How long do pool light transformers last?

How long do pool light transformers last?

All the marketing hype would have you believe that your new LED light will last for 50,000 to 100,000 hours (up to 12 years). This is a half-truth really. Yes the LEDs themselves will normally last that long.

Why does my pool light keep tripping?

This can be due to a small amount of water being inside your light fixture which the light may heat up and vaporize. This can then cause the GFCI to trip. GFCIs are also known to trip from extreme humidity. Be sure that the outlets that may be on the same GFCI circuit are covered to help prevent this.

How do you know if a light transformer is bad?

Measure the secondary output of the transformer.

1. If the expected voltage is not present on the secondary, either the transformer or a filtering or shaping component is bad.
2. If the testing of the filtering and shaping components show no problems, then the transformer is bad.

How do you test a light transformer?

How to Troubleshoot a Low-Voltage Transformer

1. Identify the transformer’s terminals, using its label as a guide.
2. Turn a multimeter to its VAC function.
3. Test the transformer’s input voltage with the multimeter, using the transformer’s label as a terminal guide.
4. Test the transformer’s output voltage with the multimeter.

Are pool lights AC or DC?

Swimming pools and spa’s always need 12 Volts of AC power. Most people hear 12 Volts and immediately think of DC which is used in cars and also outside landscape lighting. If you hook pool LED’s to 12V DC, sometimes they work, but not correctly.

Do pool lights need transformers?

If your current pool light is a 120V pool light, then you’ll need to have an electrician install a transformer between the power source and the junction box. The Junction Box, or J-box as it’s sometimes called, is the point where the wires from the pool light meet the wires from the breaker box.

How do I know if my pool light fixture is bad?

If the bulb tests well (3-20 ohms) the fixture is probably bad. Try a new bulb without closing the fixture. It probably will not light, and the fixture will have to be replaced. If the bulb tests poorly (overflow, open, no continuity, infinite ohms), the light most likely will work fine with a new bulb and gasket.

How often do pool lights need to be replaced?

Your pool lighting should give you few problems overall. Most incandescent bulbs will burn for 1,000 hours before bulb replacement is necessary. LED bulbs can burn for 25 years or more (or so they tell us).

Do pool lights need a GFCI breaker?

The pool light must be installed on a GFCI circuit. That means that the wires coming to the pool light J-box must come from a GFCI breaker. These are often easy to spot by the yellow Test button, and are usually 20 amp breakers. Both GFI breakers and outlets can, and will eventually fail.

Does pool have to be drained to replace light?

Do I have to drain a pool to change the light bulb? You do not have to drain the pool if you can remove the light assembly. The screw-in LED lights in my pool work, but there’s mold growing inside them.

What happens if the transformer is wrong on a pool light?

An incorrect transformer for low-voltage lighting increases the hazard of sending 120 volts to the pool light in the case of a failure. The same holds true for pool and spa controllers.

How do you test a 12V pool light?

Click to expand… Use a set of test clip or whatever to perform the 12VAC test mentioned above. If you want to have fun, wire a couple of automotive bulbs or 55 watts headlamp and watch for voltage drop. It should stay at 12V without exceeding 300W load. Most likely, the problem is your existing pool light (s).

What are the electrical requirements for low-voltage pool lights?

In addition, low-voltage lights require a transformer or power supply listed for that application. These must have a grounded isolation barrier for the high-voltage winding or must be double-insulated. An incorrect transformer for low-voltage lighting increases the hazard of sending 120 volts to the pool light in the case of a failure.

What do you do when your pool light goes Kaput?

When your light goes kaput it is time to roll up the shirt sleeves, pull out the test probes and go to work. But where to start? That is a tough question, as a pool light can have a hundred or so feet of cable, circuit breakers, GFCIs, and junction boxes to contest with.