Do I have to drain the pool to reapply the caulking ,when changing the pool light?

Question

there is what looks like cauking were the electric wire comes thru the nitch for the pool light , what is the purpuse of this if the wire is water proof and the wire exits 75 feet away aboveground before conecting to the power source.

Answer 1

Normally it is not sealed. If the light niche is sealed where the conduit is connected then it probably means it was leaking at some point in time.

If it is silicone then it can be removed without draining, but you wont be able to re-seal it with silicone underwater. If its a hard substance like epoxy, you would most likely have to drain the pool to remove the sealant. Either way you are better off sealing it back up after you change the light.

Answer 2

you should call a pool guy or electrician

most pool lights will over heat if you caulk them, they are designed to sit in water if the pool was wired correctly gravity with keep the water in the pool, the conduit should run uphill away from the pool so the hole at  the end of the conduit is higher than the water level in the pool

page 6 of this link has a diagram

http://www.jandy-downloads.com/pdfs/H056...

*********every situation is unique so please call a pro

********check with a pro because i cant see your pool light, I would need to be there to know for sure