are crimps acceptable for joining wires

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tadavidson

tadavidson

Senior Member
Location
Georgia
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
K8MHZ said:
This is the kind of stuff I run into. Not my pic, but I have seen hundreds of such failures.

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That connection shouldn't even be allowed. The picture doesn't indicate it's within an enclosure. Notice some jacketed and some individual conductors, and a lot of wood. OR I am missing something.
 
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kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
K8MHZ said:
Next time try to find some double walled tubing. The 'silicone' is already in the tube. That's what OEM's use in their harnesses. It's pricey, but it's really great stuff.
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I've had good luck with the ones that use shrink tubing as the outer insulating sleeve for vehicle/trailer wiring.
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
tadavidson said:
That connection shouldn't even be allowed. The picture doesn't indicate it's within an enclosure. Notice some jacketed and some individual conductors, and a lot of wood. OR I am missing something.
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Maybe a RV/camper and the conductors in question are 12 V vehicle/trailer circuits? That might be acceptable. Is still a mess - but what do you expect from someone that doesn't even know the proper location to place the crimp on the barrel?
 
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K8MHZ

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
kwired said:
I've had good luck with the ones that use shrink tubing as the outer insulating sleeve for vehicle/trailer wiring.
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By dual walled, I meant that there is a layer of sealant inside the polyolefin tubing. When the tubing is heated, the sealant softens and when the tubing shrinks, the sealant oozes out the ends of the tubing. It hardens back up when it cools off.

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kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
K8MHZ said:
By dual walled, I meant that there is a layer of sealant inside the polyolefin tubing. When the tubing is heated, the sealant softens and when the tubing shrinks, the sealant oozes out the ends of the tubing. It hardens back up when it cools off.

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The "shrink tubing butt splicers" I have been using have a sealant that oozes out the ends after shrinking. It isn't as much sealant as some "double walled" shrink tube has, which I also use sometimes, but is still a sealant.
 
R

Ragin Cajun

Senior Member
Location
Upstate S.C.
I have used barrel type connections for over 40 years and never had an issue. Poor or miss installation will screw up any installation. Follow the product instructions and use the proper tool.

Don't put down a product because you found someones hack work.

RC
 
Besoeker

Besoeker

Senior Member
Location
UK
Ragin Cajun said:
I have used barrel type connections for over 40 years and never had an issue. Poor or miss installation will screw up any installation. Follow the product instructions and use the proper tool.

Don't put down a product because you found someones hack work.

RC
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Totally agree.
 
R

rszimm

Member
Location
Tucson, AZ
kwired said:
Was going to respond and got side tracked - If the gas vent is the issue why not move the gas vent? Sounds like a lot less work - though maybe not your type of work.
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I didn't mention it before, but I'm doing a 400A service upgrade. The existing panel is one of those horribly narrow GE jobbies that was crammed full of tandem breakers and a couple 100A Al wire circuits. It probably took a crowbar to jam the cover shut. Could probably call the gas company and get the vent spun around, but the panel has to be replaced anyway and given how small that old panel was, even if I were to put it in the exact same space I'm probably going to have to extend a bunch of wires.
 
T

tommydh

Member
Location
baltimore,md
The rule of thumb I was always taught was you do not use crimps on solid wire just as you do not wrap stranded around a terminal screw. They do make a splice kit for inline that uses set screws in a barrel type connector.
 
iwire

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
K8MHZ said:
Not applicable to this thread, but yes, there is such a splice and I have made many hundreds over the years. It's solder with shrink tube. A couple weeks ago I did 50+ such splices on one engine control harness for a friend of mine that had to repair said harness he pulled off a Kenworth semi that had an engine fire. One single connector on that harness had 30 splices to be made.

Soldering is very time consuming and will fail if done improperly, or if poor solder or improper flux is used. The shrink tube not only keeps the splice clean and dry, a good installation will also provide some strain relief.

I used to repair engine harnesses for auto shops being paid by insurance companies. Not once did I use a crimp connector, and after repairing dozens a year for several years, I have never had a single failure.
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:slaphead:

Do you understand I have been doing electrical work for a long time too? :lol:
 
K8MHZ

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
iwire said:
:slaphead:

Do you understand I have been doing electrical work for a long time too? :lol:
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I was simply addressing this statement:

There is almost no splice that lasts for those applications. That is tough service.
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I have made scads of splices that last for those applications. Easy peasy.

They probably weren't used building condos in the 80's though.

I know guys that have been in the trade longer than both of us that have never made a solder splice in their life. It's not unusual.

What did you feel I said that implied you weren't old.....er......I mean experienced. :angel:
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
K8MHZ said:
No one around here stocks the clear stuff. The inspection hole is particular to that brand, and so far I have never seen them for sale, just pictures on a web site.

I really like the design.
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I'd guess you have Menards in your area - pretty sure I have bought them there, and probably are the GB brand. I also have a local farm supply store so to speak that has them - not sure what brand they are. Also used to get them from Johnstone Supply - they used to have their own label on a lot of those kind of products and you didn't know who actually made them.
 
K8MHZ

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
kwired said:
I'd guess you have Menards in your area - pretty sure I have bought them there, and probably are the GB brand. I also have a local farm supply store so to speak that has them - not sure what brand they are. Also used to get them from Johnstone Supply - they used to have their own label on a lot of those kind of products and you didn't know who actually made them.
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Thanks.

We have Menards, Lowes and HD.

At our Menards, the selection is superior to Lowes and HD, but the help is clueless. If you are OK with searching the store on your own, that's the place to go.

Lowes is closer and if I ask about a product they will know if they have it and right where it is, most of the time.

Next time I am at Menards, I take a gander at their connectors.
 
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