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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 787
L
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Putting anti-sieze on the screws when you are installing them?

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 9,923
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G
Member
Down here in the swamp I will not use anything but stainless screws in any wet or damp location box. That steel strap can be a ball of rust but the screw will still come out. The slots are still good too.


Greg Fretwell
Joined: Oct 2000
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Broom Pusher and
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Quote


A lot of road salt is brought into the parkade on vehicles during the winter months and obviously this takes a toll on the receptacles.



This Corrosive Environment might warrant the use of Enclosures and / or Device Covers with NEMA 4X ratings.

Besides the Corrosion (Redox Reaction) Problems associated with the road Salts, the Material makes an efficient Conductive "Bridge", allowing "Semi-Impeded" flow of Charges (Electrons and Holes) via Na and Cl Elements.

Basically, the Arc Fault You + Your DVM's Leads experienced during the Voltage Test, may have been exacerbated (or fully due to) the Road Salts concentrations within &/or surrounding the Device (Receptacle).

Nevertheless, the Receptacle in the posted Image is beyond trashed; the Box is filling with Washed-Down Road Salt, and it looks like any attempt to backout the 6-32 Mounting Screws is hopeless at best!
(exception: large chisel to remove the screw heads...).

The "odd readouts" of the Plug-In Tester's Indicator Lamps, when reading these particular Receptacles, is likely due to the damage inflicted by the Rain Water + NaCl being splashed on them.
Notice the Corroded Brass of the Grounded Conductor's Terminal, on the "Lower" portion of the Receptacle.
The Brighter the Green Corrosion is, the fresher the Corrosion, which reduces the overall Conductive areas + increases Contact Resistance.

This could very easily cause the Indicator Lamps (Neon Lamps) to behave oddly.

If Salt concentrations build up within the Receptacle Device, inserting the DVM's Test Leads may have dislodged a chunk of NaCl, which fell across the tips of the Test Leads - resulting in an Arcing Fault.
Since this Fault is not a "Solid" Connection, the Fault Current Level would not fall within the OCPD's Trip Characteristics, and most likely drew no more than 40 Amps for <0.250 Seconds.
This is why you saw lots of Sparks and Arcs, yet there was no tripping of the OCPD.

If the OCPD for the Branch Circuit and the Panelboard's Main have the same Time-Trip Current Characteristics, a Solid Ground Fault will almost always (99.99999555% of the time) trip only the Main Circuit Breaker for the Panelboard, leaving the individual Branch Circuit OCPD closed.
If they both trip, it is because the same Load Current levels are flowing through both Devices at the same time.

Since a Panelboard's Main Breaker will typically have Currents from other Branch Circuits flowing through it, when a Fault occurs on a Branch Circuit, the Main OCPD has the highest Current Level flowing through it, and therefore falls into the Trip Range the fastest.
cry

< end of TCC 101 >

Good luck with this Project.

--Scott (EE)


Scott " 35 " Thompson
Just Say NO To Green Eggs And Ham!
Joined: Nov 2002
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W
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Probably not an option, but maybe the outlets should be mounted higher up in the wall, to avoid the salt getting up that high?

Joined: Jul 2004
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G
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I would go back with a plastic FS box too.


Greg Fretwell
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 264
Potseal Offline OP
Member
Scott, thank-you for the info, that was an interesting read. Moving the receptacles to a higher elevation is not an option for likely 90% or more. Most are mounted on a concrete wall not much higher than 36" (this applies to the interior walls as well). Obviously there are concrete pillars but the distances in between would be impractical. IMO an easy solution to help increase the life of the receptacles would've been to use self closing weatherproof covers (the type that snap shut when when you release the cover). As I was testing the receptacles almost every cover was open to the elements. Nobody is closing the covers after they remove their block heater plug ends. The top level receptacles which are exposed to the sun look "baked" and are likely brittle.

If it were up to me I'd revamp the whole works but instead I have been instructed to fix the non-working/damaged receptacles only. It will forever be a high maintenance area until too much breaks down all at once.


A malfunction at the junction
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Dwayne
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 368
M
Member
Potseal, how many of the cover flaps on the receptacles have you seen broken off?

Here in Manitoba I have seen enough that I wonder why we just don't install standard interior wall plates. I don't know if its the -40 in the winter or the scorching sun in the summer that takes a toll on them.

Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 264
Potseal Offline OP
Member
Originally Posted by mbhydro
Potseal, how many of the cover flaps on the receptacles have you seen broken off?

Here in Manitoba I have seen enough that I wonder why we just don't install standard interior wall plates. I don't know if its the -40 in the winter or the scorching sun in the summer that takes a toll on them.


Surprisingly most of the Eagle brand weatherproof covers are in good shape with only a few that I found damaged. Generally the receptacles that need replacing are far more deteriorated than the covers with the exception being the 4 corner cover screws. Must be an inferior type than the counter sunk centre screw since it's always the 4 corner screws that look rusty and often break during removal. Since the majority of the cover "doors" were found in the open position I assume they are seldom touched and that probably helps keep them intact but does nothing to help preserve the receptacle.


A malfunction at the junction
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Dwayne
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,381
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Potsael:
As Greg mentioned above have you given any thought to replacement of the boxes, covers, and receptacles with plastic items??

Carlon and others mfg surface mount single and 2-gang boxes and matching WP covers in plastic. Here in the states we have receptacles that are rated "WR" which are supposed to be 'weather resistant' and are NEC required for exterior installations.



John
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 174
K
Member
I would suggest using corrosion resistant receptacles as well, such as the Hubbell HBL52CM62I, which is both weather and corrosion resistant. Details here: http://www.hubbell-wiring.com/Press/PDFS/H5254.pdf

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