Will wire insulation rot on floor?

admin

Hey, all,I recently got a new (but old) welding machine that I rigged up as a TIGrunner, so I wired it with 50' of 6/3 SOOW. Until I get my new shop, I don't really have room to roll the machine around (or even, really, to store the long power cord).My question is, if I store the 6/3 SOOW cord, and the 1/0 welding leads, on the damp concrete floor of my shop, will the neoprene or rubber insulation on those cables dry rot?I had some black Goodyear rubber air compressor hose, and it was real flexible and great while it lasted but after a year or two of it being on the floor, it dry rotted and cracked to pieces. Big waste of $.Do I need to worry about this with my welding leads and power cord if I don't get it up off the concrete slab?Thanks
Reply:There may be better reply's coming, but I am going to say yes from my experience. I had old Lincoln stick that has been moved around in my garage for more that 25 years since I last used it. No telling how old it was before I got it. In fact it may be kind of cool to see if there is some serial number will tell me. Anyway just bought a MIG and I am making a cart for both. The leads are kind of cracking and one spot was bad enough that I pulled the stringer, put some tape on it, then heat shrink it. I know it was not that way when I used it last. Concrete has moisture, so it can't be good. I wished I would have rolled them up better and tied them up. Just thinking out loud.
Reply:Moisture will not affect the insulation of any wire with a "W" in the rating.  Yes, you will get moisture from the concrete, but that is not a problem.Other things however can be an issue.  That wire is not oil resistant, and ozone can also dry rot it, among other things.If a black rubber Goodyear hose dry rotted in your shop, that SOOW will also (it is the same stuff), but that will have nothing to do with moisture from the concrete.
Reply:Originally Posted by rlitmanIf a black rubber Goodyear hose dry rotted in your shop, that SOOW will also (it is the same stuff), but that will have nothing to do with moisture from the concrete.
Reply:Nope.  Ozone is the same thing that dry rots tires.  That's going to break down all plastics to some extent.Oil (like the stuff that eats up boot soles that aren't oil resistant) is another culprit.  Gasoline or diesel perhaps?  I don't know what's on your floor.SOOW is rubber, so it is probably not oil resistant.  STOW would be neoprene, and that is oil resistant.
Reply:I thought the "O" signified "oil resistant" ... and two "O"s in a row signified oil-resistant insulation and outside jacket ...?http://www.systekcable.com/wire/prod...roducts_id=376Neoprene is definitely more oil- and rot-resistant than rubber in my experience. This is confusing. Thanks again.
Reply:I would run the wires thru a regular 'ol garden hose before putting the ends on the cable..That ought to be enough defense against moisture....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Where do you live?I've had soow cord on the ground for over 2 years no problem.I had 4/0 sitting outside for over 2 years with no problem.Ed Conleyhttp://www.screamingbroccoli.com/MM252MM211 (Sold)Passport Plus & Spool gunLincoln SP135 Plus- (Gone to a good home)Klutch 120v Plasma cutterSO 2020 benderBeer in the fridge
Reply:SO= SYNTHETIC rubber, OIL resistant, (not sure what the second O is) W= WET locations.
Reply:Originally Posted by walkerweldSO= SYNTHETIC rubber, OIL resistant, (not sure what the second O is) W= WET locations.
Reply:Thanks, all. I guess I'll try to get it off the floor just to play it safe, and keep an eye on it.
Reply:probably has more to do with the pH of the concrete and it being a bit on the alkali side. Could be attacking the rubber.
Reply:Originally Posted by zapsterI would run the wires thru a regular 'ol garden hose before putting the ends on the cable..That ought to be enough defense against moisture....zap!
Reply:I use ENT "smurf tube" to sleeve my TIG cable for all but the last few feet by the handpiece where I have a fake leather cover..It is stiff enough that you can step on it without it collapsing, and it slides around nicely on a concrete floor, and the stiffness prevents it from getting tangled too.
Reply:The only thing at the start of my post I was sure, was the cracks in the leads. After all these discussions, I am betting on the cause being ozone. It should have been a duh moment on moisture, it's rubber. The example of tires made a lot of sense to me. Of course add some UV and that would just accelerate it. So short of creating and storing it in a vacuum chamber, sounds kind of like us humans, some things you can do to help take care of it, but eventually it going to get old. :-)Just for grins, I am going to post on the Lincoln forum to see if anyone can help me figure out it's age. :-)
Reply:Welding and Electric Motors can deteriorate rubber products."Ozone (O3) is a naturally-occurring substance which can attack rubber and plastic products, causing deterioration and cracking. It can lead to product failures, rejected goods or even the expense and subsequent damage to a brand caused by product recalls. Rubbers, in particular, need to be specified, verified and validated to avoid ozone cracking. Manufacturers and other companies in the supply chain can take steps to avoid this risk by using an ozone test chamber to assess the resistance to ozone-induced cracking for the rubber used in the products they are bringing to market.Comprising three oxygen atoms rather than the two that make up molecular oxygen (O2), ozone is in solid form below -250°C, a deep-blue liquid between -250°C and -112°C and a gas with a distinctive odour above -112°C. It is a constituent of the atmosphere, but in much smaller proportion than O2. Ozone typically occurs naturally in the order of 0.003 parts per million (ppm).Ozone is produced in the upper atmosphere by ultraviolet radiation from the sun, and lower levels by the electric discharge associated with lightning. It is an unstable gas, readily decomposing into molecular oxygen. The ability of ozone to yield up one of its oxygen atoms makes it a powerful oxidising agent. Ozone can also be manufactured – either purposely, or as a bi-product of another activity (such as by electric discharges from arc welding or sparks from electric motors). These artificial sources can contribute to significant increases in ozone concentrations in the working and living environment."Last edited by BradTN; 05-02-2013 at 09:58 AM.