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Pro tip: stopped using screw terminals for panel connections after a service call in Phoenix last July taught me the hard way
Used to just tighten them down and move on, but now I crimp every single wire with ferrules because one loose strand arced and fried a DSC panel on a 110 degree afternoon has anyone else run into corrosion issues with screw terminals in humid basements?
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sethfoster1mo ago
Yeah I dunno man, I have been doing screw terminals for like 15 years in all kinds of basements and attics here in the midwest. Humidity is part of the deal when you are working in a crawlspace. I have never had a single bit of corrosion or arcing that wasnt caused by something else like a power surge or a bad ground somewhere else. Pretty sure I see more failed crimps at service calls than messed up screw terminals. Feels like overkill to me unless you are working in a literal flood zone or a greenhouse or something.
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susan_adams1mo agoMost Upvoted
Gotta gently push back on that one @sethfoster. I have seen plenty of screw terminals get loose over time from the constant heating and cooling in attics, especially when wires are aluminum. That alone can cause arcing even without any moisture. And moisture does get in there through regular humidity, not just flood zones. I have pulled apart plenty of panels in basements where the screw terminals had that green crust on them, nothing crazy but enough to be a concern. Crimps can fail too for sure, but a good ratcheting crimper with the right die gives you a connection that doesn't rely on how much you torque a screw.
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kai_webb911mo ago
Is it really that bad though, @sethfoster?
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