Replacing Interior Lightbulb

May 28, 2016
65
Hunter 23.5 Lake Nockamixon
How many Irishmen does it take to change a light bulb? Apparently more than just me! Among my long list of winter maintenance chores I thought this would be one of the simplest, but I can't figure out how to open it and do not want to risk damaging the fixture. I'm sure it's simple, any advice is appreciated!
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,733
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
Snap a picture of the fixture with your phone and post it. What model, year of boat or fixture?
Someone here will know.
It may just pry off with a slot head screw driver, look closely for a slot along the seam. Some casings need to have the tabs pushed in at the same time. They will have a slot for that. I have found myself working to open a bezel only to discover the whole unit came down and I had to access it from the back. Apparently, two Irishmen aren't enough sometimes either.
 
May 28, 2016
65
Hunter 23.5 Lake Nockamixon
Thanks, it's a 1993 Hunter 23.5, fairly certain it's original to the boat. I'll have to send a picture when I have an opportunity.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
And sometimes it's as easy as just twisting the black bezel around the flat glass below the lamp. Not an Irishman, but have changed many. :) Lat time I did, I couldn't get the new lamp in. Turns out one of the old lamp's thin little prongs got stuck inside the holder. Needed to grab the tweezers to get it out! :) Good boat tool kits will have tweezers!!! Who woulda thought???
 
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Likes: Will Gilmore
Jun 2, 2004
649
Hunter 23.5 Calgary, Canada
Are your fixtures like this?



If so, there are 4 little tabs holding the clear lens in place. I remove them by slipping something thin and flat (little a tiny screwdriver) between the clear lens and the solid fixture and prying the tip of the screwdriver towards the center of the light and then down and out. I can't remember if these tabs can be anywhere or if the lens is always clicked into place in the same orientation. For example, the 4 tabs might be with one lined up with the on/off rocker switch, or 45 deg away from it. Or, the position could be random!
 
May 28, 2016
65
Hunter 23.5 Lake Nockamixon
Thanks, but yours look like upgraded lights or perhaps they changed them after 93'? Mine do not have a rocker switch, they are turned on by twisting the entire fixture. I will post a picture at my earliest opportunity. By the way the interior looks awesome, did you install a locker in the bow end of the v berth? Great idea!
 

Doug J

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May 2, 2005
1,192
Hunter 26 Oceanside, CA
Is it like this? If so, push in and turn counterclockwise. The lens will then drop out. My boat is a 94', I had the same question. I couldn't figure out how to open it either and someone on this forum had the answer.
20150612_193913.jpg
 

Doug J

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May 2, 2005
1,192
Hunter 26 Oceanside, CA
May 28, 2016
65
Hunter 23.5 Lake Nockamixon
As it turned out it wasn't the festoon bulb, the fixture is bad. Apparently this fixture was discontinued early in the Hunter 23.5 production and replaced with the type seen in the picture of the 95 model sent above. Since the bad fixture is above the saloon table, I'm going to replace it with the one hidden in the rear berth and replace that one with one of the new fixtures in the previous posts. I may decide to replace all of them. Thanks for everyone's help!
 
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Likes: kloudie1
Jun 14, 2010
2,082
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
If you don’t have LEDs it’s time to upgrade all. One incandescent bulb in your boat (or house) uses more power than all the LEDs combined, and it’s worth replacing the old incandescent bulbs even if they’re good. I’m also replacing Floresent bulbs with LED as they fail, because the fluorescent bulbs contain mercury and that’s bad for environmental impact.
 

Doug J

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May 2, 2005
1,192
Hunter 26 Oceanside, CA
As it turned out it wasn't the festoon bulb, the fixture is bad. Apparently this fixture was discontinued early in the Hunter 23.5 production and replaced with the type seen in the picture of the 95 model sent above. Since the bad fixture is above the saloon table, I'm going to replace it with the one hidden in the rear berth and replace that one with one of the new fixtures in the previous posts. I may decide to replace all of them. Thanks for everyone's help!
I don't think much can go wrong with those fixtures. Open it up clean all contacts. Should be easy to get it to work. I think those are good quality lights. I really like how the entire fixture glows, they're nice lights, made a long time ago when things were better quality than what we buy these days.
 
May 28, 2016
65
Hunter 23.5 Lake Nockamixon
I switched the fixture from the rear berth to the one over the saloon and it worked, thankfully no wiring issues! I'll try to clean up the contacts and use it in the rear berth and see if it works. Thanks!
 
May 28, 2016
65
Hunter 23.5 Lake Nockamixon
I switched the fixture from the rear berth to the one over the saloon and it worked, thankfully no wiring issues! I'll try to clean up the contacts and use it in the rear berth and see if it works. Thanks!
It unfortunately did not work in the rear berth, will need to replace the fixture, at least it's not an issue with being a match with the others in the rear berth.
 

Doug J

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May 2, 2005
1,192
Hunter 26 Oceanside, CA
Did you clean up the contacts, check the spring tension on the festoon contacts? I really can't see how much could go wrong with those. Basically it's like connecting a positive and negative wire from the battery to the poles on the bulb. Just with an open/close switch. You could always tinker with it on the bench with a 12 volt battery.