Wire Nuts, Parallel Batteries and other thoughts

[wlooper89]

Steve,

Thank you very much. That explains another case where solder is not recommended.

Bill

[Arne]

If I think tinning a stranded wire is a good idea, I do it. Then I wire nut the connection and tape the connected wires back about 2 inches. That way, there is no strain on the transition.

I never depend (or rarely) on a wire nut alone in my t/d builds (all 2 of them). The connection always gets wrapped for a couple of inches with electrical tape.

[wlooper89]

Tinning the stranded wire under wire nuts sounds good to me and then taping to support them. I recently installed two light fixtures at home and just used wire nuts. I thought about solder but decided the wires would not move once I mounted the fixtures and just made sure the wire nuts were tight. I would want to use a technique similar to yours for wire nuts in a TD.

I got a supply of Anderson connectors when I started on the TD electrical and have used them on all wire-to-wire connections. Wires can be soldered to the contacts which then click into place inside a plastic housing, one for each wire end. The housings can be joined in positive and negative pairs if desired. The connectors can then be plugged and unplugged easily which is convenient if one wants to remove components for changes.

The Anderson connectors come in different colors and I also used different color combinations of electrical tape to mark the wires. Along with the colors, printed labels help me remember which plug goes where. This sounds like an advertisement but I do like the product.

This photo, the fuse panel under my voltmeter and ammeters, shows some of the small type Anderson connectors in pairs. One set is plugged into a temporary 12V battery. Later I replaced the masking tape labels with nice little printed ones that stick on the connectors.

The terminal strip has ring connectors, crimped and soldered, with lock washers under the screws.



As one can see this truly is a hobby and time has no meaning. I did not really even need a meter panel. The reason for the odd shape is to fit in a keystone shaped trailer tongue box. A recent photo of the meter panel is in my album.

Bill

[Arne]

Just a note on those connectors. The crimped part has a similar condition to the tinning. There is a transition from the crimped part to the movable stranded wire. That is one reason for the extension on the plastic over sleeve, to remove the strain on the transition as well as insulating it.

I use those connectors whenever the need arises.. very good looking job.

[brian_bp]

How would one uncoil, support, string, sag, or otherwise work with a single conductor of 750 mcm. That would be a round buss bar which does exist in flat form but not for transmission or distribution purposes.....

Exactly!
Conductors this large are composed of multiple strands (rather being one solid piece) so they they can be uncoiled, supported, strung, allowed to sag, and otherwise made to work... but not due to skin effect.

A note about about terminology: a "conductor" in a cable or transmission line is not necessarily a single strand of wire; if it were a solid conductor, that would mean it is a solid bar or single strand of wire. For instance, electrical cables built into the walls of a house typically have three conductors (hot, neutral, ground), each composed of a single strand; a "three prong" extension cord has the same three conductors, but each of those three conductors is made up of several strands of wire.

[Alphacarina]

I never depend (or rarely) on a wire nut alone in my t/d builds (all 2 of them). The connection always gets wrapped for a couple of inches with electrical tape.

Even using a wire nut would be an absolute last resort for me - There are much better ways to make electrical connections. The only less professional looking thing than a bunch of wire nuts is a bunch of tape

Don

[Elumia]

and the only thing worse is the tape goo left on the wires when you have to go do something else with that connection down the road....

[Arne]

hey, it's all in the walls. I don't care what it looks like. I can't see it and no one else can, either.... to each his/her own.

[Larwyn]

I never depend (or rarely) on a wire nut alone in my t/d builds (all 2 of them). The connection always gets wrapped for a couple of inches with electrical tape.

Even using a wire nut would be an absolute last resort for me - There are much better ways to make electrical connections. The only less professional looking thing than a bunch of wire nuts is a bunch of tape

Don

Yep, there's nothing worse than using the most popular, National Electrical Code Approved, fast, efficient, proven method of connecting wires for residential service. I have no idea how we have all survived for so long without your intervention. At least you will be safe, unless your neighbor decided to have a professional electrician wire his house and the inevitable fire jumps from his roof to your own. God help us.

