CFL Pool Light Conversion & can't seal American Products Pool Light

[DrBAF]

Hi, I am new to this forum. I noticed that no one sells fluorescent pool lights. CFLs seem ideal for this application. They are cheap and almost as efficient as LEDs. Therefore, I decided to convert my American Products 400 W. incandescent pool light to CFL. I built an adapter so that four 100 W equivalent CFLs screw into and then the assembly screws into the pool light housing. In my area of southern California, the electric company underwrites the CFLs so they only cost $2.00 for four. This worked perfectly except that I CAN'T SEAL IT!

Reading a number of forums it seems like resealing is a peace of cake. Just make sure everything is squeaky clean, install a new gasket and tighten it up. Well, I have done that now four times. Each time water leaks in behind the lens. My CFLs turn on perfectly but I shut them off when I see water behind the lens. This has been incredibly frustrating. I have tried using the old gasket, a new gasket and the new gasket sealed with silicone seal. On that last attempt, I let the silicone seal dry for several weeks before reinstalling the assembly but it also leaked. It has now been a year and I have no new ideas. The pool light just sits on the deck starring at me, mocking me.

We are having the pool replastered soon and I asked two contractors to include resealing the light. Both refused and said that it is almost impossible to do. I'm not convinced. There must be a simple trick, something I am missing. Does anyone have any suggestions?

DrBAF

[PoolDoc]

Sorry! I don't know if I can help. I've opened light fixtures less than a dozen times in my pool career, because they aren't used much on the large commercial pools I specialized on. I never had any particular problem resealing them, though I did always replace the gasket. I can think of a few things to check:

1. Make sure water is not entering via the wire seal at the back of the fixture.
2. Make sure the new gasket is OEM, not aftermarket rubber.
3. Make sure that, when you reseal the gasket, you snug all fasteners lightly, and then evenly cross tighten till down.

[kelemvor]

Reading a number of forums it seems like resealing is a peace of cake. Just make sure everything is squeaky clean, install a new gasket and tighten it up. Well, I have done that now four times. Each time water leaks in behind the lens. My CFLs turn on perfectly but I shut them off when I see water behind the lens. This has been incredibly frustrating. I have tried using the old gasket, a new gasket and the new gasket sealed with silicone seal. On that last attempt, I let the silicone seal dry for several weeks before reinstalling the assembly but it also leaked. It has now been a year and I have no new ideas. The pool light just sits on the deck starring at me, mocking me.

I don't have a good solution for you but I just wanted to share that I have felt your pain! I spent MONTHS fighting with a light that kept leaking. Posted here about it several times, talked to local pool guys, pool stores etc. I never got it to be leak free and ended up replacing the whole light with an LED unit. Everything I have read indicates you are supposed to replace that seal with a brand new one every time you open the light. I'm not sure if I believe it given the massive amount of misinformation pool industry companies engage in to sell more products.

I had a pool guy come out to put the new light in and he said he thought my problem (with the old one) was that the glass lens didn't match the light. He may have been right, but we never were able to identify even the brand of the light I had - so I don't see how he could have been sure.

Good luck, and sorry I don't have a solution for you either.