Saw a huge difference in cable signal after 2 years of neglect

I do installs for a living and went back to a house I did in 2022. The customer said their internet was dropping. When I looked at the outdoor connection, the weather sealant was completely gone and moisture got into the fitting. The copper was green and corroded. I replaced the connector and signal went from 5db loss back to normal. Has anyone else seen that much change from just one bad fitting over time?

2 comments

2 Comments

abbyk101mo ago

I had a similar job back in 2020 where a customer's signal was completely trashed. The connector at the ground block was so crusted with green corrosion I had to cut back about 8 inches of cable to get clean copper. Signal went from -15dbmv to -3dbmv after I replaced everything. It is wild how fast moisture can destroy a fitting in just a couple years. Do you think the weather sealant just wore off or was it a bad install from the start?

paul1171mo ago

Man, that green crust is the classic sign of galvanic corrosion between the copper and the steel ground block. I bet the install didn't use a dielectric grease or a proper weatherproof boot, so moisture crept in and it was game over from day one. Even the best sealant won't save you if the metals are fighting each other chemically.