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Flashlight Care and Maintenance
In this article I cover general flashlight care and maintenance that will ensure your flashlight works to its optimum and lasts a lifetime.
Flashlights don’t need a great deal of maintenance to keep them in tip top condition. But like cars they do require a service several times per year to keep them working. This also avoids any major problems further down the line.
The LED emitter is not something to have any concern over. As long as the lens cover doesn’t become cracked letting the elements get to the LED.
An LED inside a flashlight will last for well over 30,000 hours. I’ve written an article on LED lifetimes for further information to the subject.
Let’s now run through all the general care and maintenance I carry out on all my flashlights throughout the course of a year.
Cleaning and Inspecting the Flashlight Body
First off, take a moment to look over the body of the flashlight, especially around the bezel and lens. Check to see if there are any visible signs of any damage.
Most flashlights have some knurling around the body. Use a small nylon brush or even a tooth brush to loosen any dirt or mud that may have become stuck.
To help with the cleaning of the body I use some Isopropyl alcohol along with the nylon brush and Q-tip to rid the body of any excess grease and dirt.
Lens Cleaning
For general dirt and dust use a microfiber cloth dipped into some soapy water and carefully wipe over the lens.
Carbon deposits
Carbon deposits need a different approach. The pencil eraser at the end of a pencil is ideal to remove carbon using circular motions around the lens. You can use toothpaste also.
Froglube Extreme is a great barrier solution to rub onto the lens. Use a Q-tip with a small amount of lube and wipe over carefully. Leave to dry and buff with a microfibre cloth.
The Froglube leaves a thin film or barrier on the lens which makes it easy to wipe carbon deposits off.
Last update on 2024-10-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Cleaning The Threads
Depending on what type of flashlight you have, the body will unscrew at either the tail end or head and sometimes both to access the battery.
The threads should have a smooth action when unscrewing. If they feel gritty or unsmooth then it’s most likely that dirt or dust has ingressed onto the threads.
Once you have the flashlight disassembled with the battery removed. It’s time to start cleaning the threads on the body.
Remove the O-ring
Remove the O-ring seal if it shows visible signs of damage. The O-ring is there to ensure a tight fitting thread to stop water and dust ingress.
Rub some Isopropyl alcohol using a soft cloth around the threads. The O-ring should be removed easily with a toothpick after you have cleaned off any dirt and grease.
If the O-ring is stuck, use a ring and seal pick tool to loosen. Replace with a new O-ring seal if it has become damaged.
Lubricating The Threads
You now should have clean threads on the body of your flashlight. It’s time to apply some lubricant to both the threads and O-ring.
Replace the old O-ring with a new one. Apply some lubricating oil around the threads sparingly using a Q-tip.
I tend to use Nyogel 760G or some people use Nano-Oil™ to lubricate the threads on their flashlights.
Suitable Lubricant
It’s really important to use the correct type of oil here for lubrication. It must be non-petroleum based. Petroleum based jelly will deteriorate O-rings over time.
So try and avoid using vaseline as some people have suggested in the past.
Nyogel is well suited for the task of keeping O-rings in good order.
Last update on 2024-10-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Check for Oxidised or Dirty Contacts
Check both the tail and head of the flashlight for corrosion and dirt. Use a clean cloth to remove any grease or dirt from all the shiny metal contacts.
Take a Q-tip with a small amount of Isopropyl alcohol and rub over the brass outer ring and centre of the head contacts. Plus the spring and retaining ring at the tail end.
Flashlight not assembled correctly
I’ll mention a couple of quick checks you can make to avoid common problems with flashlights.
Make sure the body of the flashlight is screwed back the correct way. Head / tail end screw bodies have to be screwed back the correct way as the rear threads have a section which is not anodised. This non-anodised section is part of the contact for electrical connection to the head.
Check for burrs
The non-anodised threads should be smooth to touch. Sometimes they pick up burrs on the edge. To check for this, run your finger around the edge to see if it is smooth.
Sandpaper on a flat surface will remove any burrs from the edge if required.
Tail Switch not working
A simple test to check the tail switch is to place a metal paper clip across the back of the battery and the shiny edge of the body to make a connection. In doing so the flashlight should illuminate if switched on.
If the LED emitter doesn’t illuminate under the test above, the tail end switch may need replacing. Mountain electronics will most probably have a replacement switch for your model of flashlight.
Check the Retaining Ring
The final check is to take a look at the retaining ring at the tail end of the flashlight. This has 2 very small recessed screws.
The screws can become loose over time. Tighten the 2 screws using a small pair of tweezers or needle nose pliers. The retaining ring will screw back in reverse. So anti-clockwise will tighten.
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