Indicator Light- 12v or 120v?

Okay, I know this sounds easy but not for me. On my non- Hatteras, I have three small red indicator lights on the bridge that light up when the bilge pumps run. Sounds easy. I have a fourth red light that is supposed to light up when the genset is running. But, one of the wires corroded off from the base of the light. I want to replace it now while the boat is laid up including the genset. Assuming that there are no markings on the light itself, is there any way to tell whether it is 12v or 120v short of waiting until I recommission the genset? The two wires going to it are identical in color. My guess would be 12v because it is on the bridge even though it is supposed to light when the genset is running. Also, the wires coming from it are very thin, maybe 22 gauge. Any help would be appreciated.

Hard to say from the facts presented. I doubt they would bring 120vac up to the FB for an indicator light. If you can get the lens off the light, you may be able to remove the bulb and read it?

I just replaced 2 of the bilge pump lights on my customers 50 ocean. They are 24 volt.

The genny one was fine so I don't know but if I get by there I'll try to remember to look at it. It may be on a dc circuit like the hour meter that is 24 volt too.

If you can remove the bulb and cannot see anything written on it just get a volt meter put the pos lead in the socket on the center of the bottom of the socket and the black lead on the side of the socket turn on circuit read voltage. John

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Originally Posted by Boatsb

I just replaced 2 of the bilge pump lights on my customers 50 ocean. They are 24 volt.

The genny one was fine so I don't know but if I get by there I'll try to remember to look at it. It may be on a dc circuit like the hour meter that is 24 volt too.

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Scott - was the rest of the boat 24 volt or 12 volt? Also, did you use a regular Blue Sea replacement? I have a few of those and hope to see today if they fit but to my eye, they look awfully small. Thanks for the help.

I used 24 volt led indicator lights. 1/4 inch I believe.

Thank you.

I found out the indicator is 120v. Unfortunately, it is a little larger than the Blue Sea replacement(s) I already bought. So, I am hoping it is the 1/4" size I now have on order. Also, without color coding on the wires going to the old bulb, as opposed to the wires coming with the new bulb, it looks like I will need to wait until I recommission the genset to be able to properly wire up the new indicator.

120 volt led or incandescent?

If I am reading the posts correctly and the light is connected to AC line voltage, the wiring does not have a polarity. Just wire the new leads, one each, to the two existing wires.

Pete

Pete- the new light has color coded leads but the old one did not.

Black is hot.
White is neutral
Green is ground.

Again as I read the problem, the new light fixture has the color coded leads as Scott described. The unknown is the existing wires that connected to the failed light has two leads, both the same color. What you are seeking is the process to use in choosing which of the two existing wires go to the new color coded leads. And you want to do this without an operational generator.

First, it would be very helpful to see what you have. Do you have a link to the new light fixture? How about a picture of the failed light?

We probably can work through this using a multimeter but I will not get into that until I hear back on the links and pictures which would make it much easier.

Pete

Neutral and ground are common so if there's no resistance to ground it's your neutral. The other is hot.

If your not sure have someone help. 120 volts can start a fire even on a small line.

Also is there a fuse. It has to be sized correctly. If you went to led there may be a need to change to a smaller fuse.

Here is a link to the 1/4" green LED that I am hoping will fit the hole. I can confirm that the old one was a red LED and was 120 volts.
Rather than adding more confusion to the mix, perhaps I can restate what I know and what I do not know.
First, I know I am dealing with a 120v LED replacement. Second, I am hoping I am dealing with a 1/4" size. That will be determined. What I do NOT know is how to identify the old leads going to the NEW light. They are not color coded nor are they labeled in a way to tell which is positive and which is negative. So, unless and until I fire up my genset and thus trigger the feed to the new light, I cannot put a meter on it to identify which is the hot lead going to the new light and which is the negative.

https://www.hodgesmarine.com/PANELTR...jqeniramsegdoh

I have a suggested plan to analyze your situation, but first and most important is that only someone knowledgeable and comfortable with household electricity should do this. No one should accidentally get across a 120 volts, it can kill you and definitely will at least give a shock not soon forgotten. So, please, if you choose to use the analysis technique I describe, make sure that only someone who knows how to do it safely, actually does it.

