting dimmer and dimmer. I removed the fixture and set it on the deck. Opened it up and could not believe what I found. It is loaded with a tar-like substance (extremely tacky...get it on your hands and it is hard to get off) that covers the inside of the fixture. Like someone painted it on. Seems to be about a cupful of it, covering the whole of the inside. The light was dim because it was beginning to cover the light bulb. I saw a 2009 thread where someone in Kingwood Tx found a similar thing, but there was no solution in the thread.

I attached a photo. Does anyone know what this is, how it got in there, and what I should do next?

 

[Texas Splash]

Welcome to TFP! I wonder if that is from butyl tape. @1poolman1 thoughts?

 

[JamesW]

Replace the light.

 

[break80]

Welcome to TFP! I wonder if that is from butyl tape. @1poolman1 thoughts?

I doubt it. Way too much volume to be melted butyl rubber tape.

Thinking back on the events that happened following replacement of my plaster about 6 years ago, i reported a leak to my pool plaster company. They came out and corrected the problem. They said the leak was a broken underground pool light wiring conduit. They fixed it by injecting what they said was silicone into the underground conduit. Could this silicone actually have been this black gooey tacky stuff (that actually worked and still works)? And maybe unfortunately it seeped back into the light fixture (probably a 500 W) covering the bulb over time, which caused me to remove the fixture when i did a few days ago.

What do y’all think? Does my deduction actually make sense to any you pool guys? Ever heard of this being used to seal a leaking conduit?

 

[Texas Splash]

That's why I mentioned the butyl tape. I've seen that product stuffed into a light conduit hole to prevent a leak. But a large gallop or two of butyl tape wouldn't seem to be responsible for the large mess you are seeing now. Not sure. In addition to Poolman, we can tag @Poolbreh as well.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I doubt it. Way too much volume to be melted burly tape.

Thinking back on the events that happened following replacement of my plaster about 6 years ago, i reported a leak to my pool plaster company. They came out and corrected the problem by injecting what they said was silicone into the underground conduit. Could this silicone actually have been this black gooey tacky stuff that actually worked and still works? And maybe unfortunately it seeped back into the light fixture (probably a 500 W) covering the bulb over time, which caused me to remove the fixture when i did a few days ago.

What do y’all think? Ever heard of this being used to seal a leaking conduit?

Unlikely. The external conduit simply holds the wire that makes it's way into the luminaire body. That wire to luminaire body connection should be completely sealed and waterproof so that no water can get inside where the bulb is. Unless they took that apart or took the lens off and dumped something inside the luminaire.

I agree with @JamesW, just replace the entire luminaire. Don't try to recover what's there. You simply cut the light housing off the wire and use the OLD wire as the pull guide for the new wire on a new light fixture. always pull from the pool to the junction box. Helps to have two people to do the pulling.

 

[mknauss]

I doubt the existing wire can be pulled through the conduit ---

They fixed it by injecting what they said was silicone into the underground conduit.

 

[JamesW]

The light has potting compound in the base.

Most likely this has melted.

The light is ruined.

Unscrew the bulb and show a picture of the light base.

 

[JamesW]

What is the light brand?

Is it "Pool Star"?

Can you show the light label?

 

[1poolman1]

I doubt it. Way too much volume to be melted butyl rubber tape.

Thinking back on the events that happened following replacement of my plaster about 6 years ago, i reported a leak to my pool plaster company. They came out and corrected the problem. They said the leak was a broken underground pool light wiring conduit. They fixed it by injecting what they said was silicone into the underground conduit. Could this silicone actually have been this black gooey tacky stuff (that actually worked and still works)? And maybe unfortunately it seeped back into the light fixture (probably a 500 W) covering the bulb over time, which caused me to remove the fixture when i did a few days ago.

What do y’all think? Does my deduction actually make sense to any you pool guys? Ever heard of this being used to seal a leaking conduit?

What you found is the resin potting compound that is poured into the fixture and surrounds the actual lamp socket, a regular ceramic socket that can still be purchased at a good hardware store. It is hard to imagine how hot those 500W bulbs get, but lean against a light that has been on for a while and you'll never forget it. Over the years that resin has melted from the heat and ruined the fixture. The only safe thing to do is to replace the fixture.
At a school, long ago, by American Pool Products (the originator of the Amerilite, bought by Pentair) we were taught that if called out to service a light fixture in that condition, it had to be taken out of service (disabled as in cut the wires at the j-box) and replaced as it now became a safety and liability issue.

 

[break80]

What you found is the resin potting compound that is poured into the fixture and surrounds the actual lamp socket, a regular ceramic socket that can still be purchased at a good hardware store. It is hard to imagine how hot those 500W bulbs get, but lean against a light that has been on for a while and you'll never forget it. Over the years that resin has melted from the heat and ruined the fixture. The only safe thing to do is to replace the fixture.
At a school, long ago, by American Pool Products (the originator of the Amerilite, bought by Pentair) we were taught that if called out to service a light fixture in that condition, it had to be taken out of service (disabled as in cut the wires at the j-box) and replaced as it now became a safety and liability issue.

Thank you for your very knowledgeable answer. I do appreciate it. Your description fits perfectly. I will be replacing it. No sense in fooling around with this.

 

[break80]

I doubt the existing wire can be pulled through the conduit ---

Oh my, this concerns me. I will try to pull through myself (with a grandson helper). It's only about 15 feet to the j-box. But, if it won't pull through because of what might be in the conduit, I will get a service company in to do the installation. Thanks for your comment.

 

[break80]

What is the light brand?

Is it "Pool Star"?

Can you show the light label?

View attachment 505445

Yes, a 45 year old pool star. I removed the fixture because it was very dim in the pool. I cleaned off the bulb to see the label...is a normal 500W bulb. Now it burns very bright, like it is new. But it won't unscrew...frozen in the light socket. Since it is over 45 years old, and the potting melted somehow, I will be replacing the entire fixture as some suggested later in this thread.