I have a nice halogen motion-detector light on the back of my house. At least it was nice until the gaskets rotted allowing water vapor to touch the halogen bulbs, and "poof".
Can one make new gaskets out of some material? Rubber sheeting? Something moldable? I'd rather not replace the light for want of a gasket. The manufacturer probably makes replacements but probably has a $10 minimum & $5 shipping charge for a 50 cent part, like most manufacturers.
This is Turtle.
Yes, Go into any auto parts house and ask for a sheet of gasket material. it comes in a 12" X 24" sheet , rolled up and you just cut what you want. They run about $3.00 to $10.00 depending on how big / thickiness , type material [ rubber or Hard Fiber ] , and temperature rating. You can make a bunch of gaskets out of a sheet.
TURTLE
- Betsy -
- TURTLE -
material. it
- Nehmo - You can also get some tube (like a toothpaste tube) gasket maker. For that application, almost anything would work - regular engine gasket maker, or even a general-purpose tube of silicone.
Probably has? Since you don't know, it may be best to give them a call and confirm that. I needed a gasket for a water filter housing. I expected to pay as I damaged the original. It was sent free of charge. Maybe this company will also. Ed
The best way to do this is to use a tube of gasket sealer, Open the light cover and put a complete ring of sealer around the old gasket area, then take some dish soap or Vaseline and swear it on the inside of the glass so that the gasket sealer won't stick to it. Close the glass lid 80%-90% of the way, let the gasket sealer dry and then close it all the way. This will make the gasket sealer dry in a nice flat surface and the extra 10%-20% will be used to compress and make a nice seal.
DOES THIS MAKE SENSE, it sounded right in my head.
I made my own from an old truck tire inner tube. I used aviation snips to cut it out. You could use cork instead of the rubber, available in the auto section in WalMart for cheap.
Most of the replies on here mention using things that will burn. Especially cork. Thats why the original gaskets fail. it's the heat. Halogen lights get VERY hot. Uisng a HI-TEMP hasket maker, like the red-silicone sold at autoparts stores, should work. Whatever you use, it must handle HIGH temperatures, or you will not only be gasketless in a few hours again, but could start a fire. I had a portable halogen worklite melt a large hole in a 5 gallon plastic pail once, and the pail was several inches away. I'd call the manufacturer first, otherwise use a HIGH-TEMP silicone. Halogen lites have causes many fires if you check the news.....
Whatever you decide to use, it needs to be rated for some fairly high temperatures.
fairly high
You could try high temp caulk, used for chimney liners etc. Put some kind of release agent on the glass first, and clean it off before turning on the light after the caulk dries.
Bob
You are a smart man.
Phil Scott
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