testing pool light

[rockg]

Hey y'all.... tonight, turned on the pool light and it did burn for a bit, then went out. I did check the breaker and it was tripped. Flipped it back and no light anymore. I also have a small dorm type refrigerator on the same breaker and it works fine... SO, question is..... would that just be the light going out and needing changing?? IS there anyway I can check the J box and make sure there's power to the light... if so.... then it has to be the bulb, correct?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. BTW, the pool is 5 years old... light has never been changed.. if that helps. Thanks again !!

[CarlD]

120v pool lights scare the spit out of me...I would NEVER have one unless it was on a bullet-proof ground-fault circuit. I think low-voltage lights are much safer and can be just as bright.

If a full-voltage light gave me any question I would disconnect its wiring from the pool until it's resolved. Yankees' future Hall-of-Fame closer Mariano Rivera lost two family members to electrocution in his pool at home in Panama, just a couple of years ago.

As I said, full voltage pool lights scare the spit out of me.

[Poconos]

Frequently, when incandescent lamps burn out there is a high current spike at the time of the flash. That plus the fridge could have been enough to simply trip the breaker. Easiest thing is to just get a replacement lamp and try it. If the socket shows no signs of corrosion then you have nothing to lose by just trying a new lamp. If you have a VOM (Volt-Ohm-Milliamp meter) then check the socket for voltage. If the problem isn't solved then we dig further.
Al
Edit: Carl posted at the same time as me. The circuit should be on a GFI in any case.

[CarlD]

Al's more knowledgeable about this stuff than I am. I'm just terrified of full voltage and water, even with GFI. My pump is the only full voltage item near my pool and it's on a 220v GFI circuit. Plus it is banded as well, as they should be.

[waste]

Carl, I hear you on the fear of 120 volt lights However, probably 90% of the ones I've worked on are 120v - the only time I've gotten "zapped" doing a light is when the ***hole electrician left the unconnected wires 'live' and I was trimming the ends to connect the light to it.

BTW - 120 volts 'tingles/ stings' - 240 hurts

It's always better to err on the side of caution, so have the breaker off when doing electrical work - you DO need to have the breaker on to test the fixtures with a voltmeter

[rockg]

Thanks guys for the heads up. Just a little bit more about my dilemma now that I got to actually look at it some. The breaker box has one breaker for the pump... working great... the other is a 20amp GFI which has the pool light and a 2 socket receptacle. Just yesterday, I used the receptacle to pump up some bumper boats for the kids.... and the refrigerator (dorm type) was working. I did turn on the light, it lit for a bit, then went out.

At the present, neither the light nor the receptacle work at all. The GFI is set, doesn't trip or anything... there's just no power at all to it. I checked the sockets with a meter (and a radio) and nothing there even though the GFI breaker is fine. Could it be that the breaker is bad??? Does that happen?? Would the light being blown have that receptacle out or bad GFI ? Replacing the breaker a good start before changing the bulb?

I know it hard to diagnose electrical problems not being here... but I do appreciate the input. Thanks for the concerns too !! I will take your advice and be really careful. Thanks again guys...

Rock G in SC

[Poconos]

Yes, breakers do go bad and so do GFI units. Start tracing the circuit. I'd go for the breaker first then work down the line. Just because you hear the click when you set the GFI doesn't mean it's functioning right. Just a word of caution when measuring voltages in places like these, wear goggles or full face protection. On the hot side of breakers you only have the main breaker for protection and one slip can blow a screwdriver or test probe into bits of molten metal. They haven't figured how to do eye transplants yet.
Al