White powder or mold on circuit breakers

Question

I noticed today when I opened the fuse box door white powdery substance on the front of some of the circuit breakers on the panel. Not a lot, it seemed odd. Now this panel is in the bathroom so there is probably moisture in there even when the fan is run while showering. This is the 120v panel.

My question is. Can this be a sign of a electrical problem or probably just mold? It came off with a damp rag. Just curious if I need to be looking for something else causing this. I'm certainly not a electrician, so any help is greatly appreciated.

donn0128 · Answer

More than likely corrosion from disimmilar metals.  Like you can see on a battery post.  It needs to be thorouhly cleaned both inside and out then sprayed with some contact cleaner and the screws tightened.

altern · Answer

Boating &amp; marine applications face similar problems with corrosion.THIS SITE is a good source of information when dealing with it.

puttin · Answer

Just curious, does it resemble the white powder from a fire extinguisher?  I guess you'd know if you were the the original owner...

et2 · Answer

We are the original owner - no fires. It smelled acidic. It was on the metal case as well as the plastic breaker.

What a stupid place to put the electrical panel ... In the bathroom on the wall in its own cabinet. There is only a wooden door covering it. One would think a room with less moisture would be a better choice.

puttin · Answer

The link that's given in the post before mine looks excellent.  Also in my lineman's work I used this conductive grease- it worked well in wet environments.  Conductive grease

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White powder or mold on circuit breakers

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