[wlooper89]

Larwyn,

I love the humor and tongue-in-cheek style you sometimes use. Wish I could write like that, but when I try it usually falls flat. I have the greatest respect for professional electricians. One of my good friends is an electrician. It is just that the priorities and concerns for a TD builder may be a little different than for a residential electrician.

A house does not usually bounce and vibrate, except for the occasional earthquake. Since this is probably a hobby for us "good looking" may be a higher priority than "fast, efficient", if the connections can be seen.

When I open my electrical compartment to activate switches or look at my meters some of the connectors are in plain view. Naturally I have to open it for passing campers who want to look at a teardrop.

These are just late night random thoughts that I hope add to the discussion.

Bill

[Larwyn]

Larwyn,

I love the humor and tongue-in-cheek style you sometimes use. Wish I could write like that, but when I try it usually falls flat. I have the greatest respect for professional electricians. One of my good friends is an electrician. It is just that the priorities and concerns for a TD builder may be a little different than for a residential electrician.

A house does not usually bounce and vibrate, except for the occasional earthquake. Since this is probably a hobby for us "good looking" may be a higher priority than "fast, efficient", if the connections can be seen.

When I open my electrical compartment to activate switches or look at my meters some of the connectors are in plain view. Naturally I have to open it for passing campers who want to look at a teardrop.

These are just late night random thoughts that I hope add to the discussion.

Bill

Yep, gotta have a little fun now and then. Actually for my TD I used the same insulated crimp rings as many RV manufacturers use (they resemble wire nuts but are crimped in place). The only interior wiring that shows is in compartments that must be opened but even there the wire is contained in some form of sheathing, conduit or boxes. Where I have screw connections, I used high quality insulated crimp on ring lugs and a quality ratchet type crimping tool (they require you to fully crimp the connection before they will release, and cannot be "over crimped"). I usually go for as few connections as possible from source to load.

I do like the way you are handling the wiring in your trailer. It looks good and you should have no problems with the quality hardware that you are using. That little metering panel does have the "cool factor" to it. And it could actually allow you to keep an eye on what is happening electrically in your TD.

[Alphacarina]

Yep, there's nothing worse than using the most popular, National Electrical Code Approved, fast, efficient, proven method of connecting wires for residential service. I have no idea how we have all survived for so long without your intervention

Yep, they are 'Code Approved' for use in housing . . . . so long as they are used inside an approved electrical junction box - That alone tells you something. They aren't legal for marine use though . . . . no matter what you put them in because they invite dissimilar metals corrosion

Don

[48Rob]

Hi Don,

I can see your point about dissimilar metal contact from the metal inside a wire nut (only some wire nuts), but if that is the argument against, then what makes a crimp on connector different, as it also places "metal against wire?
If the tinning of the wire prevents it, that is good, but the act of crimping could easily remove some of the tinning.
If you crimp on a connector, and then tin, how can it get under the connector to provide complete coverage?
(I understand how solder "flows" but if 100% coverage of the wire is the goal, how does this method work)
Please don't take this wrong, I'm not trying to argue, just understand.

Also, I don't claim to be up on the latest codes for residential wiring, but I don't recall that "splices" have ever been allowed anywhere but inside an approved box.
Is that an incorrect thought?



Rob

[Larwyn]

[Yep, they are 'Code Approved' for use in housing . . . . so long as they are used inside an approved electrical junction box - That alone tells you something. They aren't legal for marine use though . . . . no matter what you put them in because they invite dissimilar metals corrosion

Don

Don,

You did not say that you would never use a wire nut for marine wiring. Only that you would not use wire nuts, and that they were the least professional looking thing next to tape that you had ever seen. I would not use them in control circuits for a nuke plant either. Or even in at TD. But that does not mean that I would never use a wire nut, nor that I think that the most common professionally used connector for residential wiring looks unprofessional.

[Miriam C.]

Oh lordy! If tinning is not copper then you have dissimilar metals do you not. If you are going to use dissimilar metals as a reason to not do something then tape---and look unprofessional. This is sounding like the never ending story......

Oh yeah and please use approved boxes for splices. They do make shallow boxes.