Copper bus bars clean or no?

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Ohms outlaw

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I'm going to be installing a 200-amp bus plug on a rather old 230 volt 3-phase busway. The copper bus bars are pretty dark. I want a good connection with the new bus box but I have never seen anyone try to clean the bars before installing a plug. I'm afraid it might open things up to Future corrosion. (bus will be deenergised for any work i do) would love to hear anyone's thoughts or experiences. Thanks in advance for any response.

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Copper bus bars clean or no?

Many moons ago, when I was a facilities engineer, we would connect to old existing bus ducts without doing anything special. Never gave a thought to cleaning. Never had any related failures that I remember. Maybe we were lucky.

ETA: they were Square D I-Line.
 
retirede said:
Many moons ago, when I was a facilities engineer, we would connect to old existing bus ducts without doing anything special. Never gave a thought to cleaning. Never had any related failures that I remember. Maybe we were lucky.

ETA: they were Square D I-Line.
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If similar connection as I line breakers have to the panel bus - sliding the connector onto the bus scrapes it clean to some extent doesn't it?
 
retirede said:
Many moons ago, when I was a facilities engineer, we would connect to old existing bus ducts without doing anything special. Never gave a thought to cleaning. Never had any related failures that I remember. Maybe we were lucky.

ETA: they were Square D I-Line.
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I think we have all done that.

But if I was to attempt to clean the surface I would use a non-corrosive type of contact cleaner.
 
retirede said:
Not sure it "cleans", but yes, it will break through any surface oxidation.
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Surface oxidation is primarily what I was getting after, dirt/dust layer would be on top of oxidation layer so it should remove that as well. Unless something else got on the bus like paint - I think all you need to do is plug on the new component.
 
kwired said:
Surface oxidation is primarily what I was getting after, dirt/dust layer would be on top of oxidation layer so it should remove that as well. Unless something else got on the bus like paint - I think all you need to do is plug on the new component.
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I guess another way to put is - if simply installing the device doesn't create a reliable connection, you have bigger issues to worry about regarding the condition of the bus duct.
 
Have dabbed ferric chloride onto oxidized copper to get a bright clean surface, one needs to be sure to get the residue cleaned off.

Every few years, I dip the 12V connectors of my outdoor stored equipment trailers into a pint of ferric chloride to just the depth of the tines or blades, then rise 5 or 6 times. Has always worked to fix tail light connection problems.
 
Copper oxide is a semiconductor, with a low breakdown voltage. An circuit with more than a few volts applied should be able to break down the copper oxide layer, and within a gas tight joint it will not be built up again.
 
AKElectrician said:
Couldn't you neatly smear some copper anti-ox on the cleaned copper and for the connection?
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Bus connectors on I-line breakers, but I'd bet bus plug is the same, has a compound factory installed on the jaws. Simply plugging the connector onto the bus will scrape away surface oxidation, the compound on the jaws seals the connection.
 
kwired said:
Bus connectors on I-line breakers, but I'd bet bus plug is the same, has a compound factory installed on the jaws. Simply plugging the connector onto the bus will scrape away surface oxidation, the compound on the jaws seals the connection.
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Yes, I was going to mention this, too.

We would also reuse old breakers that likely no longer had the compound on the jaws without any problems.
 
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