hot boat lights....big deal?

[mixxedbagg]

I wired my boat and installed boat lights that I hook right up to the same deep cycle 12 that runs my trolling motor and depth finder. I've noticed that the boat lights are really hot when I use them. Is this normal? Is it a big deal?

[CAMAN]

The fixtures should be sealed and waterproof which also stops airflow to cool them. As long as the bulbs you are using are the correct wattage for the fixture you are using and nothing is melting or burning, it should be fine.

[SpecialK]

Regular incandesant bulbs create heat when they are on. Doesn't matter if they are 12v or 110v. It shouldn't be an issue.

[mixxedbagg]

Thanks. I got kind of freaked out when I found I could not hold my hand on them for very long. I saw no evidence of melting though.

[tomfromblaine]

If you wanted you could find LED replacement bulbs with alittle searching, that would eliminate the heat and cut way down on your power consumption so you wouldn't have to worry about your battery drain.