It's broken!!

[Bizibilder]

I went to plug in my observatory power supply cable and found that the connector had become surprisingly "easy" - and with no power in the observatory a little investigation soon showed the problem to be in the observatory "outdoor" connector.

The picture is self explanatory and a new connector is on order.  I can only conclude that three years outdoors in all weathers (but not in direct sunlight) has taken its toll and the plastic has deteriorated to the point where it has simply disintegrated.  Maybe worth checking if you use similar components outdoors.  (I have pulled the two "broken" connectors out to show the damage).

[spaceboy]

You could try one of these which come with a lifetime warranty ? http://www.bamfordtrading.com/products/228552-silverline-228552-16a-240v-panel-socket.html not much help if your with out power but who cares if it fails 3 years down the line if you know you can get a replacement FOC. Or if you simply can't miss a clear night just buy 2 and use the spare while you wait for a replacement.

Either way 3 years seems awfully short for something rated for outdoor use.

[Kropster]

Was the connector a reputable brand?

I have had cheap 13A mains plugs disintegrate after a few years indoors! Got them at a £1 shop.....never again.

They crumbled as I pulled the plug out of the socket, exposing the live connection inside.

[cjdawson]

I had the samething happen on one of the sockets of my towbar.  I think the problem is that water gets in and causes havoc.  In my case, I ended up replacing the whole socket, but even having done that, I get the feeling that it's going to happen again.  If I get time at the weekend, I think I'm going to be adding a job to my todo list to open up the socket, check it, and maybe add some solder to all the bare electrical ends to give them a longer life.

[MarkyD]

Get some of these

http://www.screwfix.com/p/abb-surface-plug-16a-2p-e-250v-6h-ip44/6490f

[Davey-T]

Probably a cheap copy made in the far east, I've got the original one on my 20 year old camper van still working fine.

Dave

[mapstar]

Legrand , MK, Mennekes, Scame are all reputable brands and well known.

[mapstar]

14 hours ago, cjdawson said:

I had the samething happen on one of the sockets of my towbar.  I think the problem is that water gets in and causes havoc.  In my case, I ended up replacing the whole socket, but even having done that, I get the feeling that it's going to happen again.  If I get time at the weekend, I think I'm going to be adding a job to my todo list to open up the socket, check it, and maybe add some solder to all the bare electrical ends to give them a longer life.

Just to add

Soldered connections should never be put under a screw terminal as the soft metal cold flows away from the screw and the connection will become loose and burn up.

Better to crimp ferrule ends onto the exposed conductors which will give them better longevity and a much more solid connection.