Pool Service & Repair- Folsom, CA - Mike the Poolman
Variable Speed Pool Pump
Installation and Rebates
  • Weekly Pool Service
    • Folsom Pool Service
    • El Dorado Hills Pool Service
  • Expert Pool Repair
    • Pool Pump & Pool Motor Repair
    • Variable Speed Pool Pumps & Rebates (SMUD, PG&E)
    • Pool Automation & Electronic Controls
    • Pool Electrical Repair
    • Pool Filter Repair
    • Pool Gas Heater
    • Swimming Pool & Spa Drain Cover Safety Upgrades & Replacements
    • Broken Pool Plaster, Calcium Nodules, Plaster Delamination, Pop Offs
    • Pool Fertilizer Stains / Nail Stains / Iron Stain Removal
    • Pool Rebar – Rebar Bleeds and Rebar Stains
    • Why you Shouldn’t Drain Your Pool !
  • Variable Speed Pool Pumps
    • Title 20 Energy Law Info for Swimming Pool Pumps
  • About
    • History
    • Our Team
    • On-line Reviews
    • Swimming Pool Photos
    • Customer Testimonials
    • Mike the Poolman Press Archive
    • Pool Service Employment/ Careers
  • Pool Blog
  • Contact Mike

Home > Pool light bulb replacement (and why you cant find anyone to replace a bulb)

Pool light bulb replacement (and why you cant find anyone to replace a bulb)

July 31, 2018 by Mike the Poolman 1 Comment

 Have you ever tried to hire a pool professional to change the pool light bulb in your pool? Have you been having trouble finding someone? You’re not alone. 
There aren’t many pool service companies that will replace pool light bulbs. Do you know why? I do and I’ll explain in detail:

Many years ago when I was a young pool boy I used to replace pool bulbs for everyone and I soon found out that no matter how careful I was, no matter how much time I took, no matter what tricks of the trade I used, light fixtures would still randomly leak. I figured about 1 in 5 pool bulbs that I replaced would allow water to leak into the fixture within a year. And, when water gets inside the pool fixture housing, the whole fixture should be replaced for safety. The conversation usually went like this: “Gosh Mike, I’m really sorry that the light leaked but I know you warranty your work and I know the fixture should be replaced for safety so I guess we’ll need a new fixture…” And being the stand-up company that we are, we would replace the entire pool light fixture at no additional cost to the customer and lose money while doing so.

A pool light bulb retails for about $30-40. A new pool light gasket for the fixture is about $25. Labor for the repair would be $100-150. Profit on a successful job would be about $120. The cost of a new fixture is about $200 (wholesale). So for every five bulb replacements I would make $600 and then have to eat $200 plus my call-back labor on the light fixture that leaked. So, that’s six times I’ve visited a pool and I’ve netted $400 in addition/ minus the extra warranty labor. All told that’s about $50 profit per job which just isn’t enough income to make light bulb replacement worth while :(.

Pool light bulb replacement technicians are difficult to find because even the best techs can’t guarantee that the light wont leak. With every one out of five fixtures leaking, the call-back percentage is just too high so pool tech’s refuse to replace a pool light bulb. What the pool guy will replace is the entire fixture. After mark-up and labor a traditional halogen white light fixture is about $500 (LED lights are MUCH more expensive). There’s a big difference between $500 and $150! Its not fair to the customer to have to pay $500 for a burnt out bulb yet its bad business to constantly be warrantying lights with new fixtures.

Its a tough situation but because pool light fixtures leak so often pool service companies wont perform pool light bulb replacement.

Sincerely,
Mike the Poolman

P.S.
And for the record: we will only replace bulbs for customer’s we have on our weekly pool service route. And, we specifically inform them that we cannot warranty the light if it leaks (many customers opt for replacing the entire fixture and getting the warranty). Otherwise, we will NOT replace a pool light bulb.

Filed Under: Equipment Repair, General Pool Info Tagged With: light fixture, pool light, pool light bulb, pool lights, replace pool light bulb

Comments

  1. Marc says

    October 25, 2018 at 6:34 pm

    Very well said.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

twenty + 3 =

Swimming Pool News

The Art of Good Swimming Pool Plaster Color

The Art of Good Swimming Pool Plaster Color

November 27, 2018 By Mike the Poolman Leave a Comment

The History of Pool Plaster Problems: Pool Builders, Service Techs, Pool Owners Undermined

The History of Pool Plaster Problems: Pool Builders, Service Techs, Pool Owners Undermined

November 15, 2018 By Mike the Poolman Leave a Comment

How will SMUD’s 2019 rate change affect my pool pump operating costs?

How will SMUD’s 2019 rate change affect my pool pump operating costs?

October 15, 2018 By Mike the Poolman Leave a Comment

Pool light bulb replacement (and why you cant find anyone to replace a bulb)

Pool light bulb replacement (and why you cant find anyone to replace a bulb)

July 31, 2018 By Mike the Poolman 1 Comment

NEWS FLASH: SMUD to reduce variable speed pool pump rebate from $350 to $250 effective September 1, 2018

NEWS FLASH: SMUD to reduce variable speed pool pump rebate from $350 to $250 effective September 1, 2018

July 30, 2018 By Mike the Poolman Leave a Comment

Pool Service & Repair

  • Folsom Pool Service
  • El Dorado Hills Pool Service
  • Variable Speed Pool Pump Installation
  • Swimming Pool Pump & Motor Repair
  • Title 20 Energy Law Information
  • Swimming Pool Electronic Controls
  • Swimming Pool Electrical Repair
  • Swimming Pool Filter Repair
  • Swimming Pool Heater Repair
  • Swimming Pool Hand Rail Installation
  • MAKE A PAYMENT by CC

Underwater Pool Repair

  • Swimming Pool Drain Covers
  • What is Underwater Repair?
  • Why NOT Drain your Pool
  • Swimming Pool Pop Offs
  • Fertilizer & Nail Stains
  • Rebar Stains
  • VGB Compliance
  • Plastic Step Repair
  • Unblockable Drains
  • Pool Rope Anchors
  • The Bucket Test for Leaks

Mike The Poolman

    705 E Bidwell Street #2-299
    Folsom, CA 95630
    916-985-POOL
    EMAIL: (click here)

    Jobs/ Careers

Mike the Poolman

Search

© 2019 MikeThePoolMan.com
Google Reviews
Privacy Statement · Contact Us · Sitemap