#14AWG TO #18AWG TERMINAL

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FaradayFF

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Hello,
Is it typically acceptable to strip the copper off at the ends of wire termination to reduce conductor diameter to be able to terminate large wire unto a smaller wire gauge terminal? For example, using #14 AWG conductor for connection to #24-#18 AWG rated terminal?
Thanks,
EE
 
If you can find them a small diameter pin terminal with a large (insulated) compression barrel could do the job.
The ampacity would be less than that of the larger wire but possibly greater than that of wire of diameter matching the pin.

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FaradayFF said:
using #14 AWG conductor for connection to #24-#18 AWG rated terminal
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Assuming that the terminal, by virtue of its design and size won't handle any more current than the conductor that will fit in it:

Typically, you would take a short length of the smaller conductor and splice it onto the #14. How you splice is up to you- wire nut, crimp, solder and heat shrink, etc. Depends on where it is and how nice you want to make it look.

-Hal
 
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FaradayFF said:
Hello,
Is it typically acceptable to strip the copper off at the ends of wire termination to reduce conductor diameter to be able to terminate large wire unto a smaller wire gauge terminal? For example, using #14 AWG conductor for connection to #24-#18 AWG rated terminal?
Thanks,
EE
Click to expand...

Nope, and why not just get the right size terminal?
 
Todd0x1 said:
and why not just get the right size terminal?
Click to expand...

Low voltage equipment will have wiring blocks with terminals that will only accept smaller gauge wiring. It's not possible to change them as they are usually soldered to the circuit board. For whatever reason you have to land a conductor on a terminal made for a smaller conductor this is what you have to do.

-Hal
 
If this is power distribution wiring, then clearly unacceptable.

But I presume (given the terminal size discussed) that this is low voltage signal wiring.

Does this change the answer?

IMHO the answer comes down to 'under what standard is the installation accomplished'? I'd have no worries about cutting strands to install a doorbell, for example.

Jon
 
hbiss said:
Low voltage equipment will have wiring blocks with terminals that will only accept smaller gauge wiring. It's not possible to change them as they are usually soldered to the circuit board. For whatever reason you have to land a conductor on a terminal made for a smaller conductor this is what you have to do.

-Hal
Click to expand...

Thanks. When I read 'terminal' I was thinking crimp terminals and didn't consider the other kind of terminal.
 
GoldDigger said:
If you can find them a small diameter pin terminal with a large (insulated) compression barrel could do the job.
The ampacity would be less than that of the larger wire but possibly greater than that of wire of diameter matching the pin.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
There are pin terminals in the blue 16-14ga size but the pin part is around 0.070 wide where an 18ga conductor is around 0.040 dia. I would probably use a step down butt splice to a piece of 18ga then land that in the terminal (provided the ampacity of everything is greater than the load).
 
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