[TheForge] Cure for water damaged electrical stuff

[Paul Sperbeck]

On 11/06/2012 09:38 AM, Andrew Vida wrote:
> You just prompted a question:  Autoparts stores sell "dielectic grease"
> for the electrical fittings for tow hitches.  my possibly flawed
> understanding is that the grease conducts current.  If that is to, they
> why is it called "dielectric"?  Anyone?
>
> <snip>


It is indeed a non conductor. Never had it cause corrosion or conduct 
current.

I used to use it in the ends of electrical cords for Christmas lights, 
as usual the cords stayed out until spring when they were warm enough to 
coil up again, and never saw any corrosion on the contacts. When used on 
spark plugs the voltage is so high and the current so small, that a very 
minimal metal to metal contact is sufficient to allow the plug to fire.

I guess there is no way the grease can prevent contact at some 
electrical level, unlike Teflon tape... a buddy of mine used it to seal 
an electrical traducer on his intake manifold. The Teflon kept the 
circuit from being completed, and the sensor worked as soon as regular 
pipe dope was used. It sealed but still allowed electrical connection. I 
think the same situation applies to the dielectric grease.

  I have used them in the four hole female trailer connectors as well. 
The lights  always work even with the grease in place. It does a good 
job of keeping the water out but still allowing enough contact for the 
stuff to operate.


paul
WB9HCO
-- 
Try to notice the thing that happened just before the thing
you didn't want to have happen happened!

Resistance Is Not Futile!
It's voltage divided by current.

No trees were killed in the generation of this message,
  but a tremendous number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced