10/3 copper wires have black oxidation? ?

[kyles974]

I was given a shore power from a boat captain (salt water)
Any how...I was thinking of making a extention cord out of it. (its 10/3)
...and the wires are black oxidized. I cut back a few ft and still has oxidation.

Does anyone know if this would still be good to use?

If no....or if it needs to be tested to be abke to tell.......could someone explain how to test? I have a tester...just the cheap HF one....but really don't know how to use besides the basics.

(I can take a pic if needed)

 

[ddawg16]

Just clean the wires off where they connect to the plug....that oxidation is on the surface....won't hurt a thing for the rest of the cable...

 

[MTW]

Wires with black oxidation are from water exposure. This is very commonly seen in wires removed from underground conduits, where they have been sitting in water. It doesn't mean that it cant be used. To reuse it, you must clean the termination points very good. The copper in the core is still intact and low resistance. But where you attach it to the chord connectors all of the oxidation must be removed in order to have clean copper where it contacts the terminals of the device you are connecting to.

If there is any moisture left inside the cable assembly this should be dried out before being put into service, in order to not stress the insulation any more than it has already seen. You can dry it out faster by placing it in the sun for it to bake out any remaining moisture. They dry out motor windings in a similar fashion, in a controlled oven.

As far as testing it, a multimeter usually won't tell you much other than if it is directly shorted out. The only real way to test it is with a insulation resistance tester, which I'm sure you don't have. Just make sure it is completely dry before putting it into service. Once it is energized you will then know if there is any internal leakage, by weather it shorts out or not.

I have reused building type (THHN) wire with this type oxidation, and had no problems with it.

 

[G_P]

Like the others said just clean up the ends where you make your connections. It should be bright and shiny.

Sent via carrier pigeon.

 

[nehog]

Generally this happens with rubber insulated wire and is caused by the sulfur in the rubber probably. As others say, it doesn't affect the wire, just needs to be cleaned off to ensure good connections, especially if you are soldering the wire.

BTW the black oxide (actually, again a sulfur compound) on silver wire doesn't affect conductivity of silver. I've never measured the copper equivalent but I suspect it is conductive.

 

[2ManyProjects]

I was given a shore power from a boat captain (salt water)
Any how...I was thinking of making a extention cord out of it. (its 10/3)
...and the wires are black oxidized. I cut back a few ft and still has oxidation.

Does anyone know if this would still be good to use?

OK... I guess I'll have to be the odd man out here.

First, all due respect to the guys whose frames of reference are things like buried cables exposed to (fresh) groundwater; but in this case, they don't know what they're talking about. As a nearly life-long salt-water boater (ran my father's boat offshore from age 9 on, because he wanted to be on the aft deck with a fishing rod in hand; finally got my own boat at age 14 -- and that was all long enough ago that I now have three grandchildren), I can tell you with complete confidence that salt water is an ENTIRELY different beast. Your friend gave away that cable for a good reason (tho' he didn't really do you any favors in the process): It's SHOT. Take that to the bank.

The proximate cause of the corrosion you saw is salt water finding its way inside the insulation. Once that happens, it's only a matter of time before the wire fails. The corrosion WILL continue to wick its way through the length of the cable, and it will also continue to eat away at the (relatively finely stranded) conductors as it does so. The more this condition progresses, the more the current-carrying capability of the wires will be degraded; they will also become more brittle and prone to mechanical failure from flexing and such.

Depending on just how bad the corrosion already is, that cable MIGHT be marginally "usable" now, at least for light loads. But it surely will not stay that way for the long term; and given that, I absolutely would NOT bother trying to salvage it.

 

[kyles974]

First thanks to all who has already replied.
I thought id might get mixed comments....since thats what id seemed to get when searching google.

Although IMHO....I think everyone is right.
2manyprojects...your thoughts due make percect sence because I did notice a strand or two of the wires seem brital when I striped it.

And everyone else seems like it make sence too. (Cleaning the ends)

I should have mentioned...I only plan to use it to run a better extention cord out to my shop, since im using a cheap 100ft one right now. (Times tuff...got my garage ..but no electric to it. And mainly onky use a table saw or drill press oir grinder and a fluorescent light at most)(oh..and metal chop saw..which draws)

But built a kiln to dry logs for log furniture and cant run dehumidifier with cord I have now...so this is what my main concern with running the cord with.
(?)

Guess I buy some good plugs for it and see if it get hot with the DH. (?)

 

[Lotek]

I'd be leery of leaving it connected to anything unattended, I've tried to salvage a shore power cord, and the corrosion does wick all the way through. For what you would spend on plugs, you would be half way to a decent extension cord. My 2c

 

[2ManyProjects]

I should have mentioned...I only plan to use it to run a better extention cord out to my shop, since im using a cheap 100ft one right now. (Times tuff...got my garage ..but no electric to it. And mainly onky use a table saw or drill press oir grinder and a fluorescent light at most)(oh..and metal chop saw..which draws)

But built a kiln to dry logs for log furniture and cant run dehumidifier with cord I have now...so this is what my main concern with running the cord with.
(?)

Guess I buy some good plugs for it and see if it get hot with the DH. (?)

Wow.

I really cannot condone running ANY of that stuff off an extension cord, even an AWG 10 one (in part because I have no idea what it might be plugged into on the source end). But strictly in the spirit of "lesser evils"...

How far is the run from the outlet to the garage? I would be surprised if that hand-me-down shore-power cord is more than perhaps 50 feet; and it's probably more like 25-35 feet (especially by the time you cut it down enough to get to some relatively undamaged metal). Given that, plus the fact that you're likely to spend at least $30 or more on decent heavy-duty NEMA 5-20P/5-20R connectors that will properly accept AWG 10 conductors, this STILL seems very much like a fool's errand. A quick Google search brings up:

HUBBELL HBL5366C AC Plug NEMA 5-20 Male
http://www.stayonline.com/detail.aspx?id=6757

HUBBELL HBL5369C AC Connector NEMA 5-20 Female
http://www.stayonline.com/detail.aspx?id=6807

That's $40 to salvage the old cord, and it might not (probably won't, in the long haul) even work.

Compare to:

Camco Manufacturing 25-ft 10-Gauge Outdoor Extension Cord @ $49
http://www.lowes.com/pd_278684-61961-55191_0__?productId=3455554

or even:

Utilitech 100-ft 10-Gauge Outdoor Extension Cord @ $137
http://www.lowes.com/pd_67702-66906-UTP711935_0__?productId=3191731

Seriously... Give up on this idea.

 

[kyles974]

I'd be leery of leaving it connected to anything unattended, I've tried to salvage a shore power cord, and the corrosion does wick all the way through. For what you would spend on plugs, you would be half way to a decent extension cord. My 2c

Wow.

I really cannot condone running ANY of that stuff off an extension cord, even an AWG 10 one (in part because I have no idea what it might be plugged into on the source end). But strictly in the spirit of "lesser evils"...

How far is the run from the outlet to the garage? I would be surprised if that hand-me-down shore-power cord is more than perhaps 50 feet; and it's probably more like 25-35 f6eet (especially by the time you cut it down enough to get to some relatively undamaged metal). Given that, plus the fact that you're likely to spend at least $30 or more on decent heavy-duty NEMA 5-20P/5-20R connectors that will properly accept AWG 10 conductors, this STILL seems very much like a fool's errand. A quick Google search brings up:

HUBBELL HBL5366C AC Plug NEMA 5-20 Male
http://www.stayonline.com/detail.aspx?id=6757

HUBBELL HBL5369C AC Connector NEMA 5-20 Female
http://www.stayonline.com/detail.aspx?id=6807

That's $40 to salvage the old cord, and it might not (probably won't, in the long haul) even work.

Compare to:

Camco Manufacturing 25-ft 10-Gauge Outdoor Extension Cord @ $49
http://www.lowes.com/pd_278684-61961-55191_0__?productId=3455554

or even:

Utilitech 100-ft 10-Gauge Outdoor Extension Cord @ $137
http://www.lowes.com/pd_67702-66906-UTP711935_0__?productId=3191731

Seriously... Give up on this idea.

To late...already did it.

First they are 50ft per cord....have two and my run is about 80ft.
Bought plugs and an HD splice for under $20 ...and YES...rated fir 10/3.

As for being half way to a new cord....well if you can show me where I can buy a 100ft 10/3 for even close to $40 ...hell... close to 3 times as much as I have in this cord...I buy two!

I understand whats being said....because ive got some regular extention cords with cuts ...etc... and started to buy new plugs...hell....im over half way to a new cord and not worth it. So the old cords go into my bix of copper to be scraped.


As far as your "google" searches...well nevermind....thanks for your input.

Also...for the record...I was able to cut back to get to good wire with little clean up needed.
So I saved $100!!!!
Thanks

Ps... I run a radio, a fan and a dehumidifier with this. When I use a saw...I turn off DH.
As fir running "any of these things" with an extenion cord??
Interesting.....I will leave it at that. LoL