Why does nobody talk about wireless intercom systems failing in the rain...

I was out on a job last week up near the hilltop houses in Oakwood, installing a new panel for a client. Their old intercom system had been acting spotty for a while, but I figured it was just a loose wire. Turns out, the whole wireless receiver had gotten moisture inside from a bad seal on the weatherproof box. I spent 2 hours trying to track down the issue, testing connections with my multimeter and getting nowhere. Finally I popped the cover off and saw corrosion on the circuit board, like a green crusty mess. Had to pull the whole unit and replace it with a hardwired setup instead. Has anyone else run into wireless gear getting wrecked by humidity like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

craig.sage1mo ago

Yeah but @jesse_fisher, did you ever check if the box's drain hole was blocked or not? I've seen a ton of those "sealed" enclosures get condensation inside because the weep hole gets clogged with dirt or spider webs. That little detail makes or breaks the whole setup in my experience (learned that the hard way on a gate install down in the valley).

jesse_fisher1mo ago

I used to think weatherproofing was just marketing fluff until I replaced a wireless unit in a humid garage last summer. Found the same crusty green corrosion on the board after only six months even though the box claimed to be sealed. It definitely changed my mind about trusting those little rubber gaskets in damp climates.