Thread: Rusted lug

Inspected the main service panel on a home today. It all look good (20 yrs. old) except the rusty lug I found at the connection for the heating and air system, this was the only rusted lug in the panel. By the way the unit it self is brand new. Does anybody know what might be going on? Sorry if there is a lack of information and no pics. Thanks

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I would suspect heating at the connection.

Originally Posted by David Garton

Inspected the main service panel on a home today. It all look good (20 yrs. old) except the rusty lug I found at the connection for the heating and air system, this was the only rusted lug in the panel. By the way the unit it self is brand new. Does anybody know what might be going on? Sorry if there is a lack of information and no pics. Thanks

I would say that your looking at a circuit breaker with one rusty lug.

Is the lug tite?

Allso is the service fed with ser cable? As time goes by some times water travels in along the wire Right into the panel.

Originally Posted by Jim Luttrall

I would suspect heating at the connection.

Originally Posted by LEO304E CARR

I would say that your looking at a circuit breaker with one rusty lug.

Is the lug tite?

Allso is the service fed with ser cable? As time goes by some times water travels in along the wire Right into the panel.

Thanks Jim
Not sure if it was tight and yes it is feed with ser. cable

Originally Posted by David Garton

Thanks Jim
Not sure if it was tight and yes it is feed with ser. cable

Check to see if the duct seal is dryed out and cracked that will let water in.

If the lug is loose that will cause arckhing and over heating .

Originally Posted by LEO304E CARR

I would say that your looking at a circuit breaker with one rusty lug.

Is the lug tite?

Allso is the service fed with ser cable? As time goes by some times water travels in along the wire Right into the panel.

Electrician look at it today, lug is rusted tight, it was a moisture problem

Originally Posted by David Garton

Electrician look at it today, lug is rusted tight, it was a moisture problem

Thanks for the follow-up post, David. Anything suspicious in the electrical panel warrants a closer look.

Originally Posted by David Garton

Electrician look at it today, lug is rusted tight, it was a moisture problem

Did he find that water was traveling along the ser cable?

Not trying to be a smart-ass, but isn't rust always a moisture problem? As I recall, it's the product of two disimilar metals that come in contact with moisture.

Originally Posted by David Cortez

Not trying to be a smart-ass, but isn't rust always a moisture problem? As I recall, it's the product of two disimilar metals that come in contact with moisture.

Smart-a..

Originally Posted by David Cortez

Not trying to be a smart-ass, but isn't rust always a moisture problem? As I recall, it's the product of two disimilar metals that come in contact with moisture.

The metals do not even need to be dissimilar for rust to occur. The metals simply need iron content and some humidity (versus what most think of as "moisture") to cause the iron to turn into iron oxide ("rust").

When you have dissimilar metals, you have galvanic action and that creates "corrosion", not rusting (at least to my knowledge, I may well be scientifically correcting as soon as I click the 'Submit' button ).

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

The metals do not even need to be dissimilar for rust to occur. The metals simply need iron content and some humidity (versus what most think of as "moisture") to cause the iron to turn into iron oxide ("rust").

When you have dissimilar metals, you have galvanic action and that creates "corrosion", not rusting (at least to my knowledge, I may well be scientifically correcting as soon as I click the 'Submit' button ).

Thanks Jerry for clarifying that for David C.

To find only one rusty lug usually means it was overheated (if no water present or tracked to that spot). I remember seeing a CB with one lug with a cherry colored lug (yes it was loaded).....the problem was that the lug "appeared" to be tight but because it was cross threaded it made one think is was seated properly (it was not).

Just my 2 c