Aerosol protectant?

[captainwireman]

I am not sure about this one and I am having difficulty sorting out all the trash that I am getting so here I am.

The product info about WD40 stated that it is a good option for displacing moisture on electrical mechanisms in a possibly wet condition.

What is the best spray or maintenance procedure for keeping the mechanical mechanism and electrical contacts in this CB exposed to a damp, salty, marine environment , functional and operationally sound?

Secondly, why would anyone opt for this style of over current protection when, in my opinion, a fused circuit would be the fail-safe choice?

 

[J.P.]

Maybe you need a sealed enclosure. The vapor proof kind, pack and seal your pipes as well.

I don't know about WD-40 in breakers. It was developed to displace water though.

I don't think WD-40 will hurt, but it's not a long term solution either.


Then again I live in western Ok so what do I know about salt air?

 

[K8MHZ]

Maybe you need a sealed enclosure. The vapor proof kind, pack and seal your pipes as well.

I don't know about WD-40 in breakers. It was developed to displace water though.

I don't think WD-40 will hurt, but it's not a long term solution either.


Then again I live in western Ok so what do I know about salt air?

Don't use WD-40. It attracts dirt and dust and is not a lubricant. It's not made for waterproofing. It was invented to 'displace water' and it was found that it also worked to get rusty bolts loose.

If you got an old breaker point ignition system wet to the point that it failed, WD-40 would remove the moisture and get you on the road again.

 

[captainwireman]

I found a standards for electrical systems on boats that refers to mandatory (with exceptions) simultaneous disconnect of all current carrying conductors using the over-current device. Fuses are not to be used. I hope learning something new never gets old.

 

[hurk27]

WD-40 is very flammable, I once tried to use it to dry out the inside of a distributor cap and as soon as I tried to start the car it exploded into many little pieces, from this time on I never used WD-40 again for electrical, silicone spray and silicone grease (dielectric grease) which are not flammable is all I will use, and they do a much better job of displacing water and keeping it away.

A long time ago we had a co-worker who was trying to get a breaker to make contact as it lost connection on one phase, he tried to use WD-40 as a contact cleaner and was switching the breaker in and out to get it to work and it exploded on him, we think it was a combination of the WD-40 causing a fire and creating an arc flash.

WD-40 is a petroleum distillate. great for some things but I do not trust it for electrical.

 

[hurk27]

I found a standards for electrical systems on boats that refers to mandatory (with exceptions) simultaneous disconnect of all current carrying conductors using the over-current device. Fuses are not to be used. I hope learning something new never gets old.

When I was helping my dad at his marina in the Florida Keys, I used to do allot of wiring on boats, we would always coat all connections with silicone grease to seal them from the moisture, many of the small breaker panels were water proof non-metallic type, I would look into replacing these panels with sealed gasketed types and make sure all wiring entering it is also sealed, even install the existing panel in a water tight cabinet can go a long way to keep out the moisture.

 

[mopowr steve]

Yea don't use WD-40 after all you can use it to start a motor if you don't have starting fluid.