How To Change A Swimming Pool Light

How To Change A Swimming Pool Light

If you are looking for information about how to change a swimming pool light then this article will help to explain the different kinds of pool lights that you can encounter and what you need to know about how to safely remove it from the light niche and install a new bulb. Before proceeding with a repair like this on your own you must be aware that water and electricity do not mix. Pool lights should not be dangerous and yet many of them are (or can be) due to improper installation or damage to the light. You should not, under any circumstances, attempt to work on, modify or change your pool lighting system in any way. Doing so could be dangerous or even deadly to yourself or any swimmers in your pool. I can not stress this enough - if you have any doubts about what you are doing then you should absolutely bring in a professional to assist you.

All that being said there are many pool lighting systems which do not require that you do anything to the electrical system in order to change a burnt out bulb. In a properly installed pool light there is almost always a GFCI breaker that controls the lighting circuit. A GFCI, of GFI as it is often shortened to, protects against electrocution by detecting current escaping the intended system pathway. In the event of current leaking to ground, or a "ground fault" the GFI breaker will open the circuit. If you are working on your pool lights and want to change the bulb then the first step is that you must verify that this pool light is installed safely. Deficiencies and dangerous code violations like not having a ground fault protected circuit for your pool light would typically be found by an industry professional when doing routine maintenance such as changing the bulb in the pool light. If you are changing your own pool light then you should confirm that your light operates off of a GFI protected circuit. This can be accomplished by using a GFI breaker in the electrical panel, which is identifiable by having a "test" button right on the breaker. Only GFI breakers have this and you do not need to open the panel to see it - just walk up to your panel and look for any breakers with a test button. If no GFI breaker is visible then this means that there must be a GFI outlet (plug) installed somewhere near the lighting circuit, of which the pool light is on the load side of the plug. Either that or your pool light was installed without a GFI protecting circuit. If this were my pool then I would close the pool to all use until a GFI could be installed.