If you have an in ground swimming pool with a light that is leaking then you will need to understand on how to fix this type of leak. The in ground swimming pool light is made up of two parts. You have the light itself that is a self-contained unit with a cord and then you have something called the “pool light niche”. This is what the swimming pool light hooks into once it’s in the pool.
The place that the swimming pool light will most likely leak from is where the cord of the swimming pool light goes through the light niche and into the electrical conduit. What commonly happens in that the fitting between the light niche and the electrical conduit bend go bad and then water starts to leak through the electrical conduit and then into the ground. There are two ways to fix this type of leak in your swimming pool light, but first you will need to remove the light from the niche. To do so you will need to remove the top screw from the light and then the light will float to the top of the swimming pool water. The pool light should have enough wire to reach to the pools surface. When re-installing the pool light you will have to coil this wire in order for the light to fit back into the housing or niche as we have been calling it.
Once you have removed the pool light from the niche you will want to make sure that the wire is still connected to the junction box. You do not want to remove the light wire; you will just want to remove the light from the pool niche. Now you can either use under water swimming pool epoxy or a swimming pool light wire plug to “cork up” the leak in your pool light. If your going to use epoxy to fix the leak in the pool light niche you will need to mix it up according to the directions and then put the epoxy all around the wire and the opening where the conduit fitting gets connected. Try to be neat with the epoxy because if you ever need to change out the light fixture you will need to chip away the epoxy and then pull out the wire. If you do this really messy you will have a tougher time if you ever go to pull the light wire out when replacing the light. This is not the “cleanest” way of repairing the leaking pool light niche.
The next method you can do to repair the leaking pool light niche is to buy something called a pool light niche cord leak plug. This is a black rubber plug that will fit around the wire of the pool light and into the inner part of the electrical conduit and then can be pressed it firmly to seal the niche. This is by far the best way to seal the light niche if you can find this part at your local swimming pool supply and repair center.
Once you use either one of the above methods to repair the leak in your pool light then you will want to now re-install the light. You will have to now push the pool light under the water and then wrap the cord around the outside of the light so that the extra bulk of the cord will fit back into the light niche. Once you have wrapped up the cord you will want to align the top of the light with the set screw hole and insert the Philips head set screw and re-tighten the screw so the light will stay into place. If you have any questions about leaking pool lights please post a comment below and fee free to ask.
I just installed a DIY inground swimming pool. It had a cutout in wall for the light
I put the niche in, then the gasket, then the liner, then the second gasket and finally the faceplate which does not hug snuggly against the wall. Put the light into the niche a screwed in the set screw. When the water got around the light it began pouring out the back of the niche where the wire comes out to go through the pipe to reach the electrical box. What do I need to do to stop this?
Hi Cj,
You Wrote:
Did you have the electrician come and hook up the light? There is usually a 90 conduit bend attached to the back of the light niche.
Let me know,
Joseph
How do replace the entire light niche if it has been damaged ? It it is an shocrete pool just to be clear.
thanks – this is great info. a lot of pool contractors talk you out of a possible leak through the conduit by the light niche! didnt believe them so i let the water kept on leaking out and figured once it stopoed leaking, then the leak should be just at the level where the leak stopped, right? GRAVITY!! anyways, i did use epoxy but that was 3 yrs ago and now it looks like it started leaking again. since it is the middle of winter, guess i will wait once leak stops just to confirm it is still on the same spot. but here’s my question, can i replace the niche as well? i have a fiberglass pool. thanks again Cris
Hi Cris,
Happy Holidays!!
Yes you can replace the entire niche if you wanted to but that will require draining the pool below the light if you liner is in good shape. You will also have to hire an electrician to attach the light niche and also connect the wires. The job could wind up costing around $1500
You also could buy the light plug or make one as I described above and the leak will stop as well.
Then again if the niche in your pool is totally rotted away you may need to replace the entire thing,
Please let me know if you have any other questions,
Joseph
I removed the light a couple of years ago and the wiring. The pool is leaking where the light was. Is there a plug I can seal the hole with? Or what is the best way to seal it off? Thanks.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY POOL LIGHT.IT WILL NOT STOP LEAKING AROUND THE RUBBER SEAL.CAN YOU TELL ME HOW TO INSTALL THE RUBBER SEAL AROUND THE LIGHT.I THINK THE RUBBER GOES AROUND THE LIGHT THEN THE LIGHT SITS ON THE RUBBER IF YOU CAN HELP THAT WOULD BE AWSOMA OR MAYBE YOU COULD COME OUT & FIX IT FOR ME THANK YOU JOHN
I want to relace with LED lighting. How do I replace light and wire. Do I have to drain the pool?
Have a sam light leak. watched dte go in at the top. Had it fixed once by a leak compant 4 years ago. Leaking again! csn’t afford leak company, will fix my self. The first time they put putty around the trim ring at the sam light at the crome and then the glass. I assume they also put putty at the conduit also. I’m letting the water level go down to the leak level then will pump off some water to get at the sam light. My question is this will I have to chip all the putty they put in around the light of can i just plug up the conduit and call it a day.