I have a 1994 Hunter 33.5 and my steaming light will come on only some times, other times will not. It seems also if i leave it on for a little while it will finally come on. Also my anchor light is not working. Any suggestions before I go up the mast?
Anchor and Steaming Light
- Thread starter We Will Sea
- Start date
- Status
Assuming you have standard incandescent light bulb - you can conduct a continuity test from the light switch to each of them. The resistance should be near zero. If it is more than 50 ohm - then you have a burned out light bulb. There is a very little chance that you have broken wire. The only other problem is corroded connections at the light fixture. Have a spare bulb in your hand and a volt meter turn on the switch and climb the mast. Measure the voltage when you are at the light fixure - you must have 12 volts. Good luck - let us know how it went
If you end up going up the stick, you should also take some emory cloth and electrical contact cleaner. It is a good chance that there is dirt/corrosion on the contacts/bulb.
Before going aloft it would be wise to make sure the power is at least getting as far as the base of the mast. There will be a connector of some sort there and you will need to access it and, either using a meter or a 12 volt bulb on wires, to test that when the switches are on the meter shows 12V or the test bulb lights.
No need to disconnect anything and if power is there then the intermittent fault is upwards!
A meter only costs a few dollars or you can make a test bulb by buying a small bulbholder, fitting a pair of wires and a 12v bulb. Or, if you are good at soldering, then just solder a wire onto each bulb contact.
Either way you will surely have need for it on other occasions.
If both lights are out then look for a fault in the common earth return wire (if there is one).
No need to disconnect anything and if power is there then the intermittent fault is upwards!
A meter only costs a few dollars or you can make a test bulb by buying a small bulbholder, fitting a pair of wires and a 12v bulb. Or, if you are good at soldering, then just solder a wire onto each bulb contact.
Either way you will surely have need for it on other occasions.
If both lights are out then look for a fault in the common earth return wire (if there is one).
Corrosion on the socket
Clearly you are getting power to the bulb if it comes on at all. Since 99.44% of all electrical problems are corrosion and you state that you can get it to come on by leaving it on for a while I'd bet beans to bullets that it is just a corroded socket. In addition to emery cloth/sandpaper be sure you take a flash light, and wood dowel. the flash light to see what you are doing down in the hole and the wood dowel to force the sandpaper onto the contacts in a precise fashion. Fingers just can't get to some parts and those are the ones where electrical contact is generally made. it is a Murphy thing!
Clearly you are getting power to the bulb if it comes on at all. Since 99.44% of all electrical problems are corrosion and you state that you can get it to come on by leaving it on for a while I'd bet beans to bullets that it is just a corroded socket. In addition to emery cloth/sandpaper be sure you take a flash light, and wood dowel. the flash light to see what you are doing down in the hole and the wood dowel to force the sandpaper onto the contacts in a precise fashion. Fingers just can't get to some parts and those are the ones where electrical contact is generally made. it is a Murphy thing!
also check
If you have an electrical panel ammeter use it to test the bulbs. As you turn on the breaker you should see an increase in amps. Any increase indicates that you have a circuit. A compleatly corroded socket can stop ALL current but if it is just badly corroded it will pass enough (<<1.0 amps so look close and flip the switch a couple of times) to measure on the meter. Does not work in all cases but beats pulling apart the mast base wiring if you can avoid it.
If you have an electrical panel ammeter use it to test the bulbs. As you turn on the breaker you should see an increase in amps. Any increase indicates that you have a circuit. A compleatly corroded socket can stop ALL current but if it is just badly corroded it will pass enough (<<1.0 amps so look close and flip the switch a couple of times) to measure on the meter. Does not work in all cases but beats pulling apart the mast base wiring if you can avoid it.
I am a little late in replying but if you have not gone up the stick yet, I recommend replacing the Anchor and Steaming light with LED's.
- Status