What is the cause

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looks like water was sitting and overflowing and evaporating all at the same time. does that 3/4(1") conduit also have water in it? I am still baffled as to why panel dont have some sort of water prevention system so that downhill crud cant get water overflows like this. just a plain 'ol T before entering the box would also work, then you can make a short down turn and cap it with a cap that has a bunch of 1/8" holes so water can run out.

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As it turned out. Chemistry was the problem. Water with high calcium levels overflowing into the panel. The 3/4 conduit went to a well which was emitting well gases into the same panel. The chemical mixtures within the confined space of the subpanel created a chemical reaction attacking only the copper connections. The simple fix was the seal off both pipes with rated sealant clean and scrub all copper connections and create a water relief point in the conduit. Below the panel.

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shboal11 said:
As it turned out. Chemistry was the problem. Water with high calcium levels overflowing into the panel. The 3/4 conduit went to a well which was emitting well gases into the same panel. The chemical mixtures within the confined space of the subpanel created a chemical reaction attacking only the copper connections. The simple fix was the seal off both pipes with rated sealant clean and scrub all copper connections and create a water relief point in the conduit. Below the panel.

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Thank you for sharing this.
 
shboal11 said:
I believe the correct term is hydrogen sulfide

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and you are worried about the corrosion in the panel?

sounds like that 3/4 needs to be addressed?
 
If corrosive air permeates in the steel building then the whole structure would have already collapsed.
These steel barns or storage are fabricated out of sheet metal. All structural members like studs, roof purlins, siding etc.
 
shboal11 said:
As it turned out. Chemistry was the problem. Water with high calcium levels overflowing into the panel. The 3/4 conduit went to a well which was emitting well gases into the same panel. The chemical mixtures within the confined space of the subpanel created a chemical reaction attacking only the copper connections. The simple fix was the seal off both pipes with rated sealant clean and scrub all copper connections and create a water relief point in the conduit. Below the panel.

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Thanks for the follow up. I wasnt too far off... cant believe the well is the source of the H2S, but it is what it is.


myspark said:
If corrosive air permeates in the steel building then the whole structure would have already collapsed.
These steel barns or storage are fabricated out of sheet metal. All structural members like studs, roof purlins, siding etc.
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The building may well have enough fresh air/leaks entering that gasses never build up to a really corrosive level. That panel wasnt completely trashed, where the concentration was likely its highest.
 
The 100ft by 40ft Building has open vents at the crest of the roof. The air exchange rate far exceeds the exchange rate within the confines of the small nearly sealed sub panel.

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that gas is explosive gas. not sure i would be worried about the corrosive part at this time.
 
FionaZuppa said:
that gas is explosive gas. not sure i would be worried about the corrosive part at this time.
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H2S will kill you LONG before it reaches LEL. I worked at waste water plants for years, you worry about methane explosions, but not H2S. .5ppm is enough to detect the smell, and I think over 10ppm it deadens your nose so you cant smell it anymore. I dont even know what the LEL on H2S is because the fatal exposure limit is so low you dont worry about explosions with it, you worry about suffocating.

here's the fun that H2S is:

1,000-2,000 ppm: Loss of consciousness and possible death
100-1,000 ppm: Serious respiratory, central nervous, and cardiovascular system effects
150-200 ppm: Olfactory fatigue (sense of smell is significantly impaired)
100 ppm: Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH concentration)
5-30 ppm: Moderate irritation of the eyes
5-10 ppm: Relatively minor metabolic changes in exercising individuals during short-term exposures
Less than 5 ppm: Metabolic changes observed in exercising individuals, but not clinically significant
5 ppm: Increase in anxiety symptoms (single exposure)
5 ppm: Start of the dose-response curve (short-term exposure)
0.032-0.02 ppm: Olfactory threshold (begin to smell)

Notice LEL isnt even listed. Because by the time it will blow up, everyone is already dead, so who cares? :D

eta: I had to look up LEL; it's 40,000ppm (4%).
 
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JFletcher said:
H2S will kill you LONG before it reaches LEL. I worked at waste water plants for years, you worry about methane explosions, but not H2S. .5ppm is enough to detect the smell, and I think over 10ppm it deadens your nose so you cant smell it anymore. I dont even know what the LEL on H2S is because the fatal exposure limit is so low you dont worry about explosions with it, you worry about suffocating.
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you list some good info, i just not sure how many people can fit inside that panel, and if they did, how long would they want to be there all cramped up?
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