waterproof wire

Consider then the highest quaity stainless steel wire you can get.

Go to

and type in to the Find Products search box:

stainless steel wire

- mkaras

does stainless steel wire conduct electricity.

does stainless steel wire conduct electricity.

Yes. Not so well as copper, or aluminum, but much better than plastic, rubber or glass. I use stainless steel wire as an heating elements in my winter gloves.

Sure it conducts electricity.

You will have to ask yourself what you intend to do with a wire under water that is conducting a current however. There are several concerns...

1) The water in most cases will itself be conductive and so the conductivity of the water can disturb any current flow through the wire in inverse proportion to the conductivity of the bare wire.

2) If you are using the wire for the likes of high voltage such as AC mains or higher be very aware that there could be an extreme saftey hazard where you have your wire in the water.

3) An electrical potential applied to the wire that is capable of establishing a current path also through the water could setup an electrical reaction at the wire/water boundary that could plate the wire, corrode the wire, or other similar activity.

- mkaras

This won't necessarily work. If there is electricity flowing, the wire will corrode quickly in (for instance) salt water; the oxide layer that protects the wire from rusting does NOT protect from electrolytic attack.

Unless the water in question is deionized, the metal will corrode at any potential differing from ground by more than a few millivolts. I've rusted clear through a sheet of stainless shim stock with about 4V, and it didn't take long.

Titanium's oxide is stable in salt-water environment, I believe.

At the other end of the impractical spectrum, consider 24K gold. Conducts real good and stays as shiny as a doubloon.

Seriously, to the O.P., what are you using the wire for?

-- Joe Legris

many common insulation's can with stand water.. direct barial wire comes to mind how ever, some of these compounds stiffen up abit , you might look into "Silicone Rubber Cord" make sure you get water proof wire nuts.. :) arrivederci, tally-ho, good bye and all that crap.

--
Real Programmers Do things like this.
http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5

IS the pope German?

One will need to use platinum or pure gold, but even those will corrode eventually. From memory, gold doesn't react with oxygen, so I don't know why it corrodes. But I suspect it may be due to impurities. Its been years since I did material science in uni, but I would like to here this answer from a knowledgeable science dude/ette.

I think you're right, it's not the gold that corrodes, it's everything else. According to wikipedia, the reaction products of gold corrosion tend to spontaneously decompose back to the metal - it's thermodynamically unfavourable for gold to corrode (in most cases - notable exception: using it as a submerged conductor).

-- Joe Legris

Not so well as copper. We have some 20 mils copper alloy wires (medium tensile strength) left-over. They will last at least 10 years with moisture, same as copper water pipes. How many yards do you need?

Use stainless Steel fishing leader. It may not last forever but it will last a normal person's lifetime, even in salt water.

Unless you are trying to heat the pond, stainless steel would have too much energy lost. Copper alloy wire is the best choice.

Titanium wire holds up to direct contact with water, fresh and salt.

There is a little more on this over at rec home repair. The OP is trying to sense water level in a pipe. Better plans have been presented, like using a tube and water pressure.

Then WTF didn't he say that?

martin

you know, i work at a wire manufacturing plant for years now, when we speak of wire its the conductor with the insulation on it. for me it gets a little confusing. are we talking about wire or conductor? this is from a series of responses i have seen from the original poster.

--
Real Programmers Do things like this.
http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5

How do you know it would have "too much energy lost"?

Ed

I'm not an expert but do have this impressive tome entitled "The Corrosion Handbook". Bits quoted below.

Pure gold has a low chemical affinity for most elements and this is the reason for its corrosion resistance, (rather than the formation of passive films).

..... Gold, however, is rapidly attacked by chlorine, bromine, and generally by iodine. Iodine as a KI solution is particularly corrosive. I think that those are all halogens and the rate of corrosion is rapidly increased with moisture.

--
Tony Williams.