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Durite LED tunnel light.


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My tunnel light has been slowly filling up with water since I fitted it three years ago. It appears to be a sealed unit, can see no way of opening it up. It works fine but never seems to dry out even over summer. It’s tucked away under the cabin roof fringe thingy as well. I wondered if it was condensation. Anyone had this problem and sorted it out? Thought of drilling a small hole in its base. All sensible suggestions gratefully received. Should add it has about 12 mm or half inch of water inside. Thanks all.

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I think your problem might be that it is designed to be the other way up - i.e. yours is mounted upside down.  Quite possibly water is getting in through the bottom where the lip is sloping inwards.  You could try putting some silicone round once you have got it dry (if that is possible).  I would be reluctant to drill a hole in the case without knowing what is on the other side; are you sure you can't get the back off?

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I agree with dor that it is upside down, I think the lens is sprung into the casing. If you look carefully at it there may be an indent where you can get a screwdriver in to spring it out. Best done when the case is warmed with a hair dryer or even the sun.

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13 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

What?  These excessively bright led tunnel lights leak and fail prematurely?  Marvellous! There is a God! 

 

(He's clearly also Chinese and has probably been blinded in a tunnel)

I don't think the OP said it had failed.

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15 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

What?  These excessively bright led tunnel lights leak and fail prematurely?  Marvellous! There is a God! 

 

(He's clearly also Chinese and has probably been blinded in a tunnel)

Do we actually know this is an excessively bright example of the genre?


It looks a lot more modest than many.
 

I also think it looks like it is probably mounted the wrong way up.

Where does the cable enter it?  Could that be where water is getting in?

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4 hours ago, Sea Dog said:

What?  These excessively bright led tunnel lights leak and fail prematurely?  Marvellous! There is a God! 

 

(He's clearly also Chinese and has probably been blinded in a tunnel)

6 x 3W bulbs

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Thanks to those that have made useful suggestions. I didn’t know that there was a correct way up for this light. I have taken it off and left it in various positions but no water leaks out. Can see no drain hole anywhere.  The cable enters centrally through a rear sealed gland. I think the glass maybe a sprung fit but I’ve tried to gently flick it out without success. Bit worried il crack the glass with anymore force. I think il look at making up a bracket so I can turn it the right way up and see if that sorts the problem. To those who were less than helpful il add that it hasn’t failed. It is not particularly bright. It is directed up at roof and many people I pass in tunnels comment that it causes no glare to them at all! Some people here do talk rubbish. Thanks again to most of you, il update in a while after I’ve got it the right way up.

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I think that the main problem with led lights is not so much the brightness - though some are stupid bright - but the colour temperature, ie they are very white, so a lot of blue light that degrades night vision and takes a long while to recover, sadly the older you are the longer it takes.  So if/when you can buy ‘warm’ colour lamps it will help old people - like me - coming towards you if you replace those very ‘cool’ temperature lights that you have now.

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8 minutes ago, Chewbacka said:

I think that the main problem with led lights is not so much the brightness - though some are stupid bright - but the colour temperature, ie they are very white, so a lot of blue light that degrades night vision and takes a long while to recover, sadly the older you are the longer it takes.  So if/when you can buy ‘warm’ colour lamps it will help old people - like me - coming towards you if you replace those very ‘cool’ temperature lights that you have now.

I take your point but as I said it’s really a very friendly light to be approaching. Pointed very much upwards and not silly bright. Completely agree that some lights are way to bright and often directed poorly. Not only LED though is it? 

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7 minutes ago, ianali said:

I take your point but as I said it’s really a very friendly light to be approaching. Pointed very much upwards and not silly bright. Completely agree that some lights are way to bright and often directed poorly. Not only LED though is it? 

I was only talking generally and not implying that yours is unreasonable.  These led headlights on cars are now being investigated as there are large numbers of drivers adversely affected by oncoming cars resulting in poor night vision.  So on balance probably made the roads less safe.  Don’t get me started on overbright daylight running lights in the mornings and evenings, hate them..........

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Most cars now have the boring SUV style now, they all look the same and the only way to distingquish one from the other is to have different crazy light displays, front and rear. Its like Blackpool illuminations, day and night.  Even the Americans say its one big dazzle over here. I blame Volvo for starting it years ago.

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Here is an example of an adaptation for a very traditionally styled new build....a masthead lamp with an electric lamp installed with a mirror to reflect the light. Paintwork by Phil Speight.  

 

 

 

A0851499-B8A7-4501-BCA5-FBCA344CA697.jpeg

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51 minutes ago, dave moore said:

Here is an example of an adaptation for a very traditionally styled new build....a masthead lamp with an electric lamp installed with a mirror to reflect the light. Paintwork by Phil Speight.  

 

 

 

A0851499-B8A7-4501-BCA5-FBCA344CA697.jpeg

 

Beautiful ?

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On 08/05/2018 at 11:41, ianali said:

My tunnel light has been slowly filling up with water since I fitted it three years ago. It appears to be a sealed unit, can see no way of opening it up. It works fine but never seems to dry out even over summer. It’s tucked away under the cabin roof fringe thingy as well. I wondered if it was condensation. Anyone had this problem and sorted it out? Thought of drilling a small hole in its base. All sensible suggestions gratefully received. Should add it has about 12 mm or half inch of water inside. Thanks all.

image.jpg

That is the exact lamp I have. We have two fitted one either side at the pointy end angled upwards so no light cast forward unlike those orrible car headlight jobbies SOME boaters use ?

Mine are mounted same way as yours and I have just looked at them after reading this post and mine have rubber grommets sealing the wire and no water in them but on close inspection there is condensation present. I came thro Blisworth tunnel today and they are great giving a full arc of light across the roof of the tunnel without shining light at oncoming boats ( six today )  they get hot as proved today with the fifty billion gallons of water deposited on them ( and me ) in the tunnel today and lots of steam but they appear to do the job admirably.

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My boats usual tunnel light below, lit for Foulridge Tunnel in 2012. A copper ships stern light with a single car halogen bulb inside and a reflector made of kitchen foil. Plenty bright enough and a flat spread of light over the walls and roof. For one way working tunnels there is now a home made LED light, but too antisocial if there are boats coming the other way. Made to do Standedge last year. Lights are kept inside and mounted if there is a tunnel scheduled for that day.

Jen

 

foulridge-light.JPG

Edited by Jen-in-Wellies
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Well I’ve turned mine upside down so it’s the right way up now. Il see if it dries out. Maybe it’s a build up of condensation, seems possible as mrsmelly has some in his too. Let’s face it his have been well leak tested...

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The headlights on my car have breather holes in them (quite large, maybe 1/2” diameter) with a hose attached, to prevent condensation build-up. Just like in a boat, ventilation is the ‘cure’ to avoid condensation I think. 

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15 hours ago, WotEver said:

The headlights on my car have breather holes in them (quite large, maybe 1/2” diameter) with a hose attached, to prevent condensation build-up. Just like in a boat, ventilation is the ‘cure’ to avoid condensation I think. 

Yes like I said, I would drill a couple of holes.

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I have the light a few days correct way up, no drop in the water level. Yesterday I drilled a 1 mm hole in the plastic lens, bottom corner. Left it a few hours, no water came out. I assumed this suggested that the unit is sealed. Drilled a further hole top of lens and our poured the water. So, no idea how it was filling up,but hopefully fixed now. Thanks to all for your input. Edit to add guess it was condensation.

Edited by ianali
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