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Why Does My LED Pool Light Flicker? Causes and Solutions
Pool lights flickering or flashing could be caused by many different problems - there are 6 leading causes I’ve identified.
Three of these could apply to any pool light, so we’ll tackle those first. The other three only apply specifically to low-voltage lights.
Faulty Wiring
One of the potentially apparent causes of a pool light flickering will be if there’s a loose wire connection somewhere.
If that’s the case, then the flickering will be irregular, and at times the bulb will constantly remain switched on.
That loose connection is very unlikely to be where the cable is wired into the light fixture itself unless there’s a reason the fixture could have been damaged.
Instead, it’s more likely to be at the junction box or the transformer if it’s a low-voltage light.
The solution is simple if you can find the problem - reconnect the wires, making sure they are secure within the connector you use.
Bulb Wearing Out
When LED bulbs wear out, they will typically just cut out - they don’t tend to show signs that they need replacing. But it can happen.
If the bulb is flickering and has shown signs of dimming, it is time to replace it, especially if you’ve had it for a long time.
Remember that LED pool lights - if they are good quality - should last 20,000+ hours.
But they could have a much shorter lifespan if you’ve bought them cheaply.
If you deduce that the bulb has worn out, you must replace it. Make sure you check the other potential causes first, though. Otherwise, you could buy a new bulb and have the same issues.
Water In The Fixture
If the gasket in the light fixture has failed and water has got into the light, this could be causing the current to short, making the bulb flicker.
If your lights are mains voltage, this should trip the GFCI, so you shouldn’t see your light flickering - it should just cut out.
But if the GFCI is faulty, or your lights are low voltage and not on a GFCI circuit, they may flicker.
The damage might not be terminal if water got into your lights.
Switch off the power, remove the light from the pool and open it up, draining the water and leaving it to thoroughly dry.
Once that’s done, replace the gasket, as that is what will have caused the leak. Next, replace the light and test that it works.
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Transformer Failing
Low voltage lights must be wired into a transformer, as that is the device that steps the current down from mains voltage to the 12-14V needed for the lights.
A suitable transformer designed for use with pool lights should last many years, but they are not infallible and, over time, can wear out.
When they do, it can cause problems powering the lights consistently, leading to flickering.
Use a multimeter to test the transformer. Follow the steps in the section about Hayward lights below.
If you find that you aren’t getting a consistent 14 volts from it, but the current running into it is 120 volts, then you need a new transformer.
Voltage Drop
If you have a long cable running from the transformer to your junction box, or you have too many low-voltage lights wired into the circuit, you might see flickering in your lights due to voltage drop.
Any electrical component, including wire, has a resistance that causes the voltage to slightly drop. But when dealing with a low voltage current, the significant drop can cause devices to be underpowered.
If you can identify that the lights only flicker when they are all connected to the circuit, but individually they work fine, you’ve overloaded the circuit, and the voltage drop is the issue.
You can replace the wire you’ve used from the transformer to the junction box with a thicker wire, but the better solution is to run some of the lights on a second circuit.
Light Glitching
Sometimes, LED lights will flicker and flash because they aren’t working correctly - especially with pool lights designed to move through different programs when switched on and off.
Whether it’s a glitch or your lights are on an actual flashing setting, this tends to be one of the easier problems to fix - a reset typically does the job.
For most lights, this means turning them off for two minutes before turning them on and off again. But with other lights, you may need to turn them on for 10-12 seconds, then turn them off and on.
It does vary by manufacturer, so check the manual for your lights if you have it. A reset can often resolve the problem with LED lights.
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