12v Safety Question

[MG]

Does anyone enclose their 12v wire connections inside plastic/metal boxes or is it safe to use only wire nuts. I will be mounting some 12v reading lights and a 12v receptacle on a wall that has rigid foam behind it. I feel a bit uneasy leaving wiring floating among flammable material. Is it safe to do that with 12v?

[Toytaco2]

I didn't use wire nuts anywhere as I don't really trust them in a TD that is going to get its fair share of road vibrations. I elected to use quality "crimp" style connectors using a good quality crimping tool. Then the whole connector got a couple coats of liquid electrical tape. I have read on the forum where some guys elect to solder every connection to avoid possible connection failures and the resulting problems. Just my own two cents.

Mike

[jeep_bluetj]

For 12v stuff I solder and heat-shrink the connections. J-boxes are not necessary. I dislike wirenuts for anything that moves.

For a light fixture, I'd crimp and solder on some female spade connectors, heat shrink over them, and do the matching male thing to the fixture (may already be that way - lots of RV light fixtures have male spade connectors).

Other than the soldering part, that's the way most RV's are wired. (I solder 'cause I'm an engineer... and I've got a soldering iron)

As to the flammibility thing, the only _real_ time to be concerned here is if your wire size is far too small for the current being carried. Then the wire can get hot. A well made crimp or solder connection will NOT get hot if the wire (and connector) was sized properly. Arcing is much less of a concern with 12v wiring as if there's enough current to arc, it's likely to blow a fuse. Of course that's assuming you are fusing your 12v circuits. You _do_ need to do that.

[madjack]

For 12v stuff I solder and heat-shrink the connections. J-boxes are not necessary. I dislike wirenuts for anything that moves.

For a light fixture, I'd crimp and solder on some female spade connectors, heat shrink over them, and do the matching male thing to the fixture (may already be that way - lots of RV light fixtures have male spade connectors).

Other than the soldering part, that's the way most RV's are wired. (I solder 'cause I'm an engineer... and I've got a soldering iron)

As to the flammibility thing, the only _real_ time to be concerned here is if your wire size is far too small for the current being carried. Then the wire can get hot. A well made crimp or solder connection will NOT get hot if the wire (and connector) was sized properly. Arcing is much less of a concern with 12v wiring as if there's enough current to arc, it's likely to blow a fuse. Of course that's assuming you are fusing your 12v circuits. You _do_ need to do that.

...this what I do as well...I like solder, heat shrink and liquid elec tape...good crimp ons as well............

[planovet]

For 12v stuff I solder and heat-shrink the connections.

[Larwyn]

If you use crimp on lugs, be sure to buy brand name lugs and the crimping tool recommended by the manufacturer. That is my choice and it has worked well for me. I seldom solder any connections anymore, but a good soldering iron is considerably cheaper than a good quality crimping tool, so if you seldom do any wiring, solder might be your best choice. A good solder joint does require more skill, while no amount of skill can improve a connection made with a cheap, low tolerance, oversize crimping tool. If you choose to buy your tools from a place like Harbor Freight then go with solder, a hot iron is a hot iron, a sloppy crimping tool is a paper weight. I have seen more failed connections where the "blade" had broken off of the lug than I have where the wire pulled loose from the lug, so quality connectors are more important in my opinion.

[Ageless]

Ever see an unfused wire short? It fries the insulation the entire length of the wire.

Fuse it or lose it

[MG]

Thanks for the replies. Now I have a few options I know will be safe.

[48Rob]

I didn't use wire nuts anywhere as I don't really trust them in a TD that is going to get its fair share of road vibrations

I have to question this general thought/belief...in a friendly way...


Whe do people continue to believe a wire nut connection is "not safe"?

A properly made wire nut connection relies on the twisting of the wires to make the "connection" with the wire nut serving as an insulator/cover for the connection.

Vibration would be very hard pressed to "undo" a connection...unless the connection was made by someone that did not know how to make the connection.
In other words, the connection that failed, was not correctly made in the first place.

Rob

[Larwyn]

I didn't use wire nuts anywhere as I don't really trust them in a TD that is going to get its fair share of road vibrations

I have to question this general thought/belief...in a friendly way...


Whe do people continue to believe a wire nut connection is "not safe"?

A properly made wire nut connection relies on the twisting of the wires to make the "connection" with the wire nut serving as an insulator/cover for the connection.

Vibration would be very hard pressed to "undo" a connection...unless the connection was made by someone that did not know how to make the connection.
In other words, the connection that failed, was not correctly made in the first place.

Rob

I think that the biggest problem with wire nuts is that though they are quick and easy to install and require a minimum of tools they also completely hide the connection making it difficult or imposable to actually inspect your work. People twist that wire nut on there, pull on it and if it does not come off in their hand they call it good, often one or more wires can easily be withdrawn from the "connection". It is not actually a problem with the device so much as a problem with installation.

When I use wire nuts I twist the wires together first making a mechanical/electrical connection, then twist on the wire nut, then ad a bit of 88 to help assure that the wire nut hangs around for insulation purposes. I find that works well on solid wire or tinned stranded wire. On my TD in the few cases where wire nuts could have been used, I used the crimp on connectors which resemble wire nuts because I believe they are more secure on stranded wire.