View Full Version : Cleaning my Pins
Over the last few years I have noticed that cleaning my contacts and valve pins has made a definite improvement especially the contacts on my volume controls. I have also cleaned switches with electrical cleaner and had dramatic results. I did clean my fuse caps in the consumer unit and other plugs but heard no difference. However the other day I read an article about a music journalist who had a chap come round and clean all his plug pins with a very noticeable effect.
I was a bit sceptical of this but decided to have a go myself and decided to use Autosol. The visual difference before and after was massive but the audible difference was also surprising. It improved the sound of my system noticeably, not as great as the volume control contacts but still enough to make the exercise worthwhile. It cost me nothing other than half an hour elbow grease. I thought about it afterwards and have come to the conclusion that very dirty contacts anywhere in the system must degrade the electrical connections and therefore degrade the sound to a greater or lesser degree depending where the contacts are in the system. I did not think mains plug contacts would make a difference but they do.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/854/42991798474_493c32f4c8_k.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/28v3cSJ)IMG_0005 (https://flic.kr/p/28v3cSJ) by
[url=https://flic.kr/p/28v3cBo]https://farm1.staticflickr.com/851/42991797584_ec209b5c72_k.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/162281319@N03/)IMG_0004 (https://flic.kr/p/28v3cBo) by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/162281319@N03/]
Good stuff James...
Been using Autosol to clean mains pins for years and its brilliant stuff.
After using it I de-grease the pins using this stuff and apply Caigs De-Oxit Gold One of those tweaks you don't do often but worth doing.https://content.zoro.co.uk/images/854_854/g/jeeps/710/deb7101120a.jpg
ah but did you do the contacts that the pins go in as well???
Stryder5
29-07-2018, 11:43
ah but did you do the contacts that the pins go in as well???
Shocking idea ��
Obviously I have not been thorough enough!:) Need to get some of that De-Oxit gold!
blackmetalboon
29-07-2018, 14:00
ah but did you do the contacts that the pins go in as well???
It’s not as silly as it sounds! Although it’s far easier and safer just to replace the socket.
I have come across sockets that have tested 5 Ohms higher via the plug than the terminations on the rear of the socket. The cause; a combination of age (unbelievably they were >25 years old) and environment.
Silver plated switch-less sockets for the win :)
(highly recommended folks btw)
It’s not as silly as it sounds! Although it’s far easier and safer just to replace the socket.
I have come across sockets that have tested 5 Ohms higher via the plug than the terminations on the rear of the socket. The cause; a combination of age (unbelievably they were >25 years old) and environment.
its not silly at all,theres no point going to the trouble of cleaning the pins if the sockets are dirty is there?
if you can change a plug then you can change the wall socket face plate.
please remember to turn off the power at the consumer unit though!!
i bought a while back an old olson extension block,it was as dirty as hell,i spent a few hours taking it apart and cleaning/polishing the contacts and was amazed at the sonic difference.
Silver plated switch-less sockets for the win :)
(highly recommended folks btw)
All sockets are switch less silver plated.;)
All sockets are switch less silver plated.;)
Ah ha...!
Silver oxides a good conductor, listen to more music instead. :)
Ah ha...!
Silver oxides a good conductor, listen to more music instead. :)
Need some silver pin plugs now!:lol:
Dissimilar metals....that's a bad one. :)
How about, stripping the plug pins and fuse holder, and putting the parts in a Ultrasonic Bath, I would think a jewellery Ultra Sonic Bath would do.
Ultrasonic damages the surface finish, under a microscope it looks more bumpy.
Smoother the better...and if it looks smooth to you buy a more expensive microscope. :eek:
Seriously though, be wise about this kind of tweak, it works and its worth paying attention to...but there's a sanity level you need to heed.
Bigman80
29-07-2018, 16:47
Isn't the bigger issue the Brass in the plug?
Also the connection in the back of your gear too is probably Brass.
If I was going to go to the lengths of cleaning pins, changing sockets etc, that's where I'd start.
