Has your pool light burned out and you are just too freaked out to deal with it? This is a common part of swimming pool maintenance here in Palm Beach County. It is not very convenient to have an electrical source located under the water. And when the light burns out it is even more inconvenient to replace the bulb! So you have three options for changing out your pool light bulbs: 1) Change the bulb yourself 2) Hire a professional pool service to change the bulb 3) Swim in the dark Number 2 seems like the logical solution, but you can change it yourself, safely and with a little effort if you follow this basic ‘how to’:
Hold your breath…just for a minute
No need to break out the oxygen tank and regulator. All you need is a good dive mask and a screwdriver, then follow the steps outlined below. When dealing with electricity and water please follow instructions if you are not a trained professional.
Before you begin, make a list.
- Pool light bulb
- New screws or clamps
- New gasket
It is good practice to replace all of these things at once while you are doing the work. If you are not sure what kind of bulb you need or if your fixture uses clamps or screws, you may have to follow the steps below to remove the pool bulb first and then take a trip to the pool supply store.
- First and foremost, turn OFF the power to the pool light. Most pools have their own breaker box. You can test the electrical current with a circuit tester to be absolutely sure there is no power going to to the light.
- Lay a towel down on the coping above where the light is located. This will pad it so you don’t scratch the lens when you pull the fixture out and lay it down.
- At the top of the light fixture you will need to remove the screw on the casing. If yours has more than one, be sure to remove them all.
- Completing step two will allow you to remove the fixture and bring the light to the surface so you can do your work. There should be plenty of wire in there to allow you to extend it past the coping of the pool. Lay it on the towel you previously placed on the coping.
- Before this next step, you should take a picture of the light. Remove all the screws or clamps (replace any that are corroded) and then disassemble the facing, the lens gasket and the lens.
- Remove the pool bulb. Use your towel to dry the inside of the fixture.
- Screw the new light bulb in and reassemble the fixture with the new screws or clamps and new gasket. Be sure not to over-tighten the bulb.
- While the light fixture is still out of the water, switch the breaker and turn the power on to confirm the light is working.
- Very Important! Be sure to turn OFF the power at the breaker again before the next step of placing the fixture back in the water!
- Now that the power is turned off at the breaker you can put the fixture into the water and check for leaks. If there are no air bubbles escaping from the light fixture then you have done your job well.
- Replace fixture back into the pool wall and tuck the cord back in the exact way you found it, and then you can replace the screw(s) on the casing.
- It is now safe to turn on the electricity and Voila!…You have light again!
If changing your own pool light bulb seems too risky for you and you live in the Boca Raton, Lake Worth or Royal Palm Beach area, you can contact the Boca Pool Guys to get the job done! They will come prepared and do all the hard work for you.