Electrical – Is the insulation on this cable burned
electricalwiring
I read in other answers with similar photos that this is tar from insulation. The insulation is not that old (30 years). Is this burned cable or tar or something else?
Best Answer
First, de-energize the cable entirely until you are sure.
Dip a rag in paint thinner, not dripping, just slightly moist. Wipe the spot. If it spreads all over the place and eventually cleans off the cable entirely, it's tar. Burn marks won't wipe away.
You may be able to find a UF cable that has a rodent repellent in it, but it's certainly not standard. I have never seen it advertised on UF product packaging. I have heard that some datacom / telecom cables that claim to have a rodent repellent jacket, and I have seen those same cables chewed to bits by some varmint that didn't mind the flavor.
If you are going to run power in conduit for rodent protection, you don't want to run UF, run single conductor wires rated for wet locations, such as THWN. The only thing I can think of more troublesome than running NM in conduit would be UF. Seal the conduit well at the ends to deter the little buggers from creeping down the pipe, they can infiltrate smaller conduit than you'd think.
I'd usually rather run conduit anyway with a buried cable. If a rodent does eat your wire and it's in conduit, it's not too bad to pull a new wire. If it eats direct buried UF, get your shovel.
Loose connections can produce heat and cause this problem. The fix is to disconnect and reconnect properly. Spring-loaded "stab connections" are particularly likely to suffer this problem; screw terminals (or shove-in terminals that are clamped by tightening a screw) are more reliable. If in doubt, outlets are cheap and you might want to simply replace this one.
Best Answer
First, de-energize the cable entirely until you are sure.
Dip a rag in paint thinner, not dripping, just slightly moist. Wipe the spot. If it spreads all over the place and eventually cleans off the cable entirely, it's tar. Burn marks won't wipe away.