Here,
http://vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemDescV4&item=351021184379&category=116852&pm=1&ds=0&t=1529511768000&ver=0&cspheader=1
Stryder5
29-07-2018, 17:09
Ah ha...!
Silver oxides a good conductor, listen to more music instead. :)
It is true that silver oxide is conductive, but the tarnish that easily develops on silver plated connectors is not silver oxide, because silver does not oxidize. Instead it is silver sulfide, brown to very dark brown (as opposed to pure black for silver oxide). Silver sulfide is not a conductor, but a semiconductor.30 Oct 2017
Just found this. Does seem contradictory though.
silver oxide is prepared in situ from silver nitrate and alkali hydroxide.
Solid silver...none of this plated nonsense. :)
Ultrasonic damages the surface finish, under a microscope it looks more bumpy.
It shouldn’t do - ultrasonic is far more gentle than any other cleaning method.
Like fuses and interconnects I suppose cleaning plug pins is a controversial and subjective improvement in a systems ability but I have definitely gained some audible benefits. The gains I have achieved can best be expressed in this attached article which inspired me to do the same.
https://www.analogplanet.com/content/analog-corner-87
Stryder5
29-07-2018, 19:16
Solid silver...none of this plated nonsense. :)
Doesn't matter :cool:
It shouldn’t do - ultrasonic is far more gentle than any other cleaning method.
Wouldn't use it to clean my LPs...
Hmm, never used this stuff before but looks interesting. Cheap to try and no harm.
I wonder if it easy to clean the sockets themselves in situ by using something like a stiff small artist paint brush coated with this solution? (Obviously turned off at the consumer unit).
But maybe overall better to replace the sockets with new ones and go switchless? Mine must be getting on for 30 years so I guess pretty oxidised.
Added: Can't find 2 gang switchless wall sockets. Perhaps UK regs don't allow such things?
Hmm, never used this stuff before but looks interesting. Cheap to try and no harm.
I wonder if it easy to clean the sockets themselves in situ by using something like a stiff small artist paint brush coated with this solution? (Obviously turned off at the consumer unit).
But maybe overall better to replace the sockets with new ones and go switchless? Mine must be getting on for 30 years so I guess pretty oxidised.
Added: Can't find 2 gang switchless wall sockets. Perhaps UK regs don't allow such things?
Here you go:)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silver-Plated-UK-Double-Wall-Socket-Unswitched-/331399831027
Thanks Jim
I really gotta stop reading threads like this. All it ends up doing is costing me money. :lol:
Thanks Jim
I really gotta stop reading threads like this. All it ends up doing is costing me money. :lol:
:lol: Far cheaper than some interconnects and mains leads and cleaning pins is almost free!
RobbieGong
29-07-2018, 21:08
Here you go:)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silver-Plated-UK-Double-Wall-Socket-Unswitched-/331399831027
The ones I use and they are Superb. It was our very own Marco that recommended them a while back and glad I did as I was told :D
It is true that silver oxide is conductive, but the tarnish that easily develops on silver plated connectors is not silver oxide, because silver does not oxidize. Instead it is silver sulfide, brown to very dark brown (as opposed to pure black for silver oxide). Silver sulfide is not a conductor, but a semiconductor.30 Oct 2017
Just found this. Does seem contradictory though.
silver oxide is prepared in situ from silver nitrate and alkali hydroxide.
Silver oxide (Ag2O) is not a conductor, it is an insulator (resistivity 10+9 Ohm.m) and is transparent. The yellow through to black tarnishing of silver is silver sulphide (Ag2S), which is a semiconductor (resitivity 1.5-2.0 10-3 Ohm.m). These values are to be compared to that of pure silver (1.6 10-8 Ohm.m), so at best are some 105 times higher.
But it doesn't really matter because both are soft, so the action of inserting the plug into the socket will readily 'cut' through the thin surface tarnishing.
Surface smoothness is again largely irrelevent as contact is made through microscopic asperities on the surface, which even if appearing to be smooth only account for between 10 - 15% of the actual surface area.
Covered some time ago, I use 5A round pin plugs an sockets, and duraglit to clean followed by De-Oxit.
