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A cracked housing on a PAR or moving head can often get you through tonight's show, but only if the crack is cosmetic: away from the mounting points, power input, vents, and anything that moves. Unplug the fixture, find out where the crack is, cover it with heat-resistant tape, and keep the fixture on the floor if you have any doubt. A crack in a bracket, yoke, or clamp point means the fixture doesn't go overhead until it's properly repaired.
First, unplug and look
Most cracked housings come from a drop during load-in, a stand tipping over, or a case falling off a cart. Before you tape anything:
- Disconnect power and DMX. If the fixture was running, let it cool for a few minutes before you handle it.
- Shake it gently and listen. A rattle means something came loose inside, such as a screw, a lens, a heat sink clip, or a piece of the housing. A rattling fixture should not be powered until someone opens it and checks.
- Look into the crack with a flashlight. If you can see wiring, circuit boards, or the power supply, the fixture is out of service for the night.
- Check the power cord and the inlet. A fall often bends the connector or cracks the socket around it. A loose or damaged power inlet is a shock and fire risk, not a cosmetic problem.
- Power it up on the floor. Run through colors, dimming, and, on a moving head, the full pan and tilt range. Watch for flicker, error codes, scraping, or homing problems.
Where the crack is decides what you can do
| Crack location | Risk | Tonight |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic trim, corner, or rear cover, no movement when pressed | Low | Tape it and use it |
| Moving head cover, away from the pan and tilt gaps | Low to medium | Tape it flat, test full movement, use it |
| Near vents or a fan grille | Medium: tape can block airflow | Tape only the crack, keep every vent open |
| Front lens or lens cover cracked | Medium: pieces can fall out | Floor use only, or leave it out |
| IP65 outdoor fixture, any crack in the shell or lens | Water can get in | Indoor or covered use only until repaired |
| Bracket, yoke, handle, or around the clamp bolt | High: the fixture can fall | Do not hang it; floor use or out of service |
| Around the power inlet, switch, or display, or with wiring visible | High: shock and short circuit | Out of service |
The bracket and yoke row is the one people get wrong. A crack near the clamp bolt may hold for weeks and then let go under vibration from the subwoofers. Tape does nothing for a part that carries the fixture's weight.
Temporary repairs that work at a gig
Heat-resistant tape for cosmetic cracks
Aluminum foil tape is the most useful thing to carry for this. It handles heat better than gaffer tape, sticks well to clean plastic and metal, and seals a small crack against dust and fog residue. Gaffer tape is fine on cool surfaces such as rear covers and handles. On warm parts it softens and leaves sticky residue that is hard to clean off.
- Wipe the area with isopropyl alcohol and let it dry so the tape sticks.
- Run the tape across the crack, not just along it, so it holds both sides together.
- Keep tape off vents, fan grilles, the lens, and the display.
- On moving heads, press the edges down flat and run full pan and tilt slowly. A lifted tape edge can catch in the gap between the head and the yoke.
Zip ties and safety cables
If a handle or a non-load-bearing part of the shell has cracked, a zip tie through existing holes can keep a loose piece from falling off. It's still only a stopgap: it doesn't make the fixture safe to hang. Any fixture you hang should have its own safety cable, rated for the fixture's weight, running around the truss or bar. That matters even more for a fixture that took a hit.
Epoxy is not a same-day fix
Two-part epoxy can make a good repair on a cracked plastic or metal cover, but it needs time. Quick-set epoxies harden in minutes, yet most take many hours to reach full strength. Check the cure time on the package. That makes epoxy a job for the workbench after the show. Keep it away from hot areas, and never use it on brackets, yokes, or the area around the clamp bolt.
Running a patched fixture safely
- Keep it low if you can. A patched fixture on a stand or the floor at the back of the stage is far less risky than one hanging over a dance floor.
- Keep it dry. A cracked shell is no longer sealed, even on an IP65 fixture. Keep it away from rain, spray, and drink tables.
- Watch the temperature. If you had to tape near the vents, run the fixture at moderate levels and check the housing during breaks. A housing that is much hotter than its neighbors, a hot smell, or fans running louder than usual means turn it off.
- Mark it. Put a strip of tape on the fixture with "DAMAGED" and the date, so nobody packs it as a working unit.
After the show: repair, replace, or retire
A taped crack is a fix for one night. Back at home, decide what happens next:
- Under warranty or recently bought: contact the seller with photos of the crack and a description of how it happened. Ask whether a replacement cover or bracket is available before you open anything.
- Cosmetic crack on an out-of-warranty fixture: a proper epoxy repair, or a replacement cover from the manufacturer, is reasonable if the fixture tests fine.
- Cracked bracket or yoke: replace the part. Don't weld, glue, or drill it.
- Cracked sealed outdoor fixture: send it for service. Don't open sealed fixtures yourself, because resealing them properly takes the right gaskets and tools.
- Several faults after one drop (crack, flicker, homing errors): the impact likely damaged more than the shell. Compare the repair cost with a replacement.
Most cracked housings happen in transport, not on stage. Padded flight cases with a slot for each fixture prevent most of them. UKING sells cases sized for several of its moving heads and PAR lights, such as ZQ02341 LARGE FLIGHTCASE.
FAQ
Can I use super glue on a cracked fixture housing?
Not for anything structural or warm. Super glue is brittle and can let go when the housing heats up and cools down, and some types fog clear plastic lenses. For a cosmetic crack on a cool cover, it's acceptable as a short-term fix. Use epoxy for a proper repair.
Is a cracked IP65 light still waterproof?
No. Once the shell or lens is cracked, treat it as an indoor fixture until it's repaired or serviced. Water that gets in can short the driver and corrode the boards.
My moving head was dropped but there is no crack. Is it fine?
Maybe not. Test it on the floor before you hang it: full pan and tilt, all colors and gobos, and a few minutes of running time. Listen for rattles, scraping, or belt noise. Homing errors after a drop often point to internal damage.
Can I hang a fixture with a cracked mounting bracket if I add a safety cable?
No. A safety cable is a backup, not a replacement for a sound bracket. Use the fixture on the floor or replace the bracket first.
