I have epoxied a bunch of lights this year using Pool Putty 2 part epoxy. (white & blue) For the most part it works great. But I have had a couple that I have had to go back because the light was still leaking. I try to be careful but the cord gets pulled to the side when I put the light back in and leaves a small crack in the epoxy. I have left the lights out and let the epoxy set when I have a problem but this is time consuming for jobs that are far away. Any suggestions or advice?

Thanks,
Mike

call me at 845 926 2929

try butyl rubber as supplied by Anderson for leak repairs of light conduit.
Rob

Thanks for your help guys! I appreciate it.


-Mike

I used to use two part epoxy also but have since found the the butyl rubber is the best. I know of guys using hi expansion insulation foam and it works but good luck getting the light out to change the liner or for other repairs!!

how did you make out with that?

I use Aquabond underwater epoxy to repair the lights. I have the customer reinstall the light due to cure time. If they dont know how, I show them before the repairs are made so the cord is not disturbed. I have never had a recall because the repair failed.

While epoxy repairs work fine on light conduit leaks, they may present a problem later if the light has to be removed and/or replaced.

Rob

Light conduit leaks-
90% of the time I seal them with the butyl rubber sealant from Anderson, works at all temperatures, is removable at liner change time or to install a new light, and you can immediately put the light back in, 10% of the time I use epoxy, if the conduit has sheared off at the back of the niche for example, if i use epoxy I always use Anderson's Fast Set epoxy ( in the red package) sets fully in 5 minutes and allows you to reset the light in the niche
Bruce - Underwater Pool Repair

Every time and I do mean every time I've used butyl tape on a leaky light conduit it falls off. I must be doing it wrong. I've used blobs about the size of a marble to a golf ball and nothing seems to stick except A&B epoxy. Can anybody help me with a good technique?
hap

Hap
It is how you pack it into the conduit.
1 clean the first 2 inches into the conduit with a toothbrush
2 feed in the butyl rubber going around the cord and usually the ground wire and pack it into the conduit, forcing it in with the blade of a screwdriver. when you are done it should be at least one solid inch packed into the conduit. It is flush with the niche when finished.
Bruce - Underwater Pool Repair

Thanks Bruce,
That's great advice. I doubt a toothbrush will fit in the 1/2" brass conduit we use in AZ. But I will find a proper tool that will fit for cleaning the space between. I've never seen a ground or bond wire in a light nitch on the water side of the nitch. All nitches around here have a bonding lug on the outside. Now that I understand what I need to do to get things sealed I will find or make tools for the task. Thanks again.
hap

I use a cord stopper in the conduit & a little bit of pool putty around the braised fitting to ensure the leak is sealed. Most of my leaks come around the male adapter where the female threaded fitting is loose from bad chemical management.

Do no use butyl it does not adhear/stick to the housing very well use andersons 5min quik set underwater epoxy $65.00 per case 2parts in one stick works great saves time and $$$$

have heard of pumping silicone into conduit...works but makes it hard to replace light

The butyl works very well inside the conduit. Epoxy is the way to go if strong adhesion is required.

I had one repair service tell me that they use a can of high expansion insulation foam. They blow that into the conduit and voila, no more leak. But when I asked about light or liner replacement the reply was that they were there to repair the leak and were not concerned about what the future may bring. Nice guys!!!

I have always used Epoxy Bond two part epoxy to seal leaking conduits and have had fantastic results. I have seen the rubber "stoppers" that have cuts in them to allow for the cord and ground to go through and plug the conduit, but still opt for epoxy. Silicone should never be used for any underwater repairs as it deteriorates over time and makes an epoxy repair more difficult to bond to the material being sealed.

Snak23 & hap:
I use a combination, both are from Anderson's. Start with a 4 " strip of butyl tape. Wrap it around the rubber cord in the back of the light niche. Work the tape tight & force it up the conduit still wrapped around the cord. Then cover the opening with the epoxy putty(5 min quik set)& rerally work it in tight as well. Give it at least 10 minutes to set before attempting to coil cord back in the niche. If I can I will even leave it longer to set.
Tom

You can use a product called ArmorGuard underwater leak repair kit. its a 2 part epoxy, odorless and non toxic, I have used it on many pools and never had to go back once. www.ecosmartepoxysystems.com for more info on it.

This maybe old news to some but I've had Stainless Hayward light niches leak through the bonding lug connector.