The round holes can be done with a cotton bud, and the whole process is IMO worth it.
Silver oxide (Ag2O) is not a conductor, it is an insulator (resistivity 10+9 Ohm.m) and is transparent. The yellow through to black tarnishing of silver is silver sulphide (Ag2S), which is a semiconductor (resitivity 1.5-2.0 10-3 Ohm.m). These values are to be compared to that of pure silver (1.6 10-8 Ohm.m), so at best are some 105 times higher.
But it doesn't really matter because both are soft, so the action of inserting the plug into the socket will readily 'cut' through the thin surface tarnishing.
Surface smoothness is again largely irrelevent as contact is made through microscopic asperities on the surface, which even if appearing to be smooth only account for between 10 - 15% of the actual surface area.
Sounds good, but way above my pay grade. :) Whats the key take away here Barry? Not to bother with all this cleaning and polishing? Very happy to save money for other activities. :cool:
walpurgis
29-07-2018, 22:31
Surface smoothness is again largely irrelevent as contact is made through microscopic asperities on the surface, which even if appearing to be smooth only account for between 10 - 15% of the actual surface area.
I've alluded to this in the past, but not in those terms. Also, there occurs what I call 'micro welding' between mating surfaces that carry current (I'm sure there's a better description, but I don't know what it is).
I've alluded to this in the past, but not in those terms. Also, there occurs what I call 'micro welding' between mating surfaces that carry current (I'm sure there's a better description, but I don't know what it is).
Taken from Wikipedia:
Macroscopically smooth and clean surfaces are microscopically rough and, in air, contaminated with oxides, adsorbed water vapor, and atmospheric contaminants. When two metal electrical contacts touch, the actual metal-to-metal contact area is small compared to the total contact-to-contact area physically touching. In electrical contact theory, the relatively small area where electrical current flows between two contacts is called the a-spot where "a" stands for asperity.
If the small a-spot is treated as a circular area and the resistivity of the metal is homogeneous, then the current and voltage in the metal conductor has spherical symmetry and a simple calculation can relate the size of the a-spot to the resistance of the electrical contact interface. If there is metal-to-metal contact between electrical contacts, then the electrical contact resistance (as opposed to the bulk resistance of the contact metal) is mostly due to constriction of the current through a very small area, the a-spot.
Contact force or pressure increases the size of the a-spot which decreases the constriction resistance and the electrical contact resistance. When the size of contacting asperities becomes larger than the mean free path of electrons, Holm-type contacts become the dominant transport mechanism, resulting in a relative low contact resistance.
walpurgis
29-07-2018, 22:50
You left me behind after the first couple of lines Barry :D.
I'm sure I'd follow all that if I could still summon the energy to do the research. Getting very lazy mentally these days.
Contact force or pressure increases the size of the a-spot which decreases the constriction resistance and the electrical contact resistance. When the size of contacting asperities becomes larger than the mean free path of electrons, Holm-type contacts become the dominant transport mechanism, resulting in a relative low contact resistance.
That's why I used to like RCA plugs with split pins as well as collars - if they get a bit slack they can be opened up to increase pressure.
Haven't come across many like that recently though :(
Stryder5
30-07-2018, 16:38
That's why I used to like RCA plugs with split pins as well as collars - if they get a bit slack they can be opened up to increase pressure.
Haven't come across many like that recently though :(
Z plugs?
Sorry wrong plugs...doh
You left me behind after the first couple of lines Barry :D.
I'm sure I'd follow all that if I could still summon the energy to do the research. Getting very lazy mentally these days.
yep well over my head too! :D
mad-moon
31-07-2018, 12:39
Hmm, never used this stuff before but looks interesting. Cheap to try and no harm.
I wonder if it easy to clean the sockets themselves in situ by using something like a stiff small artist paint brush coated with this solution? (Obviously turned off at the consumer unit).
But maybe overall better to replace the sockets with new ones and go switchless? Mine must be getting on for 30 years so I guess pretty oxidised.
Added: Can't find 2 gang switchless wall sockets. Perhaps UK regs don't allow such things?
pipe cleaners folded in two
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2026 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.