Small Black Ants in the contactor.

[fixer]

Hi Guys!!!
Boy it's hot in the South. Again I am faced with cleaning contacts or replacing the contactor due to ants in the contacts. I even tried the 40 amp contactor with the cover over the contacts. Those little ants can still get in. Any recommendations are appreciated. I even sprayed Ace Ant and Roach Spray in and around the control box on the unit. Cleaned out the leaves in the unit floor. Sprayed the Ant Spray down in the unit and after 4 days ants are back and had the unit off again due to the ants back in the new contactor. HELP!!!

[mhafley]

Try using boric acid. It is a white powder. You should be able to get it at a local hardware store.

[mark beiser]

After cleaning it out, spray everything with dialectric incecticide powder. It leaves a powdery residue behind that lasts a long time and will kill the ants before they even really make it to the contactor. Keeps wasps from building nests in the unit too.

The stuff I use is by the Stutton Corporation. JS 685 Powder

15,320 volt dielectric, so it is safe to spray directly on the contactor and surounding areas.

[fixer]

Thanks Mark,
I will try to find that powder. I work for a Trane dealer also.

[tlcartman]

i changed a contactor out monday that was installed on sunday. i have never seen that many ants in a unit. the tech who changed the contactor on sunday had put poison everywhere. thousands of dead ants in bottom of cabinet. they just found a new path around the poison.

[mark beiser]

Originally posted by tlcartman
they just found a new path around the poison.

Thats the great thing about the dialectric incecticide. You spray it all around the control compartment, and directly ON the contactor. I coat them real good, havn't had any problems with one after doing so.