Wet aluminum wiring

[giovanni0502]

Riddle me this: why is it that when a seal goes bad on an overhead service and wire enters the SE cable, why does the aluminum grounded conductor in the meter base oxidize, corrode, and break apart but the termination at the weather head which is exposed to rain, snow, etc. hardly ever corrodes?????


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[jap]

Riddle me this: why is it that when a seal goes bad on an overhead service and wire enters the SE cable, why does the aluminum grounded conductor in the meter base oxidize, corrode, and break apart but the termination at the weather head which is exposed to rain, snow, etc. hardly ever corrodes?????


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Probably because the power company made a better connection than the electrician did.

JAP>

 

[giovanni0502]

The electricians do the utility hook up here. I thought maybe galvanic corrosion but both ends have metal involved. Plus the corrosion is always the worst where the SE jacket is removed up by the hub of the meter base.


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[PaulMmn]

Water in the jacket oozes onto the meter lugs over time-- the connections in the air dry out faster??

 

[tortuga]

Water in the jacket oozes onto the meter lugs over time-- the connections in the air dry out faster??

:thumbsup: Water will tend to wick down that stranding, its worse with the old non-compact conductors.
A lineman I used to work with would always take a slice out of the neutral insulation at the bottom of the drip loop, because he said that would tend to happen.

 

[goldstar]

If the POCO used insulated barrel crimps they usually have an anti-oxident inside them.