light switch, help
 

I have been thinking about doing a "winter project"...
I would like to install LED lights in my storage compartments and was hoping someone could help me find a waterproof/sealed push button momentary switch (kinda like a refrigerator door switch) that is waterproof and sealed. Something that would be safe near/in the engine compartment and not have ANY chance of a spark.
Any help, suggestions, or links would greatly appreciated. thanks

Your just looking to ad lights to the rear compartments? Why not just put lights in there and tie them to your interior lights? Your button on the dash would control all

Dave -" "
That has been my plan B idea, but it does not follow my wakeboat rule #1 (rule #1 if it is worth doing, it is worth overdoing)
I just thought that having the lights come on automatically, so you could see the shaded areas on a sunny day would be cool.
I have a v drive wake boat and was hoping to put switches on both sides of the motor compartment and the observers seat back.

Look for hood pin switches from car alarms. I figure if it's good enough to use in the engine compartment of a car...

good enough...(?) for a car?
if i thought good enough would work I would have gone ebay and bought some refrigerator door switches.
I don't wanna watch the fire and question myself... what if?
when some careful planning could eliminate any questions...

Of your looking for switches like that, you're looking for intrinsically safe switches. In your application it's absolutely useless. Most marine switches are sealed. While they don't give you approved operation for class 1 div 1/2 environments where a single spark could ignite the factory, they still are safe for an engine bay. Just use a standard switch and make sure you insulate and heat shrink the connectors. At any rate the lights would be of higher risk than the switch to explosion. If you are really worried about it then wire a relay elsewhere in the boat that is triggered by the switch. Just move the switch if you are really concerned. A bilge pump, ballast pump, and alternator prove to be a much greater risk....

Don't worry about it. I do risk assessment for power plants... This is what I do for a living.

Good luck

Rule #1. Keep it simple.

I wouldn't exactly call putting lights in the rear compartments for day time use "over doing" anything. But to each his own

Do not use refrigerator door switches. They are 110/120 rated.
Go to the junk yard and look at the door jams in a bunch of different cars. The door pin that tells your car the door is open and to turn on the courtesy lights is what you want to get.
You aren't looking for just any door pin though, you want to look for one that not only mounts the way you want it, but also has a 2 wire connector, not just a single wire. The reason being, is that the single wire connectors rely on the switch itself being grounded to the car's chassis. In a marine environment, in an interior compartment, that would most likely not be feasible since you are probably going to put it in the seats base, which is normally wood or fiberglass.
The pins with the 2 wire connectors do not need a chassis ground. They bridge the connectors together when it is not depressed (aka comparement opens). These you can wire up as the switch between the lights and the power, such as

[Ground from battery] --- [Switch] --- [Ground to lights]
[Power from battery] --- [Power to lights]

You don't have to get the switches at the junkyard if you don't want to, but they will be cheaper there. Typically they will go for like $1 a piece or so. I have had the junkyard just say screw it and let me walk out with them free of charg. You can just grab a handful of them to use, maybe get a little variety for different mounting options.
If you want them new, just remember the year, make, and model of the car and hit up the internet looking for new ones.

Thank you EVERYONE!
I have decided on plan "B" put lights in there and tie them to your interior lights? Your button on the dash would control all.
(I knew i was looking for the ever elusive intrinsically safe switch, I thought that might not get a reply)

( i have over thought this one...)