Splicing to ACSR triplex

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Strummed

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A lot of us make up our own connection to the PoCo's triplex. When doing this, what connector should be used to connect to the steel neutral conductor on the ACSR triplex? All of the common connectors or crimps seem to only be listed for copper or aluminum.
 
Strummed said:
A lot of us make up our own connection to the PoCo's triplex. When doing this, what connector should be used to connect to the steel neutral conductor on the ACSR triplex? All of the common connectors or crimps seem to only be listed for copper or aluminum.
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What kind are you talking about? The H tap connectors and the barrel splices are listed for ACSR.
 
Hv&Lv said:
What kind are you talking about? The H tap connectors and the barrel splices are listed for ACSR.
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Hmmmm, I didn't notice that. Split bolts, aluminum reducers, Ilsco Kup-L-Taps, etc. don't always have ACSR listed. I was told by another electrician that it's still ok to use them because the steal messenger cable has aluminum in it :roll:
 
Strummed said:
Hmmmm, I didn't notice that. Split bolts, aluminum reducers, Ilsco Kup-L-Taps, etc. don't always have ACSR listed. I was told by another electrician that it's still ok to use them because the steal messenger cable has aluminum in it :roll:
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The steel cable is steel. It is one strand in the center. All the rest are aluminum. There are ACSR listed split bolts
 
mjf said:
POCO drops have aluminum neutral around here. Or maybe I'm wrong...sure cuts like aluminum though
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ACSR is aluminum with a steel core. There is the possibility they may be using AAAC or AAC
 
See, I thought the messenger cable was steel and the "aluminum conductor" part of ACSR was the other conductors used for the hots. I learned something new :lol:


I guess the other sparky was right when he told me that the steel cable had aluminum in it :p
 
Strummed said:
I guess the other sparky was right when he told me that the steel cable had aluminum in it :p
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Not quite. The steel cable has aluminum around it, not in it.
"Sparrow" (#2 aluminum) or "Raven"(1/0 aluminum) is 6 strands of aluminum around one strand of steel in the center.
 
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Hv&Lv said:
Not quite. The steel cable has aluminum around it, not in it.
"Sparrow" (#2 aluminum) or "Raven"(1/0 aluminum) is 6 strands of aluminum around one strand of steel in the center.
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That's what he said. The messenger cable had aluminum in it, same as you said.
 
mjf said:
I love the wealth of knowledge on this site.
I continue to learn more and more as I continue to realize how little (in the grand scheme of things) I already know.
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Hey, I was just glad a question was asked I knew something about. I spend much more time site reading and researching than I do answering anything.:D
 
You need to watch what kind of cutters you use when cutting ACSR. Dykes, bolt cutters, and other pinching type cutters are OK, but slicing type cutters usually don't have hard enough cutting edge to take hard steel strand in an ASCR cable, and it will damage your cutter. Most of these cutters are marked to indicate they are for copper and aluminum only.
 
kwired said:
You need to watch what kind of cutters you use when cutting ACSR. Dykes, bolt cutters, and other pinching type cutters are OK, but slicing type cutters usually don't have hard enough cutting edge to take hard steel strand in an ASCR cable, and it will damage your cutter. Most of these cutters are marked to indicate they are for copper and aluminum only.
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Did you learn that the hard way.... like I did? :slaphead:
 
"ACSR" means "Aluminum Cable, Steel Reinforced." Only the few center strands are steel- most of the wire is aluminum. That's why cutting it with cable cutters only makes a little nick in the blades.

Your connector only touches the aluminum.
 
Blaer said:
"ACSR" means "Aluminum Cable, Steel Reinforced." Only the few center strands are steel- most of the wire is aluminum. That's why cutting it with cable cutters only makes a little nick in the blades.

Your connector only touches the aluminum.
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Yet that little nick seems to make that cutter perform entirely different than it used to.

Brand new cutter is always the one a new helper will use to cut such a cable.
 
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