well I am trying recover from my own stupidity. I did not close the telephone access box when I replaced the phone line soon enough and it got wet. now I can only connect at about 12k a second due to line noise. before it ogt it was 50k. I tried blow drying it. I know it’s dry now. the copper in the test jack has turned black in spots. could that be the source of the noise? how should I fix it? while the actual process elueds me, I remember making shiny pennies with vinigar and , I think, salt. might that work or could it make things worse?
I greatfully and thankfully accept and thoughts or help.
I am not an expert, but I don’t shy away from hardware.
What I would do: I would remove all the screws, connectors, and wires from the posts (remembering to note where they all go). Then I would clean all the metal with sandpaper or steel wool. Then I would spray everything with WD-40. Then I would put it all back together again and close it up tight!
Don’t spray vinegar or any other reactive solution in the box. If you don’t wash it out thoroughly afterwards (which might start the whole problem over again) you’ll only make it worse in the long run.
Sandpaper or jeweler’s files can help remove corrosion. WD-40 (WD stands for Water Displacing) may help, but in this case, it’d be more protective than water-displacing, and I prefer more water-repellant silicones for that purpose. Still, it’s common, and works okay.
The contacts on access bridges are surprisingly well-designed (the phone company doesn’t want to make needless service calls). Often visible corrosion doesn’t affect the actual contact area, unless you fiddle with it. Sometimes tightening a screw or reinserting a wire is enough to scrape clean a contact and improve a modem connection.
I had a similar problem once (some neighbor’s kid or snoop kept opening my access box and leaving it open). I found that, once the problem started, it was important to seal the edge of the lid with clear spray or electrical tape, because it seemed more sensitive to external weather conditions than it was before, even though it appeared to seal in like-new condition on inspection. Maybe that was an illusion or a quirk of my situation
Do not use WD-40 on electrical connections. Yes, it will displace water but it is not conductive, it will act as an insulator if it get between an electrical connection. That is why it works so well inside of a wet distributor cap.
Take apart everything, clean with scotch brite and reassemble. You shouldn’t need anything else.
Have you added anything new to your phone lines? Back in the old days when I used dial up, I had to unplug a phone in the kitchen, it made the difference between an 18k connection and a 33.3k connection. On a perfect day I would get a 36k connection. Did I mention I love my cable internet?
I’m not an electrician but have had the same problem.
Call the phone company and tell them the access terminal in THEIR box is corroded. They will send someone out who will replace the bad 2-cent connector. They do not charge for this (at least, not here). Don’t expect instant service, maybe 2 to 4 days.
Hey Tedster,
Cramolin “Red” has been eliminated due to fluorocarbons. They have replacement formulas but if you still have a can of good ol’ “Red Label” use it sparingly. It’s still the best… Smells like crap, though…
hi all. I think I might try and some of that cramolin for my next wiring project. thank you all for the suggestion. the noise got so bad I could not dial out at all really. I opened the box but I need a special tool to get to most of the box. I did put some new connections on though. that helped a little for voice calls. the phone company came out this morning before I woke up, and fixed it after I called them yesterday. ethier that or l or later today I am feel like I have a dancing frog.
hello my baby, hello my darling, hello my sunshine gal,