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Making engine maintenance easier



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What is the issue?
Engines are typically inaccessible and away from natural light. This makes it very difficult to identify developing problems that could be readily apparent in good light. It also makes it uncomfortable, unnecessarily slow and frustrating to address and service.

Why address this?
Identifying a problem early could save a major situation from developing. The easier this may be seen and addressed the more likely it will be quickly resolved.

How to address this?
A good recommendation is to make it easier from the start, install a suite of lights around the engine.

Hooking up a suite of lights in the engine compartment or room is easily achieved. There are multiple sources of power around the engine that can be used and you don't need to hide the cable runs as you would in the cabin. Several smaller lights as opposed to one large light are preferable, as the latter presents dark spots and hard shadows. Multiple lights offer an even distribution of illumination enabling the engine to be viewed from all angles.

Another approach to adding lighting into the engine room is to inset deck prisms to allow natural light to pass through the body. However a ‘free’ natural light source is always preferred as deck prisms are expensive to buy and install, and offer no light should an issue occur at night. Hence ‘deck prisms’ are an ideal accompaniment to a suite of powered lights but do not eliminate the requirement.

With thanks to:
Michael Harpur, Yacht Obsession.
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