Vaseline or similar on battery connections

[simonfraser]

historically have always done that

But what about all the other connections fuses etc

Best to cover all of those too ?

Tnx

 

[wonkywinch]

Battery terminal coating

 

[Moodysailor]

It is not advised to use vaseline on electrical terminals, it can become an electrical insulator. There are so many proper coating available now (one mentioned above), just use the one designed for the application.

 

[petem]

I won't give it the hard sell but I import and sell (DeoxIT) grease for cleaning and protecting battery terminals. You can find out more in my link.

 

[GEM43]

Nyogel 760G - Electrical Connection Protector Gel - 100g Trade Pack

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

Nyogel 760G - Electrical Connection Protector Gel - 100g Trade Pack

At that price, I would make sure I had a good connection and then just give a "Wipe" of any sort of grease or Vaseline

 

[PaulRainbow]

Why do battery terminals on a boat need grease on them ?

Never used any on my terminals and i've had some old boats.

 

[footsoldier]

Why do battery terminals on a boat need grease on them ?

I agree. It used to be a 'thing' with cars, tractors, boats etc back in the day, but I think it is redundant for modern materials. If you do experience corroded connections now, you need to be looking more closely for the real cause.

 

[wonkywinch]

Maybe battery terminals never needed Vaseline but the story made up by some grandfather as an excuse why there was a tub of lube in his shed near the Pirelli calendar?

 

[thinwater]

From Trojen:

"Reconnect the clamps to the terminals and thinly coat them with an anti-corrosive spray or silicon gel." (Vaseline is listed)

My expereince tells me that if the location is dry it won't matter, and if the location is damp it will help a great deal. This holds for all types of pressure connections, and years of refinery and boat trouble shooting. Clean and tight is always important.

BTW, Vaseline can't turn into an insulator at the contact point. It is already an insulator and the contact happens where it has been pushed aside. It can turn to varnish, so contacts must be cleaned everything they are disassembled, but this is always true.

 

[PaulRainbow]

From Trojen:

"Reconnect the clamps to the terminals and thinly coat them with an anti-corrosive spray or silicon gel." (Vaseline is listed)

My expereince tells me that if the location is dry it won't matter, and if the location is damp it will help a great deal. This holds for all types of pressure connections, and years of refinery and boat trouble shooting. Clean and tight is always important.

BTW, Vaseline can't turn into an insulator at the contact point. It is already an insulator and the contact happens where it has been pushed aside. It can turn to varnish, so contacts must be cleaned everything they are disassembled, but this is always true.

That's for open cell Trojan batteries, where escaping gas can corrode the terminals. Sealed batteries don't need it.

 

[thinwater]

That's for open cell Trojan batteries, where escaping gas can corrode the terminals. Sealed batteries don't need it.

Pretty much. But the OP did not specify. Also, I've noticed corrosion with sealed batteries if the box was poorly ventilated and if there was over even a little overcharging. No hard rules. See the next PP.

I've also seen corrosion of non-battery quick connects and such in damp areas. Not just on boats, but also field connections in refineries. Normally a quick look around is a dead giveaway; if there is any corrosion in the area, clean and grease (and solve the moisture problem if practical). If everything looks factory shiny and it's 10 years old, then no worries. It depends.

 

[Halo]

What is definitely worth while is to rub Vaseline into wire ends when you connect them. It stops the wire from going black and corroding. Obviously tinned wire is a better option if you have it

 

[wonkywinch]

What is definitely worth while is to rub Vaseline into wire ends when you connect them. It stops the wire from going black and corroding. Obviously tinned wire is a better option if you have it

If Vaseline is an insulator, won't you be adding a microscopic layer of insulation between the wire and the terminal even with it all tightened up?

 

[Halo]

If Vaseline is an insulator, won't you be adding a microscopic layer of insulation between the wire and the terminal even with it all tightened up?

Potentially yes but it has never been an actual problem. Same goes for all those who Vaseline/ grease battery terminals

 

[PaulRainbow]

Potentially yes but it has never been an actual problem. Same goes for all those who Vaseline/ grease battery terminals

Vaseline on battery terminals goes on after the connection is made, so cannot insulate anything.

 

[Halo]

Vaseline on battery terminals goes on after the connection is made, so cannot insulate anything.

That depends if you put the Vaseline on before or after the connection is made. In my case it’s the former

 

[PaulRainbow]

That depends if you put the Vaseline on before or after the connection is made. In my case it’s the former

In Ye Olde day, when battery terminals were greased, they were assembled first. The grease was to protect the terminals from corrosive gas.

Vaseline does not conduct electricity, so putting it on first is a bad idea. If you are putting it on wiring before crimping terminals, that's also a bad idea. If you feel you have to use it, put it on after making the connection.

 

[ducked]

It is not advised to use vaseline on electrical terminals, it can become an electrical insulator. There are so many proper coating available now (one mentioned above), just use the one designed for the application.

Not clear what you mean by ''proper coating". The thread linked above has several things mentioned, including Blutak.

The idea of putting vaseline, silicone grease etc on contacts is it inhibits development of the Green Crusties, which definately are an electrical insulator. Latterly I used silicone grease in the UK, but thats hard to find in Taiwan so I reverted to vaseline. Though I have sometimes used vegetable oil, its biodegradability is potentially a problem.

OTOH you can still get non-sealed batteries here, (hopefully thats also still the case in the UK) and IIRC they are slightly cheaper.

I suppose if you wanted something that might be a bit conductive copper antiseize might do, but thats also hard to find in Taiwan.

I would expect an insulating grease on terminals would be displaced under pressure to give metal to metal contact, and that has been my experience.

If it didn't, I'd think it was probably too loose, and, if it was for example a crimped connection, probably a badly crimped connection.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Not clear what you mean by ''proper coating". The thread linked above has several things mentioned, including Blutak.

The idea of putting vaseline, silicone grease etc on contacts is it inhibits development of the Green Crusties, which definately are an electrical insulator. Latterly I used silicone grease in the UK, but thats hard to find in Taiwan so I reverted to vaseline, though I sometimes used vegetable oil.

OTOH you can still get non-sealed batteries here, (hopefully thats still the case in the UK) and IIRC they are slightly cheaper

I suppose if you wanted something that might be a bit conductive copper antiseize might do, but thats also hard to find in Taiwan.

It doesn't need to be conductive, put it on after assembly.