# Outdoor & Pool Lighting Troubleshooting



## HauteShots (Dec 19, 2010)

I recently moved into a new property that was a bank repo and I am slowly working through trying to fix many problems. This weeks challenge is trouble shooting the outdoor landscaping lighting and pool lights.

Right next to my pool pump is a bunch of controls.:

1) Intermatic Timing Control Center 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





2) Hampton Bay outdoor lighting controller?: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




3) I have no idea what this is: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




A) The Hampton bay box plugs into a socket on the Intermatic. I tested the power of the outlet and it is live and the Hampton bay is getting power. I also searched all over the Hampton Bay controller and there is no model number. According to the instructions on the front of the HB you can push the button of the face repeatedly to select from six functions but nothing seems to happen when you do.  Additionally, of course the outdoor lighting is not working at all. How do i trouble shoot this unit?

b) Also what is the box that is on the ground and has a fan on it in picture #3? It has a cover (its off in the photo) and looks like it is attached to the HB too. Is that a AC to DC converter for the lighting?

C) The lights inside the pool are not working. First, I am not even sure where to turn them on from. Is that controlled by the HB or is that controlled by the Intermatic? 


Thank you for any help anyone can provide.


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## derbylea (Jul 13, 2014)

We have that pool timer.  The little dial is the automatic time on and off for the pool pump.  The lights could be one of those big white switches or it could be the things labeled GFC light.  Ours was actually labeled pool light.  The red handle under the yellow dial is the manual on off for the pool pump.  In the middle it is set to timer, if you move it one way (ours is to the right) its on and then the other way is off.

We also have the hampton bay thing.  Its a light transformer.  It controls your outdoor lighting.  There is a push button to turn off or on the lights or put them on a timer.  If its not working your photo cell might be bad.  I found some directions for it here:  http://fallingwaterdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/hamptonbaytransformer.pdf
HTH


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## CallMeVilla (Jul 13, 2014)

Nice job, Derby ...  The power coming out of the transformer is probably 12VAC, depending on your system.  It steps down the 110VAC to a lower voltage. You can use a volt meter to confirm this. If your 110VAC receptacle has no power ... well you might have gotten lucky!  Solve that problem and you could be good!

Depending on the size of your lighting design, you might have one or more zones being fed by this transformer.  A quick look inside will reveal the power connections.  Again, your volt meter can show you how much voltage is being fed into each zone.

Start at the closest light fixture and check if it is receiving power.  Frequently, the problem is only burned out bulbs.  Plan on buying a fist full to get the system operating again.  I recently replaced 75% of the bulbs on a whole yard system. Typical clip on power leads can be a pain in the arse ... but checking for sufficient voltage is your key.  Some lights are hard wired with wire nuts or heat shrink tubing.  Make sure these have not corroded or gotten water inside.  Sloppy connections are a common reason for lights not working.

Work systematically thru your layout until you are sure the power and the bulbs are working.

Here is a helpful video to get you oriented

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aleG6Yj4V-0[/ame]

Good??


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