EZSMART Corporation, ESA/ECRA #7012690 , North York , Ontario
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A pool light that stops working is more than an inconvenience — pools have strict electrical safety requirements because water and electricity are a dangerous combination. Before assuming you need a new light, there are a few common causes to rule out, some of which you can check safely yourself and some of which require a licensed electrician.
Pool lights in Ontario must be protected by a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) — either a GFCI breaker in the panel or a GFCI outlet upstream. GFCI protection trips instantly when it detects even a small current leak to ground, which can happen when water gets into the fixture housing, a seal fails, or a wire degrades. If your pool light stopped working suddenly, the first thing to check is whether the GFCI has tripped. Find the GFCI breaker in your panel (it will have a test and reset button) and press the reset button. If it trips again immediately, there is a real fault that needs professional diagnosis — do not keep resetting it.
Pool lights use sealed, water-rated bulbs — typically incandescent, halogen, or LED. The bulb itself can burn out like any other. If the GFCI is fine, the next step is accessing the fixture and inspecting the bulb. Pool light fixtures are designed to be serviced from the pool deck: the fixture typically pulls out of its niche on a long cord that gives you enough slack to bring it to the pool edge. Turn off power at the breaker, remove the lens retaining screw, open the housing, and inspect the bulb and the lens seal. If the lens seal has failed — cracked, missing, or compressed flat — water has likely entered the housing, which explains both the GFCI trip and the bulb failure.
Water intrusion is the most common cause of pool light failure. When the lens gasket ages and loses its seal, water reaches the bulb socket and wiring. Even if the light still works after drying out and replacing the bulb, a compromised seal will allow water in again. Replace the lens gasket every time you service the fixture — they are inexpensive and available at most pool supply stores in Ontario.
If there is water in the conduit — the pipe that runs from the fixture niche to the junction box on the deck — it needs to drain or be blown out before power is restored. A conduit full of water can wick moisture into the junction box and create a shock hazard even after the pool light itself is fixed.
Some pool lights run on 12V through a transformer rather than line voltage. If the transformer fails, the light goes dark even if the bulb and fixture are fine. Check whether the transformer has an indicator light and whether it has its own GFCI protection. Line-voltage pool lights (120V) that have wiring problems — corroded connections, damaged conduit, degraded wire insulation from years of water exposure — are not a DIY repair. Ontario’s Ontario Electrical Safety Code requires that all underwater lighting be installed by a licensed electrician, and any repair to the wiring downstream of the GFCI also falls under this requirement.
When we investigate a pool light that keeps tripping its GFCI, we check the conduit for standing water before anything else. Water in the conduit is the single most overlooked cause — the homeowner replaces the bulb, the light works for a week, then the GFCI trips again because the conduit is still wet. If the conduit slopes toward the junction box instead of toward the pool, water will always pool at the box end. Correcting the slope or adding a drain fitting at the low point solves the recurring trip permanently.
Pool light troubleshooting that involves wiring or conduit needs a licensed electrician. Call us at 416-838-9006 or visit our contact page — we handle pool electrical safely and to code.
Electrician Since 2008 Journeyman Electrician Designated Master Electrician at EZSMART Corp
