Hey guys I work in a commercial building where the cabling (cat 3) is a horror. Anyway there is another issue I have to deal with that is the cleaning crew or the workers there spilling liquids on the phone jacks. No one claims responsibility so it is to me to get the voice working again. So far I can tone out the line but no voice. When I pull the wires out of the jack and stripped them, I can successfully test with my butt set. But the old jack is useless for voice no matter how I set up the clean wires (also checked the jack for corrosion-none I can see). So I used a one port cat5e quick jack and i punch down the two wires and voice! Yet I am wondering was there anything else I can do to try to save the old jack?

Is a cleaning person able to splash water into a wall jack? He must have good aim or he's really sloppy. Or is the defective jack a surface-mount type? The preferred method for a surface-mount -- formerly referred to as a "42A block" (pre-modular era) or a "625A block" (modular era) -- is to mount the block with the opening downward. The next best position is with the opening to the left or right side. Never install it with the opening pointing upward.

Now that we have spent a cumulative $250 worth of time on this question, and since the original jack probably was worth $1.50 when installed, I would suggest that you apply your time and energies to more productive and useful endeavors than to trying to resurrect a defective jack.

For a more detailed discussion of the life and mating habits of the common connecting block, see BSP 461-610-103 (1978)

I am still learning this and want to make a good impression. The wall jacks are on the floor facing outward. The crews hired to clean/paint/etc have 'accidents' or carelessness when trying to work around these wall jacks.

Management is happy when I am not replacing anything with a new item. They want me to fix it.

Looking for the info on BSP 461-610-103 (1978). Can you share a link?

Try https://bellsystempractices.org and search through the various listings.

Do I understand correctly that the phone jacks are in the floors with the openings pointing upwards as opposed to mounted on walls?

Anyone old enough to remember the problems when the cleaning crew would wash/wax the 1A2 Amphenols?

The resulting short circuits were usually enough to take down the system.

"Management is happy when I am not replacing anything with a new item. They want me to fix it."

Obviously you're not making enough money. When the cost of your labor exceeds the cost of the material by a factor of 10 then usually, even the most brain dead managers will come to their senses.

Sam

"Anyone old enough to remember the problems when the cleaning crew would wash/wax the 1A2 Amphenols?"

Every Monday morning we would come in to hear interrupters running and lamps flashing on hundreds of 564 sets because the cleaning crews would mop over the amp connectors laying on the floor. Rebuild the connectors and do it again next week. Ahh the old military days.

My favorite was at a sheriffs office .Receptionist had a 20 button phone with radio loops and alarm buttons and other weird
stuff.Phone was going crazy and after about an hour of me trying to find the problem sh said" Oh, I did spill a cup of chicken soup on these things(amp plugs) under my desk.

I always tried to put (Suttle) covers on the am phenols and mount them to the walls. Problems came with the "Bullpen" style of offices with a herd of desks out in the middle of the floor fed from underfloor or overfloor duct. No place to mount the covers.

Made for lots of work for us.

I seem to remember on place putting plastic bags over all the connectors before the cleaning crew would come in.

Sam

My favorite was when the CEO's phone was dead!

EMERGENCY SERVICE CALL

As I walked up to his desk (which was facing the door) I immediately saw that the cleaning crew had swapped his line cord with his data cord. Correct the problem and collected extra $$$

Sprint Protégé and Apple Talk both one pair, but not compatible.

Spend the money to replace those jacks with new jacks that have corrosion guard in them
https://www.twacomm.com/info/Corro_Shield.htm

Parts are cheap, labor is not. This is how you fix it without firing the cleaning crew.

It sounds like these jacks are in "tombstone" floor boxes.

And with the attitude management has it's no wonder there are so many problems.

-Hal

Sorry if I did not explained it well, the phone jacks that are in the building are mostly mounted on a wall but very close to the floor or near an outlet. When the cleaning crew is working they plug into the outlet near the jack then clean and move on usually entangling the phone cord near the outlet. In addition they use the motorize floor cleaners and have so far ripped out four jacks. My complaints fall on deaf ears and it was made clear that no one really cares except for me to keep the phones working. I get it it stinks, but I need this job so I will do what I can.

I know it's a pain but if you know when the cleaners will be there, does it make sense to unplug the phones before they get there and then plug them back in the following morning or after they are done?

I doubt it. I'll bet the cheapskate pays the cleaning crew even less than he pays poor C64PC.

-Hal

Send the cleaning company an invoice for repairs.