Wago 222-412 Temp Tests

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FionaZuppa

FionaZuppa

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Part Time Electrician (semi retired, old) - EE retired.
related to http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=171829
was asked to temp test the Wago 222 connector

i thought in their pdf of the product says max 30A, but the item itself is stamped 20A, so i took it right to 20A with TC taped to its belly. free air test just to see where 20A takes it. ah, their pdf says "Current intensity 32A". not really sure what that means.

wago222_412.jpg
 
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hmmm, one side has the japanese PSE symbol with "JET 20A 300V", the other side has UL symbol with "600V AWG 28-12", and yet another stamp on the belly "400V 24A 32A". thats a lot of stamps.
 
for those who want to know how these work.

these are not knife like, like back stab on an outlet, these work by reverse spring tension.
the levers do not provide the clamping force when the product is in-use. the internals are two springs and a bonding pad. in this pic:

1) the lever pushes down here
2) the captive spring lowers on the inside
3) you push the wire in through a rectangular hole of the spring
4) the spring pulls the wire back onto the bonding pad

the boding pad (#4) is about 0.032" thick x 0.133"wide (wide is kinda the middle path, its a odd H shape).

i guess one might question these from a few different angles.
1) the contact patch between wire and pad is small.
2) does the force from spring holding the wire fade over time, change with temp?


wago222_412_internal.jpg
 
Curious nerd said:
My understanding FWIW is that since it tops out at 12 gauge they could only call it 20 amps in the US but that it passed certification testing at 32 amps under European standards.
Click to expand...

so here are some observations

free air
86F @ 19.7A
102.7F @ 30.7A

wrapped in insulating blanket (R value ??, like a sweater of two thick terrycloth rags)
163F @ 30.3A

in my last post i mentioned some things you might look at, spring tension vs temp, definitely observable. right after taking it out from the blanket, with amps still going, lifted the levers, definitely easier to lift. let it cool back down, harder to lift levers.

@ the 163 temp no physical damage seen (was only cooking for a short time in equilibrium), but they seem like nylon or pvc so they will probably break down over time exposed to elevated temps. they have a "PA66" stamp on their top, that is a type of nylon (http://www.plasticprop.com/articles/pa6pa66-properties-experiences-and-useful-links)

i know the connection provided observable more ohms than say me clamping my test wire to the power supply lugs with vice grips, because i had to turn the dial on variac more than i did in wire testing to get same amps. this would obviously be reflected in the temps.

not sure what that means, but some observations.
 
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