Saw this and thought of this forum

WOW! They must of sprayed that with something. It looks like a new install that was hit with a chemical of some sort. Wicked cool picture though :thumbsup:

If that box is on the inside of the wall it is compliant. I agree there is more to this picture. Not just water. The sealtight screams DIY!

Could water be coming down through the conduit?

Don't laugh. I have seen a service entrance with a pull box (actually an elbow with a removable cover to make it easier to string wires) at ground level where the conduit entered through the basement foundation wall to the meter inside. Rain water puddled at that location, leaked into the loose cover, and dripped from the meter box down by the panel.

Looks like water has been leaking into that box for some time. Ether down the conduit or in from screw holes in the back of the box.

My thought would be that someone bored through the concrete wall and brought something like uf-b through a center knockout. Sealed the hole with silicon or something that wouldn't do the job. It appears to be a junction box so imo it has to be connected to a wiring method coming into the jb through the wall.

Something other than water did that. Water can't do that kind of damage to steel.

how

J. V. said:

If that box is on the inside of the wall it is compliant. I agree there is more to this picture. Not just water. The sealtight screams DIY!

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How so????????????????????????

SULTINI said:

How so????????????????????????

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I assumed he was referring to the fact that this appears to a standard 4-square box with standard steel cover. Not the box or cover to use in a wet environment or one with exposure to whatever chemical did that.

A liquid tight box and cover, of appropriate material and construction would be needed, i would think. Is this a commercial installation?

Bigplanz said:

Something other than water did that. Water can't do that kind of damage to steel.

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It most certainly can. You have no idea how long that has been there. I have seen much worse rusted out boxes than that one.

joed said:

It most certainly can. You have no idea how long that has been there. I have seen much worse rusted out boxes than that one.

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Fitting and plate look fairly new. OP, what caused the damage?

The box and cover appear to be inside a dwelling or structure. It also looks like a basement wall. The box and cover would be compliant if these two statements could be verified. We do not know if this is a wet location. Or is it wet now and it was not wet at install.

Thanks

Bigplanz said:

I assumed he was referring to the fact that this appears to a standard 4-square box with standard steel cover. Not the box or cover to use in a wet environment or one with exposure to whatever chemical did that.

A liquid tight box and cover, of appropriate material and construction would be needed, i would think. Is this a commercial installation?

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I understand what you are saying I was only referring to the last couple words that stated "The seal tight screams DIY" I wasn't sure he meant the job itself or just the seal tight cause the seal tight what little bit I could see looked OK and couldn't tell a pro or a DIY did it.

Bigplanz said:

Fitting and plate look fairly new. OP, what caused the damage?

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If I had to guess I would say the box rusted from the inside out. Water is either coming down inside the conduit or from a fastener holding the box to the wall.

joed said:

If I had to guess I would say the box rusted from the inside out. Water is either coming down inside the conduit or from a fastener holding the box to the wall.

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I would guess this too.

http://www.cabel.name/2008/02/fancyzoom-10.html

This picture is from this page, you can ask the guy if you want, I don't know the back story either. If I had to guess... something corrosive dripping from the inside out. Maybe urine.