- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
More than one wire in a lug
- Thread starter tom baker
- Start date
- Status
oldsparky52
Senior Member
- Location
- Wilmington, NC USA
I really like "Variable conductor sizes per port "
texie
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Collins, Colorado
- Occupation
- Electrician, Contractor, Inspector
That's interesting as I have never seen one approved for multiple sizes per hole. That would be useful.
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
Seems like there are only 4 sizes, would be good product to carry on truck
oldsparky52
Senior Member
- Location
- Wilmington, NC USA
I agree. Have you seen the cost of these? (I haven't).
oldsparky52
Senior Member
- Location
- Wilmington, NC USA
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
Looks like an Isco ad picture I don't see mounting screws in the boxes. These MAC connectors will trip up inspectors
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Looks like a variation of the Alumiconn, which comes in 2-and 3-port versions. I use them on 12v wiring on my bikes.
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
Why wouldn't they be treated like wire-nuts?
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
- Occupation
- Master Electrician
Because they are set screw connectors ie like a lug. The basic rule is one wire per lug
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
I get that. Alumiconns come with three ports, too, which is what I used on my bike for direct power to relays.
I was referring to the no-mounting-screws comment.
I can see how this would work for stranded conductors. But it seems to me that with solid conductors of varying sizes, it's possible to come up with a geometry where one of the conductors is loose. I'm really curious to see what the hole looks like in that lug.
- Location
- Wisconsin
- Occupation
- PE (Retired) - Power Systems
UL Recognized 'rail mounted terminal strips' have allowed multiple conductors per set screw opening for years. Maybe UL has changed/harmonized some of their listing requirements?
But up to four of different sizes? I thought the most was two of the same size.
GeorgeB
ElectroHydraulics engineer (retired)
- Location
- Greenville SC
- Occupation
- Retired
I looked up the catalog sheet out of curiosity ... https://commerce.ilsco.com/documents/PDF/TechnicalDrawing/MAC.pdf and find it clearly confusing ... #6 to #18 solid CU, #6 to #12 AL ... probably because #12 AL is the smallest size?, and #6-#14 stranded. This assumes they mean stranded by FLEX.
Nothing about mixing sizes or stranded and solid, but AL and CU in the same port is not allowed.
Since the purpose of this device is for splicing copper to aluminum, I think it's clear that the aluminum is to be in one port, and the copper is to be in the other, not "mix and match."
wwhitney
Senior Member
- Location
- Berkeley, CA
- Occupation
- Retired
No, they mean finely stranded like DLO. Their literature include a table describing the allowable number of strands. There's also a chart listing every combination of solid and stranded allowed in one hole. With a finely stranded conductor, it's just one conductor per hole.
Cheers, Wayne
Explain how a set screw lug EVER puts even pressure on all strands. It never does. That’s part of why the failure rates are so high.
My point is, that at least with stranded conductors, the wire strands can move to conform to the space as the lug screw is tightened. Now imagine 3 solid #10 conductors and a solid #12. in a single port. It seems that such a configuration could easily leave the #12 loose.
FWIW, I have never had a connection fail with a single stranded conductor in a screw lug.
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