engine room lites

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
lipets

lipets

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2019
Messages
469
Location
USA
Vessel Make
Benneteau Swift 42
I want to add some add'l visibility anyone come across some bright 12v LED's to use
 
While bright is good, more fixtures works better at eliminating shadows. There are a couple of theads on LED strip lights and putting them in protective fixtures. They also seem quite inexpensive.

Ted
 
Since our boat is diesel we don’t have to use ignition protected lights. We bought LED lights from Amazon and they are really bright and consume so little power we leave them on all the time we are running so the engine room camera works in color instead of grays while using infared light.
 
Very happy with these led strip I bought from amazon. Cheap, easy to install and effective.

https://www.amazon.com/Interior-Amp...t=&hvlocphy=9033319&hvtargid=pla-570250549815

IMG_2516.jpg56807587118__48F3E949-3102-408F-93FD-232ED7BE307A.jpgIMG_2523.jpg
 
Last edited:
Be aware that some LEDs can interfere with your VHF and AIS as explained in this article from Boatus:
https://www.boatus.com/magazine/2019/february/are-led-lights-causing-radio-interference.asp

The overhead bulbs in my salon, pilothouse and staterooms all cause interference while wall mounted sconces with LED bulbs do not interfere. I make it a point to not leave the overhead lights on while running or using VHF.

Your best bet for marine capable LEDs would probably be Marinebeam. https://store.marinebeam.com/
 
I’m not sure I understand your question about string separation. I installed three lengths of lights all wired in series and connected to two three way switches (one on each end of the engine room) all wired into a dedicated breaker.
 
I have the explosive proof fixtures, ran on 12vdc edison socket screw in bulbs, wow were those a poor choice, dim and burnt out fast and got hot. I kept the bases and rewired for 120vac and used LED bright screw in bulbs, made a big difference, it is worth it. I also have loads of AC power available and 2 inverters which can run them. All on a gfci circuit of course. I also use typical plug in trouble light with an led screw in bulb, they just never break, or it seems so.

A mix of keeping what was good about the old and adding what was good about the new turned them into good light sources.

Other nice thing, my same Carling breaker switch with white handle was rated for AC use and has been fine not running on DC.

LED sure can save a lot of power, I also re socketed all my DC interior fixtures to G4 sockets and G4 cylindrical bulbs. I added an extra socket to most and three g4 sockets in one fixture, and they are nice and bright.

You can buy b15d to G4 adapters and G4 sockets cheap from Aliexpress, and bulbs too. Some bulbs I bought from Amazon.
Since they no longer get hot, I drilled an angled small hole in the reflector and epoxy them in. No the epoxy has not failed in a years use.

I put in 2 LED bulbs in each fixture as I wanted a brighter light.
These are good and bright and can be dimmed with an LED dimmer.
The bulbs are physically smaller than the ones I bought from Aliexpress, but put out same amount of warm white light.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XNMFBMS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
Last edited:
We have four strips of waterproof LED strips in our engine room, all wired to a single switched DC point.
 

Attachments

  • FHD0001 (Medium).jpg
    FHD0001 (Medium).jpg
    115.5 KB · Views: 85
I replaced all my interior lighting with inexpensive, all plastic (no rust) LED lights. I am very pleased with themIMG_0433.jpg
 
Be careful putting LED lights low on the engine room walls. If they are bright, they may blind you while you're working or worse trying to make repairs in bad weather.



I have used SMD5050 light strips in many locations. They are bright and can be powered directly off 12v. Some can change colors with a controller. I used relays with switches and fused the relay, switch, and lights just in case. They are molded in silicone but the sticky tape backing can sometimes be weak. a little extra contact cement will help. Also, the four-digit number indicates the brightness on LED strips. The lower the number the dimmer they are. 5050 is about the brightest and 2835 is about the dimmest.


https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers...6317aef890f1b08df4576ba09eed38&language=en_US
 
I added a 5m strip of LEDs from superbrightleds.com to the existing circuit. I've still got capacity on that circuit and I keep intending to put anaother 5m strip on it, but haven't gotten a round tuit yet....

-Chris
 
Eng rm lites

I’m not sure why you want LEDs. I bought several Napa automotive back up lights, very inexpensive and very bright and easy to mount. 360° Of lite.
Power consumption should not be a serious matter considering time spent in an engine room
 
skipperguy said:
I’m not sure why you want LEDs. I bought several Napa automotive back up lights, very inexpensive and very bright and easy to mount. 360° Of lite.
Power consumption should not be a serious matter considering time spent in an engine room
Click to expand...

Leave 'em on accidentally overnight on anchor and you'll wish you had LEDs.

DAMHIK
 
I have LEDs in the engine room. I have accidentally left them on a couple of times and was glad they were LED.
 
Down here in the Deep South I ran two caged globe explosion proof fixtures with 100-Watt incandescents in the winter time t keep the ER of my trawler dry and unfrozen (whenever we hit the 20s). I ran 12-volt LED strips for general good lighting when doing engine work. I liked 12- volts because I could run them without the generator if needed when at sea in an emergency. I do not do inverters in my boats.
 
boathealer said:
We have four strips of waterproof LED strips in our engine room, all wired to a single switched DC point.
Click to expand...

Ray: Would you please stop showing pictures of that expansive engine room?! I hate your guts.

That aside, are all those strips on a single switch?
 
healhustler said:
Ray: Would you please stop showing pictures of that expansive engine room?! I hate your guts.

That aside, are all those strips on a single switch?
Click to expand...

LOL! :oops:

Yes - all connected to same switch. All four strips consume about 1/6 the power of the two incandescent lights that were in there originally!
 
dhays said:
ER lights are the only thing I accidentally leave on more than my anchor light.:banghead:
Click to expand...

My engine room light is not a problem to remember to turn off (there's a door), but we have a bosun's locker that was a constant problem as the switch was way down inside.

Here is something I did for that hatch light that you might add that might help.

Automatic Hatch Light
 
These are by far amazing engine room lights .... No shadows bright pricey but well worth it . Scandvik no 41389P. The real deal.
 
bgillroy said:
These are by far amazing engine room lights .... No shadows bright pricey but well worth it . Scandvik no 41389P. The real deal.
Click to expand...

What makes them any more the "real deal" than others?
They produce light.
 
I think, the type of lights is important. They must be something maybe 'ignition safe/proof' if it is a gas powered boat. Diesels are not prone to such extreme limitations.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Juliet 15
Battery Bank Expansion Question
Replies
14
Views
1K
Flatswing
Flatswing
D
Help with Bulb ID and LED Replacement
Replies
23
Views
2K
DBG8492
D
C
Low Pressure Fuel Pump
Replies
4
Views
457
cbouch
C
A
Hurley H2O Davit
Replies
4
Views
600
Todd R
Todd R
P
Cutlass bearing replacement
Replies
11
Views
2K
Martin J
Martin J

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom