# Cloth NM cable with Green oozing Neutral!!



## GoldenTortilla (Jul 31, 2012)

Has anyone ever seen this type of thing before?









This was found in a home and the entire length of wire no matter where it was stripped had this same situation.

Was this caused by overheating or just plain defective? Is it dangerous?

Thanks!!


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

How many conductors are in that cable? Is green the original color?


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## GoldenTortilla (Jul 31, 2012)

It is a 14-2. The wire inside the panel is white, just out in the field it is green. The green ooze that comes out is the consistency of no-lox and is sticky. It is almost like something is oxidizing with the copper. The wire is not in an area where it could have gotten wet. So I am a bit confused as to what would cause something like this.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Noodles can't _ooze_ green

they can ooze white, or black with yellow stripes

but green is definitely verboten!.....

~CS~


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## ralpha494 (Oct 29, 2008)

That doesn't look like NM cable. It looks like RH with the cloth outer covering. I'd still like to know what the green slime is. Hopefully it's not Soylant Green.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Old plastic insulation de-polymerizing. Oozes crap.

-John


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## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

Big John said:


> Old plastic insulation de-polymerizing. Oozes crap.
> 
> -John



Here is a pdf that details this phenomenon:

Oily Residue Found in Electrical Distribution and Control Equipment


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## cdnelectrician (Mar 14, 2008)

GoldenTortilla said:


> Has anyone ever seen this type of thing before?
> 
> This was found in a home and the entire length of wire no matter where it was stripped had this same situation.
> 
> ...


Yes, I have seen that quite a few times in older romex.


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## GoldenTortilla (Jul 31, 2012)

Thank you all so much. The plasticizer phenomenon sounds plausible to me.

What an awesome resource this site and all of its members are.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Big John said:


> Old plastic insulation de-polymerizing. Oozes crap.
> 
> -John


I see it in newer wire quite often.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Jlarson said:


> I see it in newer wire quite often.


 How often is it on wire used in a harsh environment? My guess is that in Romex it would be less often caused by severe environment conditions than by age.

-John


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Big John said:


> How often is it on wire used in a harsh environment? My guess is that in Romex it would be less often caused by severe environment conditions than by age.
> 
> -John


There really seems to be no rime or reason to it, sometimes its in an MCC outside, sometimes its in an office breaker panel.


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## duramaxdarren (Sep 12, 2012)

where is the location? near salt air?


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## nervous (Nov 13, 2012)

ralpha494 said:


> That doesn't look like NM cable. It looks like RH with the cloth outer covering. I'd still like to know what the green slime is. Hopefully it's not Soylant Green.


 Soylant green is people!!!


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## RICK BOYD (Mar 10, 2008)

"Schneider 
Electric recommends that the contaminated parts of the electrical system be 
replaced."

of course they would, but is it flammable or conducting ?


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