Life Belt Lights

**mobeydick** · 30-12-05, 09:41

As most lights on horseshoe-shaped life belts spend 99.99% of their life upside down, why do manufacturers design the lens to screw OVER the body of the light - so rain water runs down inside? Surely better that the lens screwed INTO the body so that rain runs off? I think the rubber washer would keep the sea out for the few hours it may actualy be needed 'right way up'.

Are there any designed like this, or have I just been unlucky?

**Ships_Cat** · 30-12-05, 09:55

As best as I can recall the ones I have come across screw over the body as you say. There may be some that don't, but for those that do and have o'rings for seals, I replace the o'rings with decent ones from an engineers' supplier as on the cheaper lights they are generally of very poor quality and stretch when screwed down onto and then prone to leak.

John

30-12-05, 10:00

Full size Commercial Ships job .... which as you say has the lens screw on over the body.

I don't find water getting into the lens or light .... but a problem that cannot be fixed is condensation inside the lens fogging it up. If you open the lens and change batterys on a cold dry winters day - lens is nearly always clear throughout the year .... do the same job on a warm balmy summers day ..... then you soon find on a cooler day the lens fogging up.

**mobeydick** · 30-12-05, 10:19

Walk along any marina and you will see many lights with pools of water in the bottom. And the safety checks organised by the RNLI find many U/S lights of this type.

It seems to me there would be little cost difference in doing the better design. Maybe Jimmy Green ought to get in there...

**Talbot** · 30-12-05, 10:45

Had no problems with mine over the last 18 years - possibly cause I always use silicon grease on the threads and O ring.

30-12-05, 10:59

Vaseline, Silicon grease, even ordinary grease !

**poter** · 30-12-05, 11:12

Nigel,

just a thought isnt there a potential problem with vaseline &/or other grease reacting with some metals? & the preference these days is for silicon grease in nearly all applications for seals?

poter

30-12-05, 11:18

But the lights are generally HD Plastic anyway - so whats the problem ??

**jerryat** · 30-12-05, 11:32

Yep! Agree with you and Talbot, silicon grease will do nicely!! It does also pay to renew the 'O' rings from time to time though, as we find they tend to flatten as described above and open up the risk of leaking.

Both mine seem to be happy with this sort of maintenance and we've only once had a drop or two in one of the lights, in many years of sailing.

Considering the use this kit is designed for, the standard of construction even on my 'expensive' ones leaves a lot to be desired IMHO.

**Ships_Cat** · 30-12-05, 11:39

Am another grease user for the lights (Dare I confess to using Vaseline? As is easy to buy straight off the supermarket shelf and never had a problem with it).

John