hinge material for light fixture

[jimnrose]

I'm building a 72" T5 light fixture and plan to service the tank and fixture by mounting it on a set of hinges. I understand stainless steel piano hinge is safe but are their any other options to consider at a lower cost?
Thanks, Jim

 

[silverwolf72]

Unless it's going to get wet I really don't see an issue with using any kind of hinge. It's only things that come in to contact with your water or may fall into the water you need to watch out for.

 

[CookieJar]

I have hinges that open the front panel of my canopy, these hinges are 10" from water and have rusted in about 1 year. They're brass, not stainless (couldn't find stainless) and I'm resigned to replacing them every 1-2 years. One problem is my canopy has a lot of moisture buildup, if you can avoid that then your hinges should last, otherwise I'd expect them to corrode over time.

 

[not_sponsored]

You could get acrylic hinges, they're a lot more fragile than stainless and I wouldn't use them for anything that requires structural stability.

 

[kgross]

Just about any hinges will work, but the saltwater can cause them to corrode, so mount the hinges on the outside of the canopy, and when you seal the canopy cover them as well.

Kim

 

[jimnrose]

The hinges will be 7.5" from the water but I'm sure some water vapor will get to the hinges due to the air flow from the canopy fans. Stainless steel piano hinges are $22 each but I guess I'll have to go with them. Thanks for your inputs. Jim