External 12-volt outlets

The UV in my part of the world (Eastern Caribbean) is so strong that it destroys many/most plastic items left outside for any length of time. For this reason I store my nav lights, compass, GPS and sounder displays etc inside and only mount them when required. I have used SeaDog 12 volt polarized outlets to supply power as they are well made and unobtrusive when not in use. They come with a flexible pastic cap that keeps out dirt and moisture.

My problem is that the plastic caps disintegrate into a crumbly sticky mess after a year or so despite all being in areas protected by Sunbrella covers. Replacement caps are hard to find and relatively expensive, especially if changing several of them each year or so.

I would appreciate any ideas on alternatives. The cap has an inside diameter of 15/16".

FYI - the SeaDog part numbers are
426142-1 Polarized outlet complete with plug and cap
426143-1 Outlet only
426144-1 Plug only
426149-1 Replacement cap (special order only)

Greetings,
Mr. S. Maybe buy some of these in bulk and poke a hole and fasten a small chain to dangle the cap while in use. Maybe not greater longevity but surely much cheaper than factory supplied. Vinyl Caps and Plugs Dip Molded Vinyl Caps and Plugs From COMPLEX PLASTICS 1-888-PLASTIK 1-800-363-2870 SUPPLIER OF INDUSTRIAL PLASTIC MATERIALS

Thanks RT - that looks like some interesting reading.

If its for plugging and un plupging , I find the 15 or 20A 240V plugs and sockets the best .They are polarized and self wiping in use.

They can be installed in a weather proof (rain is fine , underwater is not) style box from any hardware shop.

A cont. run with a seal is better for things that are installed , not unplugged.

Why not just get new caps but store them out of the sun till you need them. Or hardwire the lights. Is there any reason you need to unplug them on a regular basis?

Or you could change the outlets to this style that has hard caps on chains.

http://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--electrical-connectors--P009_275_007_007

The Sea-Dog outlet is a copy of a Perko outlet. The Perko cap may fit and be more UV resistant. I'll see what I can find out for you.

It looks like you could just put masking tape over the outlets and use new tape each time. Other types of tape might work better.


Better yet, buy some spare male plugs and just use them as covers.

Thanks all for a good range of options. Hop, I will be very interested in what you find. Otherwise I will go with RT's solution.

How about a one inch long piece of PVC pipe hot glued or some type of sealant around the female portion. and to the bulkhead.


Drill a hole in the bottom if water does get in.


Use a PVC pipe cap as the cover.


Adjust sizing as needed, keep a few spares, can hang the cover with a piece of string or beaded chain.

psneeld said:

How about a one inch long piece of PVC pipe hot glued or some type of sealant around the female portion. and to the bulkhead.


Drill a hole in the bottom if water does get in.


Use a PVC pipe cap as the cover.


Adjust sizing as needed, keep a few spares, can hang the cover with a piece of string or beaded chain.

Click to expand...

I like it!!


Improvement could be to use a threaded fitting with a threaded cap, but tis a good idea.

I looked into the Perko version. I can't tell if the cover is interchangeable with the Seadog. Perko doesn't list the cover as a spare part anyway. Perko uses black plastic which is more UV resistant than white plastic. Unfortunately it looks like the only way to get the cover is to buy the Perko fitting which is horribly expensive. The Perko part number for the complete fitting is 1189DP0CHR. I've got five of them left.

PSN: That's a clever idea and worth considering.

Hop: Thanks for the try, much appreciated.