Protecting electrical connections

[osgoor]

What is everyone using to protect their electrical connections? I have many connectors to mini-trees that are currently just laying on the ground. Would you wrap them in cellophane or something?

Thanks

[ErnieHorning]

I leave nearly everything completely open. I only cover up some remote SSR boxes that are laying out in the open to keep potential rain from getting in. I just cover these with black plastic table cloth, but leave a vent hole.

Moisture is not a problem, leave it open and it will evaporate. Cover anything that could get hit by direct water. Raise anything that could potentially sit in a puddle off water.

To prevent GFCI problems, think of how the flow of water could connect power to earth ground.

Up here, once everything freezes, water isn't conductive and snow isn't a problem anyway.

[mnmike3]

I am planning on making some pvc pipe sections that will be water tight for my main extension cords then each idividual cord for the 24 channels will just be hung up off the ground so they don't sit in water should the snow start to melt on a warmer day

[ben&bobbi]

first time posting - be gentle!

anyway, our yard has lots of low laying areas that hold water for short times, but long enough to trip our breaker. This year i used clear silicone between the plugs before plugging them together. I am pretty sure it worked, but believe i missed a couple because i had to unplug a couple strands from our 10' mega tree.

[dirknerkle]

ben&bobbi, Welcome to DIYC!!!

Sounds like you had a couple funky problems with GFI... arghhhh! Here's an idea to help solve low-lying areas where snow melt can cause problems. Actually you can use this everywhere.....

Use short wooden stakes wherever there's a connection plug. Drive a stake into the ground, wrap the connection with a ziplock bag so that the bag opening faces DOWN, and zip-tie the whole thing to the stake above ground. If you're worried about it slipping down the stake, staple the zip tie to the back of the stake.

If you're worried about visibility, you can always paint the stakes first -- if they'll be in snow you can paint them white of course... (duhhh...) and then orient the stake so the white side is toward the street and the wires are on the back side facing the house.

Glad you're here at DIYC. This is a great place!

Happy New Year!

-dave

[dslynx]

I figure, if the commercially purchased strings don't have anything protecting the end plugs, it can't be to dangerous. With all the sue happy people, if there was a way to collect money because of it, it would have happened already.

[frankr]

The trick I have been using for years now is to use a bunch of C9 stakes that I pick up at after Christmas sales. They are already black so they do not need to be painted. Then I run the extension cord and the plug wires through the C9 holder and zip tie them to base of the stake. This leaves the connections will above the ground level and encourages water to drip away.

I use this for 44 Mini trees and I went from GFCIs tripping with the slightest bit of rain to the same GFCIs not flipping for the entire season for the last 4 years.

No Snow in northern California so that is not an issue for me...

[budude]

No Snow in northern California so that is not an issue for me...

Hey frankr - - where are you in Northern CA - - San Jose myself.

Just had a 4.1 earthquake this morning at 10am so that WOKE me up - gotta love CA!

Brian

[dirknerkle]

Just had a 4.1 earthquake this morning at 10am so that WOKE me up - gotta love CA!



So... your house isn't surrounded by water... yet??? :lol:

[budude]

So... your house isn't surrounded by water... yet??? :lol:

No - not yet - but the building I'm in is near the junction of the two big faults here (San Andreas and Hayward/Calaveras) so we get at least a quake a year - - fun stuff!

[plasmata]

The bigger question is, how is your megatree? ;)

[frankr]

At least you are alright! I am up in Roseville/Rocklin area but I was in Napa for the Loma preita(SP?) quake of '89 and the 5.4 in Napa back in 04.

Yep gotta love California!

[budude]

At least you are alright! I am up in Roseville/Rocklin area but I was in Napa for the Loma preita(SP?) quake of '89 and the 5.4 in Napa back in 04.

Yep gotta love California!

I was sitting on a computer/elevated floor in Sunnyvale during Loma Prieta - it just kept going and going - that was so much fun! And the aftershocks every day for a week - loved it... :rolleyes: I've been here since '81 so I've been through a bunch of them!

... what was this thread about? :oops::p

[kkmm]

I too use wooden stakes but I have found cutting the top off of a 600 coke bottle and sliding that over the top lasts better than a plastic bag, even keeps the water in tropical cyclones.

Cheers

[dirknerkle]

I too use wooden stakes but I have found cutting the top off of a 600 coke bottle and sliding that over the top lasts better than a plastic bag, even keeps the water in tropical cyclones.

Cheers

That's creative!!! Great idea!

[stanward]

I don't wrap any of my connections. I do use the C7/C9 plastic stakes to keep the connections off of the ground.

[zaker]

I don't wrap anything anymore, seems moisture always got it.

I have my SSR's in the blue electrical boxes, made a small stand (3x3 piece of wood on a stake) to keep it off the ground and out of water, and my son painted some plastic Folgers coffee cans white, they slip right over the electrical box, go right over the wood stand.

Just cleaned up today and every box was dry, even the one I dug out of the snow.