I HEAR WAT U SAY BREHMCOM.HAVE EXPERIENCED SAME THING ON METAL NICHES. A COUPLE OF TIMES I FOUND THE COROSION HAD DISSOLVED THE NICHE SO BADLY THAT I SEALED THE ENTIRE NICHE WITH A LEXAN PLATE(VINYL)
ALLEN,JONAHUNDERWATER

Toilet bowl wax. the 2 part putty is the best. but toilet bowl wax is great for the fact that if you go to replace a light or a liner down the rode you don't have to worry about the removal. it's such a simple thing but effective. it is better to remove the wax from the ring and put it into a contain before you go to a customers pool though. looks more professional if you ask me

2pk epoxy offers at the most a very rigid non flexible seal, if packing it around a cable, the cable needs to sit stationary for at least 24 hrs before the light is fully reinstalled,...

Here in australia, i use a marine grade sikaflex that can be applied and squeezed into conduit and around the cable at the wall. This offers a highly durable and flexible seal. I also use a product called Emmerkit 2pk epoxy, but i either return to the property at an extra cost or instruct the pool owner to re-install the light once it has cured.

Cord stoppers cost about $3.50 use on every new light installation. Great insurance at a cheap price.

I tried to get cord stoppers before and wasn't able to get them. Where can I get them?

I've been very successful with hydrophilic sealers which expand on contact with water. I put the stuff in those little hypos that come with tooth whitening agents, stick it in the opening adjacent to the light cord and let it rip, as soon as it contacts the water it swells and seals the light, since it's flexible and sticky, no problems with the light cord.

Concerning "hydrophilic sealers", do you have a particular brand or where I could get such?

see below

When using butyl tape, pull off 8 to 10 inches. Roll into a ball and then flatten into a wafer about 1 inch X 2 inches. Wrap around cord and ground wire in a figure 8 pattern then push into conduit with a blunt ended tool such as a Phillips srewdriver. You can add more on top off needed. Never called back for a light leak redo.

thanks for the advice, I've never tried using the butyl tape that way. I'll use this on my next light repair.

I strongly urge not to use cord stoppers, while they seal the cord to the cord stopper, they do NOT seal the threads of the cord stoppers to the light conduit fitting, they would need an O ring or teflon tape or sealant at installation. With their front lip, it is almost impossible to check the threads. Pools will still leak about an 1/8+" more than evaporation(depending on pool size) with these properly installed. I've run numerous bucket tests to prove this. I have required my 6 builders to NOT use cord stoppers or I charge them additional each pool to automatically remove them. Have to unscrew and break/cut off. After 18 years experience, trying most everything, for ME ONLY what works best is quick set epoxy. After a thorough mixing, you have about 4 minutes to properly pack it. On any dive I check the light FIRST, if it needs repair I do that then. Cleaning all other materials out of coduit completely, then mixing, then installing quick set epoxy. I leave the light out, with cord undisturbed while I finish the rest of my dive, that way the cord doesn't open up while the epoxy hardens. After at least 15 minutes (depending on water temp, maybe more) the epoxy is usually hard enough to allow gently putting light back in, cord will not open up and leak. The last 7 years, I've never had to redo. In the past, I had too many redo's with butyl, because a customer or pool cleaner has changed a light bulb and disturbed the butyl. While it may be a couple hundred extra of income for me, I don't like doing that to my customers.

Doing what?

May I suggest putting a note in the junction box if you have sealed a cord with epoxy? That way the person pulling a new light fixture will know.

I know that this topic was started back in 2007 and is an old topic, but I need to clarify something for any new readers out there.

There is quite a divergence of opinions in this thread as to the best product and method to use to stop a leaking light niche or leaking conduit. If you truly want to be serviceable to your customer and forward thinking, you must NEVER PUT ANYTHING into the conduit that is not easily removed at a later date when the light needs to be replaced! That includes silicone sealants and epoxy!!

For those folks complaining that the butyl tape falls off, it is because they are not applying it correctly! BRRSCUBA (Bruce) stated very clearly, early in this thread, the proper method for applying butyl tape.

If the leak is AROUND the conduit connection and not IN the connection, epoxy can be used to seal where the conduit locking ring is loose or corroded away, but you need to make certain that you ONLY use the epoxy AROUND the conduit, and that you not cover or fill the hole with epoxy!!

Epoxy, silicone, foam and Sikaflex are permanent seals and will prevent light replacement in the future! You are doing a disservice to the customer if you use ANY of those products INSIDE the conduit!!

Butyl rubber for us on the whole, if its real bad will pull cable down into pool a few inches, smear it with silicone grease, push it back into conduit and then silicone seal. Never had a stuck cable.