# Panel exposed to Chlorine



## Achilles (Sep 11, 2014)

Our project has us installing a panel in a pool equipment room. Yes the best plan is to not put the panel there - but we are.

Given the situation what busing is best suited to hold up to the environment?
- Aluminum
- Copper
- Tin Plated AL/CU

Thank you for your input


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

Gold bus bars would be best...

Next best should be tinned copper.

Chlorine just goes to town on aluminum.  

Just how bad are the vapors?


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

Copper would be better. The chlorine becomes hydrochloric acid when it combines with water or water vapor.

Base on doing some repairs on equipment that was damaged by a chlorine release, if you can keep the panel and electrical equipment warm enough, there will not be enough water vapor to make acid.


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## Achilles (Sep 11, 2014)

New construction - Major Hotel

Pool equipment will be new, the air will be exhausted and dehumidified which should help cut down on the corrosion effect.

silver coated maybe another option


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## eddy current (Feb 28, 2009)

Stainless steel


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## circuitman1 (Mar 14, 2013)

i agree with eddy current,"STAINLESS STEEL" all the way. due to it is a corrosive enviroment.:thumbup:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

There a hot air line nearby? Maybe for pneumatic HVAC controls or dry sprinkler system? Pressurize the panel with a few inches water column of compressed air and nothing will effect anything.


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## Achilles (Sep 11, 2014)

^^ That is a good idea ^^

Unfortunately the Owner/Parent company isn't interested enough in doing it right. I'm certain 10-20 years from now some electrician will get to replace the who damned panel.

I'm not passing on the project over this issue, I'm also not spending much money out of pocket to remedy the flaw. It's their problem in 10 years.

I think I'll just stick with copper - if anyone has any field experience or knowledge of chemistry as to why AL or Tin plated may hold up better let me know.

My goal in this is to provide the conventional panel that will last the longest.

Thanks for everyone's feedback


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

last hotel I did they just spec'd one of those panels with the pvc jacket. seems like a good intermediate solution without breaking the bank.


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## telsa (May 22, 2015)

The chemistry is ....

Aluminum will corrode all the way with chlorine.

Copper will be much more resistant// passive

Tin is coated over copper BECAUSE it's well known to be even more 'passive' -- resistant to corrosion.

Most copper buses are automatically tin plated -- the cost is peanuts -- and this plating is not normally made a big deal of.

Virtually EVERY copper busing I've ever installed -- was TIN coated ( Sq D comes instantly to mind -- most of my jobs were massively aluminum )

At commercial scale, I've never seen bare copper (bus) conductors. It's tin coated every time.

Without tin, copper 'rusts' very quickly.


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## Service Call (Jul 9, 2011)

wildleg said:


> last hotel I did they just spec'd one of those panels with the pvc jacket. seems like a good intermediate solution without breaking the bank.




Got a link?


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

Achilles said:


> New construction - Major Hotel
> 
> Pool equipment will be new, the air will be exhausted and dehumidified which should help cut down on the corrosion effect.
> 
> silver coated maybe another option


:laughing: Wouldn't happen to be a Super 8 motel would it?

I used to service one of them with the exact same set up as what you are describing. Regular single phase QO panel with a bunch of romex feeding into it --- Maybe only 3.5 foot away from the chrolinator for the pool system! :jester:

That sorry fart fan you will wire up in that room won't do Jack, and there's nothing you can do differently to keep the panel in any better condition. IT'S GONNA CORRODE! 

But if it's on the prints like that, then it's definitely somebody else's problem, not yours. You think they would've thought this out several thousand jobs ago, when all their connections in these panels start going bad after 10 - 15 years.

By that time, the Patels will have some cheap night manager in there, and he will NEVER agree to you fixing that panel the right way. You'll be lucky if they authorize you enough $$$ to swap the bus bar/guts out and clean all the wire ends. 

Let somebody else worry about this one.


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## oliquir (Jan 13, 2011)

put you electrical panel into a fiberglass panel , put some dessicants bags in there and it should last very long


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## Electron Transporter (Dec 31, 2014)

Write an RFi and have your Pm submit it to the GC/EE I for clarification. Let someone else take responsibility for the final decision. At least it might get some attention. Possibly a change order.....$$$


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## danhasenauer (Jun 10, 2009)

Many years ago I worked in an acid manufacturing plant as an Apprentice. The panels were Factory (SqD) custom made gasketed stainless steel enclosed and positive-pressure purged, and all conduit was Rob-Roy. And *all of it* still only lasted 10 years max. Replacing stuff was a Never Ending Story, like painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Anything you put in will make warranty period before it goes to hell. Put De-Ox on all your connections, cash the check and don't look back!


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## varmit (Apr 19, 2009)

I have seen Rob-Roy disolve from the inside out (steel corroded away just the plastic coating left). I decided that was not a good place to be working.


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## Achilles (Sep 11, 2014)

MHElectric said:


> :laughing: Wouldn't happen to be a Super 8 motel would it?


It's a Holiday Inn - the design & specs have be bastardized - same concept though. Pool mechanical room is on the opposite side of the electrical service so I understand it's probably just cheaper to replace the panel every decade or so.

It's honestly not worth the effort of a RFI - I've been beating my head against the wall just to get MEP all on the same page up to this point.

Like someone else said - it'll last past the warranty point.

I'll spend the extra $50 and put in copper bussing, and move on. Thanks for all the feedback.


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## Sparkchaser1 (May 17, 2015)

Anything steel in that room will rust. Conduit, fittings, straps, screws.......It should have an exhaust fan in it, although that will succumb to the chlorine after time as well.


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## dawgs (Dec 1, 2007)

Achilles said:


> It's a Holiday Inn - the design & specs have be bastardized - same concept though. Pool mechanical room is on the opposite side of the electrical service so I understand it's probably just cheaper to replace the panel every decade or so. It's honestly not worth the effort of a RFI - I've been beating my head against the wall just to get MEP all on the same page up to this point. Like someone else said - it'll last past the warranty point. I'll spend the extra $50 and put in copper bussing, and move on. Thanks for all the feedback.


Your drawings and specs don't specify what to install?


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## Achilles (Sep 11, 2014)

dawgs said:


> Your drawings and specs don't specify what to install?


short answer is they don't specifically address the issue. I'm moving forward and chalking this one up to not my problem.

I'm not concerned with covering my work - my concern was providing the best product given my limitations.


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

Achilles said:


> ^^ That is a good idea ^^
> 
> Unfortunately the Owner/Parent company isn't interested enough in doing it right. I'm certain 10-20 years from now some electrician will get to replace the who damned panel.
> 
> ...


I would imagine they're storing all the chemicals in the same room? I've worked on a local hotel's system like this. They should never allow it.


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## wendon (Sep 27, 2010)

Achilles said:


> short answer is they don't specifically address the issue. I'm moving forward and chalking this one up to not my problem.
> 
> I'm not concerned with covering my work - my concern was providing the best product given my limitations.


Good luck.


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## gnuuser (Jan 13, 2013)

positive pressure ventilation 
it doesn't require a large fan or gale force winds but enough to prevent the vapor buildup and concentration

even the vapors from a laptop battery is corrosive (hence you should inspect the battery and replace it in a timely manor)


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

I would use a WP panel... It has to help some


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