Now that your new Paneltronics 120 volts AC LED is in the hands of the experienced person, simply find an outlet in your house, the kitchen would definitely be the best choice, as these outlets will be high enough to work comfortably and also will be on a ground fault circuit for safety. As you look at the outlet, there will be a round hole at the 12 o'clock position, and two slotted openings at the 4 and 8 o'clock positions. The 12 o'clock position is the safety ground, which we will not be using. The 4 o'clock slot is the neutral, and the 8 o'clock is hot line. The ends of the LED should be stripped to bare wire, if not remove about 1/4" of insulation from the end of each wire. Now place one wire in the slot in the 4 o'clock position. With the first wire in the 4 o'clock slot carefully slide the other wire into the 8 o'clock slot. The LED should illuminate. If that happens, remove the 8 o'clock wire first followed by the 4 o'clock wire. Now repeat the same process, reversing the positions of the LED wires. The LED should once again illuminate. Now remove 8 o'clock wire from the outlet slot followed by the 4 o'clock wire.

If the LED illuminates in both cases, you have proved that it is non polarized and can be installed on the boat without regard for which of the two existing wires goes to which LED wires.

If the LED does not illuminate in both wiring positions, feedback what happened.

Safety first, second, and third.

Pete

Pete - I thought if I hooked it wrong, it would damage the light rather than the light just not working. If that is the case, why don't I just wire up the light -- if it works, great, if not just reverse the leads?

Funny - the new light differs from the link picture. It has a black and a white lead, not a yellow and red. Also, there appears to be a resistor wired into the black lead.

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Originally Posted by JLR

Funny - the new light differs from the link picture. It has a black and a white lead, not a yellow and red. Also, there appears to be a resistor wired into the black lead.

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Black is hot. White is neutral (common to ground)

What are the colors of the two wires that come out of the existing failed indicator light?

Pete

If you are sure the wires coming from genny are 120vac, and the light is rated for 120vac then polarity doesn’t matter. AC current is both positive and negative. The led being a diode will block all the current in the wrong polarity. The resister will reduce the voltage to something the led can work with.

Thanks Tony and all others who helped.

A footnote on this subject. While DC LEDs will illuminate on AC input voltage as indicated by Tony, they will do so with reduced brightness and may appear to flicker to the human eye. This is why AC versions of LEDs are sold which add an AC to DC rectifier in the indicator, yielding full brightness flicker free illumination. Best to match the LED to the input voltage characteristics.

Pete

Problem solved. I was able to trace out the old feed wires to good old fashion red and black. All wired up and working fine with genset still decomissioned.

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Originally Posted by JLR

Problem solved. I was able to trace out the old feed wires to good old fashion red and black. All wired up and working fine with genset still decomissioned.

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That's strange. Red and Black would indicate DC as would red and yellow. Black and white would normally be AC. Are you sure this light is fed with AC?

X2 with sky.

It seems that way. Also, I accidentally touched the leads together in stripping the feed wires and sure enough, it tripped a breaker on the AC panel. Thereafter, just to be sure, I shut down the AC panel and disconnected the boat from the dock and had no current running through these wires. But, boy, what a spark when they touched. Scared the heck out of me.

What size breaker is on it?

Is it just the indicator light on it?

Spark tested. Maybe not the best process I can think of.

For future projects get a meter and double check first. I never work on live wires.

No. the breaker was labeled fly bridge outlets as I recall. Also, needless to say, the light is on whenever the boat is plugged in or when the genset is running because it is lit now when the boat is plugged in. The light that I removed was definitely 120 volts as is the new one I installed.

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Originally Posted by JLR

No. the breaker was labeled fly bridge outlets as I recall. Also, needless to say, the light is on whenever the boat is plugged in or when the genset is running because it is lit now when the boat is plugged in. The light that I removed was definitely 120 volts as is the new one I installed.

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Sounds like someone that didn't know what they were doing used the wrong wire colors when they added this light. They hooked it to the outlets to show when AC was present and then labeled it "generator".

Or.......if its OEM, then all I can say is you shoulda bought another Hatteras.

Well, it's a little bit of both. In fairness, it is labeled "120 volt" not genset. I did not know that it would also light on dockside power until I hooked it up. But, it does appear to be OEM. As I mentioned on prior posts, it certainly is not a Hatteras.

I have a pen shaped voltage tester that only lights up with AC not DC. No circuit required, if there is live AC even low voltage AC it will light up.

I just wave it near something I am going to work with and I immediately know if there is live AC nearby. Agree with Scott, I do not like working with live wires even DC.

You can buy these testers anywhere.

Jon

Scott's post #28 is important. The purpose of circuit breakers/fuses is to protect downstream wiring and equipment. The breaker/fuse should not exceed the lowest ampere rating of any single hard wired attached device or the wiring. From the description of the circuit it reads like the wiring to the indicator light is very small gauge but attached to a 20 amp convenience outlet circuit. If so, the wires to the indicator light really needs a 1 or 2 amp fuse in the line where it attaches to the feed voltage. As is you have a fire safety exposure, regardless of who installed the light.

Pete