Re: twisting groundwires
Another perspective: Changing breakers. If you were to put a Cutler Hammer BR breaker into a Siemens ITE panel, it would fit. But there are factors not visible to the naked eye that come into play: The thickness of the busbar that the breaker is to draw power from, the tension that the breaker puts on the busbar to maintain a good pressure that isn't too tight or too loose. These items must be listed and used in their listed ways. Fires can be started this way.
Do you honestly believe that a competent electrician cannot verify in the field that, indeed, the
grounding conductors are securely held in the crimp sleeve? This is not rocket science, there's no physics involved, no tricky math. Crush cylinder to mash wires together good. Those are instructions Grog could figure out with training. I'd defy someone to start a fire that way. I don't mean to undermine the importance of grounding, but I've seen greens fall off long before a crimp sleeve gives up, 9 times out of ten.
Just because someone uses the "proper" tool with it's connector doesn't entail that it will be installed properly. I think the most important tool can be found between the ears.
The sleeves for larger wire are standardized because of pressure from the electric utilities. Given time and pressure from NEMA, these will all be standardized as well.
Why would the utilities have concern for the grounding conductors in a house they'll never see?
George, do you have a clue as to what the manufacture's tolerance is on their sleeves or crimping tools? Do you know for a fact that they match and you will get a crimp that will pass the heat cycling tests?
You're absolutely right, I am unschooled in this matter. I speak solely from a viewpoint forged by training, experience and common sense. I'd like Klein to take the Pepsi challenge on the heat cycling and whatever other test you can perform on a 410 crimp sleeve. But I have a strong vigilante streak when it comes to this particular issue.
One more thing: If I'm wrong, why does the UL, NEMA, whoever else, stand idly by while Klein Tools Inc. sells crimpers and nines that are jeopardizing the public at large?
