Opinions on These?

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jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
Worked on some lights with these type MC connector modules. Working for the moment but I don’t like these devices. I’ve seen them over the years but rarely ever worked with them. I think a better fix will be to cut these out & replace with a junction box. These have not been hit or subject to vibration. Makes me distrust them.
Opinions?
 

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hillbilly1

Senior Member
Location
North Georgia mountains
Occupation
Owner/electrical contractor
Yeah, looks like MWS or Cooper. Several brands out there. Been around at least thirty years. Biggest problem with them is the tiny pins used for the connections. A shorted fault, or connection that is not snapped in good will fry them. As @ActionDave said quite common in commercial for lighting, and some stores like Lowes uses it for power drops too. Somewhat easy to troubleshoot because you will see a black spot under the roof deck where it blows out. Comes in a multitude of voltage ratings. The first time I used it was in a grocery store, Winn Dixie if I remember correctly. Most big box stores use it.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
Thanks guys. I was pretty sure these were factory assembled. How easy is it to obtain & replace the modules? I’m still thinking a box would be easier.
It took 2 nights to get to the trouble spot. Last light in line was the only one I could get to with a scissor lift. Nothing obvious there. Had to locate a 1 man lift to get to the next 2. Getting to the culprit, I killed power& tried to open the connectors, no luck. Out of time, caned down &restored power. All lights came on. So, I had restored the connection I don’t think this will last long.
 

Strathead

Senior Member
Location
Ocala, Florida, USA
Occupation
Electrician/Estimator/Project Manager/Superintendent
Thanks guys. I was pretty sure these were factory assembled. How easy is it to obtain & replace the modules? I’m still thinking a box would be easier.
It took 2 nights to get to the trouble spot. Last light in line was the only one I could get to with a scissor lift. Nothing obvious there. Had to locate a 1 man lift to get to the next 2. Getting to the culprit, I killed power& tried to open the connectors, no luck. Out of time, caned down &restored power. All lights came on. So, I had restored the connection I don’t think this will last long.
They usually have to be shipped, but are usually available in many lengths and configurations. (number of ports, # of wires, switch legs etc.) A very handy system and reconfiguration is easy. They take a little thought but a lot less labor.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
They usually have to be shipped, but are usually available in many lengths and configurations. (number of ports, # of wires, switch legs etc.) A very handy system and reconfiguration is easy. They take a little thought but a lot less labor.
My thought is that I have to do this in the air on a one man lift with little to no space to maneuver and no spot for a “workbench” if wires have to be tamped in. Replacing a run of cable is impossible, having to pass over a lot of equipment.
 

hillbilly1

Senior Member
Location
North Georgia mountains
Occupation
Owner/electrical contractor
Thanks guys. I was pretty sure these were factory assembled. How easy is it to obtain & replace the modules? I’m still thinking a box would be easier.
It took 2 nights to get to the trouble spot. Last light in line was the only one I could get to with a scissor lift. Nothing obvious there. Had to locate a 1 man lift to get to the next 2. Getting to the culprit, I killed power& tried to open the connectors, no luck. Out of time, caned down &restored power. All lights came on. So, I had restored the connection I don’t think this will last long.
If it’s MWS, I think they are out of business. We usually just cut in a box to get the customer back up and running if it’s not easily available.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
Boss agreed with me & I swapped out to a box. He didn’t think we could get field replacements. Here are some pics. I didn’t find any arc burns but the connection was for sure being lost.
 

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Little Bill

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Tennessee NEC:2017
Occupation
Semi-Retired Electrician
Boss agreed with me & I swapped out to a box. He didn’t think we could get field replacements. Here are some pics. I didn’t find any arc burns but the connection was for sure being lost.
Didn't find any arc burns? That first two pics shows the area around the connector slot/hole & pin melted! Sure sign of poor connection.
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
Lo
Didn't find any arc burns? That first two pics shows the area around the connector slot/hole & pin melted! Sure sign of poor connection.
Looking again, you are right. I saw them as cracked. It was 4 in the morning when I took the pics. 🤣
 
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