Corrosion in electrical components may not seem like a big issue, but it is. At the lower end of the scale, it can disrupt the flow of power, potentially giving an irregular power supply to appliances, that could damage the appliance.
At the other end of the scale corroded electrical components can interfere with the flow of data through cables, causing data corruption or even data loss. That’s not a desirable outcome!
The best solution is to use the right ndt equipment to detect corrosion and deal with the issue. This isn’t always as easy as it sounds!
The Elements of Corrosion
For corrosion to occur in electrical components you need the following elements to be present:
- Metal
- Oxygen
- An Electrolyte
The metal is in the appliance and in the wiring, all electrical cables have metal in them to allow them to transfer power.
Oxygen is freely present in the air, this can probably get to your electrical components as soon as they are cut and stripped. There will also probably be air around the components unless they are operating in a vacuum.
The final element is water which can ingress through damaged cables or even via an appliance. This is the element you need to be vigilant for to prevent there being an issue.
Detecting The Corrosion
The best guide to an issue developing is actually to use your eyes. This means assessing the cable to see if any damage has occurred, checking the appliance to see if water can ingress at any point, and looking at any exposed cables to ensure they are not discolored.
If you see any signs of this you’ll need to investigate further.
Unfortunately, corrosion can happen in areas that you can’t easily see. That’s why you need specialist equipment. This will be able to scan for moisture content and it can assess the efficiency of a signal being carried by a cable. If it is not as efficient as it should be then you may have corrosion and you’ll need to investigate further.
Of course, this may mean pulling hidden cables out of the walls to replace them.
It’s worth noting that any appliance or piece of equipment that is not working as efficiently or smoothly as it should be, potentially has corrosion. The sooner you investigate this the easier it will be to deal with.
Once one part of the component becomes damaged it is likely other parts will follow suit. If you don’t stop the corrosion you’re likely to have to replace the component.
Get Help
Although you can inspect your components and wiring visually, its best to get expert help as they will be able to read the results correctly and help you to locate the source of any corrosion. This is useful, time-saving, and cost-effective as it can help to ensure you don’t have another issue in the future.
Above all, an expert will know what they are looking for and when the corrosion is an issue or when it’s just a discoloration.
