I’ll soon be purchasing a BCC, I hope. On my last visit to the boat I took pictures and in some of them there is green-blue powder on some of the fittings.
Do these photos indicate a serious electrolysis problem? Based on what is visible in the photos, would the presence of this powder set off red flags if you were considering a purchase of the boat? Am I looking at a rewiring job perhaps?
Warren Fraser
The blue green “powder” is actually corrosion, and will occur in an environment where there is electicity + water + copper.
I should not be too much of a problem if you keep these contacts clean, unfasten them, shine them up, and use an electical corrosion inhibitor available in most outo parts stores. There are also fancy marine products, at much higher prices (Surprise!)
John, thanks once again for your help. My concerns were with all the connections, fasteners, fittings I couldn’t see, and whether this indicated bigger problems.
Regards,
Warren
The first image you provided was the grounding plate.
If the terminals on this were originally not secure, then this would have an effect on other components throughout the boat.
My recommendation is to clean every fitting you find like this, ensure that the electrical connections are good, snug and secure, and then keep an eye on them.
If, somehow, you have a power leakage through the grounding plate, this should reveal itself fairly early, and then it’s time to look for backfeeds.
I don’t know the history of your vessel, but even salt in the atmosphere can cause this nature of corrosion, particularly if you are in an environment where the interior of the hull is likely to “sweat”.