Forum Discussion
MEXICOWANDERER
Jul 06, 2016Explorer
Academia
Back to the world of electrical solder. Pure lead used around a flooded battery does not decompose nearly as fast as a Pb Sn alloy. This means pure Pb hot dipped copper terminals will not corrode as easily as tin. But a surgical mask MUST be worn if pure lead coated terminals are soldered.
Tin coated wire decomposes slower than pure copper wire. But tinned wire is not a miracle. The tin even when not near battery fumes will turn dark then darker yet and without strong flux or being scraped down to pure copper, cannot be soldered. The tin oxide to lead interface is high resistance to electrical passage so tin plated wire should be thought of as corrosion rheetarding not corrosion proofing. Once a terminal has been bonded to the wire by solder it does not matter what color the surface of the terminal turns to. Current in DC form is carried by the entire strand. I have disassembled many properly hex pressure crimped terminals to find oxidized copper stranding within. Proper adhesive lined heat shrink tubing to seal out battery fumes further slows but does not entirely stop degradation. Surface corrosion on the lug itself burrows beneath the shrink tube seal -eventually- then starts attacking unsoldered lug to wire strand interfacing regardless of how tight the crimp was compressed. The lug to battery post needs to be sealed with anti corrosion spray then diligence is needed to maintain that seal.
Back to the world of electrical solder. Pure lead used around a flooded battery does not decompose nearly as fast as a Pb Sn alloy. This means pure Pb hot dipped copper terminals will not corrode as easily as tin. But a surgical mask MUST be worn if pure lead coated terminals are soldered.
Tin coated wire decomposes slower than pure copper wire. But tinned wire is not a miracle. The tin even when not near battery fumes will turn dark then darker yet and without strong flux or being scraped down to pure copper, cannot be soldered. The tin oxide to lead interface is high resistance to electrical passage so tin plated wire should be thought of as corrosion rheetarding not corrosion proofing. Once a terminal has been bonded to the wire by solder it does not matter what color the surface of the terminal turns to. Current in DC form is carried by the entire strand. I have disassembled many properly hex pressure crimped terminals to find oxidized copper stranding within. Proper adhesive lined heat shrink tubing to seal out battery fumes further slows but does not entirely stop degradation. Surface corrosion on the lug itself burrows beneath the shrink tube seal -eventually- then starts attacking unsoldered lug to wire strand interfacing regardless of how tight the crimp was compressed. The lug to battery post needs to be sealed with anti corrosion spray then diligence is needed to maintain that seal.
About Technical Issues
Having RV issues? Connect with others who have been in your shoes.24,283 PostsLatest Activity: Jul 13, 2025