Technical and Legal Clarifications

A Sealed (Throwaway) Submersible Lamp must have reliable, lasting hermetic seals, especially needed for the millions of popular ≈Industry Standard … “6 inch Ovals” and “4 inch Rounds” currently used on many Big Rig vehicles. These 3-Function “Throwaways” are usually mounted in a Rubber Protection Bezel* … and cost about $5 when Incandescent versions and about $15 to $30 for FMVSS #108 Compliant (legal) LED versions (if compliant LED versions can be found).

These sizes of “Incandescent or LED (Throwaway) Lights” have been sort of unofficially standardized and Replacements for them can now be found pretty much any time, any place, but realize that they must be supplemented with Rear and Side Pointing Reflectors, plus the Clearance, Side Marker and License lights, to provide 7 functions that the OEM or Trailer Owner would get if they simply used 7-function lighting. These two Grommet* Mount Sizes provide a fairly reliable, serviceable program for Big Rigs that use these size 3 Function Lights.

*Which protects seal flaws from “water inundation” … and therefore limit “Suck In” problems …

See “Legal Interpretations” on this issue

As to the use of 6” Oval and 4” Round 3 Function “LED” Lights on Boat Trailers where they are less protected from leakage using Rubber Grommets … the Economic and Dependability Jury is still out on these issues.

Of course, both 6” Ovals and 4” Rounds are rather bland looking and are only 3-Functions and not necessarily waterproof … always leaving the OEM or Owner the responsibility to buy, mount, wire and maintain the other 4-Functions that 7-Function Lamps already supply. In the case of Big Rig Trucking Companies … this approach probably makes economic sense*.

*When the actual “lost time” costs are figured using $25+ per hour labor rate

Coming up with a Serviceable, 6” Oval or 4” Round that has a perfect “Hermetic Seal”* for Boat Trailer Use … is nearly an impossible task when trying to design an inexpensive, yet serviceable 3-Function “LED” or Incandescent Lamp Assembly; however, Perfect Seals are not needed in our “Air Trapping” Designs.

To eliminate the need for a perfect Hermetic Seal, yet minimize water infiltration and 100% humidity failures, our Company was the 1st to develop our unique “Air Trapping” designs … that have worked amazingly well for millions of Boat Trailer users over the past 30+ years. Our Air-Trapping Designs eliminate the high temperature expansion/contraction and hermetic seal problems that almost always result in “Sucked In” water collection in all Sealed lighting designs when used on “fully exposed” Trailer applications … explained in more detail in TLC #116B and in one of our latest “Requests for Interpretations” recently sent to NHTSA.

We find our “open bottom” and special Hook Up features, plus our famous Snap Out, “Instant Serviceability”, no tools Bulb Slide (with Dust/Splash Guard) also works very reliably for many other Trailer, RV and Big Rig tough duty, outdoor applications.

When instant 100°+ Fahrenheit temperature changes are forced upon our Lights when submerged or inundated with cold water, our Air Trapping System automatically “equalizes” water and air pressures, thus eliminating leakage and water trapping moisture problems. And after extraction from submersion or from an “inundation” situation, our designs “breathe”, thus … “airing out” any tiny water droplets or 100% humidity condition that “Fill and Drain”* and “Leaking, Sealed Lights” never eliminate. *More details in future writings! – Also see “Requests for Interpretations”.

Our “Air Trapping”, Open Bottom design, used with our famous Bulb Slide and our protective Splash Guard, eliminates “hermetical sealing” requirements, while still keeping cold water away from the bulbs, therefore eliminating any chance of “Bulb Thermal Shock Breakage” and “Disabling Steel Component and Bulb Corrosion”. Air Trapping also significantly stops the “Wetting” of the inside “Reflector Reflex Pins” and “Lens Facets”, while also eliminating most inside Grime build-up* and the resultant degradation in Public Safety. *From “Fill & Drain” Designs

We find these benefits can also be enjoyed in many RV and Big Rig applications – while at the same time, providing Instantaneous, “No Tools” Bulb Serviceability, which Fill & Drain LED designs will never be able to offer!

As to “Fill and Drain” photometric degradation problems - see our latest “Legal Interpretation Requests” recently sent to NHTSA.

Back to Index