Joining corroded electric wire

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Sailfree

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Front nav light not working and found wire behind nav light severed.

On cutting back to solder it together found wire rusty along it's length. I assume it's cheap wiring on a Jeanneau!

Could not get solder to take. Luckily cable had an excess length so pulled more cable through (2 cables set in a rubber surround total 8mm dia).

Anyone found a way of joining them in salt water exposed environment or do I need to now carry lengths of replacement electrical wiring?
 
Sailfree said:
Front nav light not working and found wire behind nav light severed.

On cutting back to solder it together found wire rusty along it's length. I assume it's cheap wiring on a Jeanneau!

Could not get solder to take. Luckily cable had an excess length so pulled more cable through (2 cables set in a rubber surround total 8mm dia).

Anyone found a way of joining them in salt water exposed environment or do I need to now carry lengths of replacement electrical wiring?
Click to expand...

Presumably the conductors in this wire are plain (untinned) copper. I would replace all the wire with tinned copper wire suitable for the marine environment.
 
+1 for the heat shrink. It's not the total answer but it does extend the life of untied wire. I also add a smear of Fernox LSX after crimping but before the heat shrink. The heat shrink squeezes it into the end of the cable adding a smidgeon of watertightness.
 
a. Soldering as a sole means of connection is not accepted by ABYC. UK standards may be different.

b. Since the salt is already under the insulation, I doubt sealing is going to stop the corrosion. It is the right practice for anything that can get wet, of course.

c. If you are not going to replace the run, you might as well just clean and crimp, with a properly adjusted rachet crimper (not pliers or a discount crimper). It might last... it might not.
 
thinwater said:
a. Soldering as a sole means of connection is not accepted by ABYC. UK standards may be different.

b. Since the salt is already under the insulation, I doubt sealing is going to stop the corrosion. It is the right practice for anything that can get wet, of course.

c. If you are not going to replace the run, you might as well just clean and crimp, with a properly adjusted rachet crimper (not pliers or a discount crimper). It might last... it might not.
Click to expand...

Just looked up but joint heat shrink connectors. New to me!

What's a properly adjusted ratchet crimped please?

The nav wires are 1.5 sq mm.
 
Sailfree said:
Just looked up but joint heat shrink connectors. New to me!

What's a properly adjusted ratchet crimped please?

The nav wires are 1.5 sq mm.
Click to expand...

Anchor crimper.
https://amzn.to/2ysW5DS

ABYC and UL 486 specify pull-out strength. Basically, you need to pull test a sample crimp (the crimpers are adjustable and will not release until the set point is reached). In a nut shell, the fitting should show signs of damage before the wire pulls out, or the wire should break first.
 
On my Jeanneau (04/05) all wiring is plain copper. As installed the heat from the 10w bulb in the front bicolour nav light also burnt away the cable insulation inside the light. Managed to get just enough cable pulled through to clean up blackened wire and reconnect with heatproof sleeving inside the fitting.

Still working OK but now looking for a new LED bicolour that either has cable connected inside the light, or comes with almost 2 metres of pre-wired cable. Anything with a shorter wire will need a joint either open to air, inside the pulpit tubing, or inside the anchor locker.
 
There are loads of different ways of effectively connecting cables, be it by choc block, crimp or solder. In a marine or sub-sea application, insulation of the joint is the critical factor. The joint won't corrode or tarnish if kept isolated from water, or humidity. In underwater use, we use self amalgamating tape with Scotchkote frequently on whips. On a yottie connector, try using 'RTV', or even 'Aqualube' to encapsulate the item; to form a barrier between the 'wet' atmosphere and the connection. We've frequently used the latter on ROV's at -200m, for long periods of time. The cable won't corrode if it's isolated from the moist atmosphere, and tinning cable does nothing to enhance its life if it's exposed to moisture. Any cable will work, with a degree of suitability, even aluminium which does become brittle with age, and isn't suitable for soldering.
 
jamie N said:
... and tinning cable does nothing to enhance its life if it's exposed to moisture....
Click to expand...

I've done enough side-by-side testing in ASTM salt chambers to know that this is not nearly true. Tinned wire will last at least 10 times longer, because the tin serves as galvanic protection, much like zinc on steel. Tinned wire is specified by ABYC standard. That is not to say that tinned wire will last forever if lying in salt water (it won't--but it will last a number of years) or that plain copper wire is not useable if kept dry (stranded copper meets USCG standards).
 
I have had mixed success with the "low temperature solder heatshrink connectors" - heating with a butane turboflame type thing quite often the plastic sleeving melts away before the solder flows. When they work they are excellent. I tend to slip a bit of ordinary heatshrink over the top afterwards and gently shrink to add a bit of protection.
 
jwilson said:
On my Jeanneau (04/05) all wiring is plain copper. As installed the heat from the 10w bulb in the front bicolour nav light also burnt away the cable insulation inside the light. Managed to get just enough cable pulled through to clean up blackened wire and reconnect with heatproof sleeving inside the fitting.

Still working OK but now looking for a new LED bicolour that either has cable connected inside the light, or comes with almost 2 metres of pre-wired cable. Anything with a shorter wire will need a joint either open to air, inside the pulpit tubing, or inside the anchor locker.
Click to expand...

Just get an LED bulb. Boat lamps is good for selection and supply and I suspect that there are others.
https://boatlamps.co.uk/
 
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