Cable plasticiser reacting with copper.

[dtec dave]

Firstly no Ghostbusters jokes!!

Was called out to a job yesterday where a light fitting had been 'buzzing', upon inspecting it I saw the terminals and cable were covered with a 'green slime'. After a quick Google I found out this is quite common and that it the plasticiser of the cable reacting with the copper over time. The customer also wants a consumer unit change so was wondering what the general consensus would be..walk away or procceed with consumer unit change if the cables pass an IR test?

 

[Strima]

No chance that is going to test out OK. some of it is not much more viscous than water

I have green goo in my house and it tests out OK.

 

[Midwest]

If I had green goo in my house, I'd eventually rewire whether it tests ok or not. When I've ever I've come across it with customers, I've gave them the information to make an informed decision. If they asked my opinion, I would tell them to rewire. But thats my personal opinion.

 

[bxman]

I will post up some more photographs if I can to-morrow out of 3 ceiling fittings 2 are liquid goo and one is dry very different to look at the dry one was not exposed to the vapour all other light fittings in the house were clearly rewired later on as fitted with the normal earth sleeving

 

[SparkySy]

I used to come across it loads years ago doing council work in concrete high rise blocks with steel conduit installation, some of the stairwell lighting conduit in one was literally running with the stuff and IR shot.
Have seen it in a few houses on twin and earth too but not so regularly.
I would advise that the cable is in poor health and let the customer make the decision!

 

[bxman]

Here are a couple more photos showing the three light fittings affected by the green goo. They clearly show the difference between the dry and the wet type of greening. The fittings affected by wet goo do not test out satisfactory. Appreciate your help and any more comments. H

ope this will be helpful to others confronted with a similar problem.

 

[Strima]

That's quite a bad case, I would be rewiring that lot.

 

[Marvo]

I agree with Strima. Usually I'd consider green goo just as an annoyance that wouldn't warrant rewiring if IR tests were up to scratch. In this case it's actually dripping and there's lots of foreign debris collecting which in itself is going to cause additional IR problems so I'd recommend a rewire.