Best connector to Tap-In to a wire?

[rooster]

When I wired my tear and made a splice to branch off to my porch light I did the same as Danny did, I soldered and taped them. With wires inside the walls and ceiling I did'nt need shorting out problems. It worked for me . . . .

Jim,

[asianflava]

Those Scotch Locks are crap. When I used to install car stereos, the alarms would include those taps, we would toss them. You are better off using a butt connector and crimping 2 wires to one end and one wire to the other end.

[halfdome, Danny]

Yikes- 12 circuits! either you have a lot of expansion space or you are remotely controlling the US satellite program from your teardrop!
I am definitely going to add an auxiliary panel for my remaining fixtures.

Every light & 12 volt plug has it's own circuit and I have some extras. You can never have too many the way I look at it. Danny

[Sonetpro]

I used the marine panel also. 6 circuits.
If I was going to splice I would only solder and shrink tube. I hate electric problems.

[bdosborn]

An easy way to join multiple wires together is to use push-in connectors:



Depends on who you talk as to how good they are. I get everything from they're the best to they're the worst. I used them on my trailer but only in spots where I could get to them and only on grounds so I could evaluate them over time. Everything else is soldered and heat shrinked. So far I haven't had any failures. They're called "wagos" in the field and are available at Home Depot. Made by Wago (who would have figured?) and Ideal.
Bruce

[bdosborn]

Those Scotch Locks are crap. \

I agree. They nick the conductors so they break over time and they let all kinds of corrosion in through the cut in the insulation. Throw them away!
Bruce

[Dale M.]

Several companies makes a "closed end" connector which is a metal sleeve inside a plastic shell... Generally used in AC wiring work for bonding ground connectors....

Usually available anywhere wiring products are sold.... You just cut main wire and strip both ends, and strip end of branch wire, and insert all three into in connector and crimp.....

http://order.waytekwire.com/IMAGES/M37/ ... 19_027.PDF

Part numbers #37020 thru #37025


Dale

[kayakrguy]

Boaters world has 3 way crimp connectors which could also be shrink wrapped if you wanted..

http://www.boatersworld.com/product/199321886msk.htm

There are also some here:

http://shop.genuinedealz.com/items/item ... id=3926595

Jim

[greasywheats]

Kayakerguyer & All-
Thanks for all the input- those ring connectors look great to me. My soldering skills allow me to properly tin the wire ends and solder the terminals to the wire ends, but my attempts at soldering a wire onto a spliced wire have turned out pretty chunky. I think I feel safer with mechanical connections and some solder and elctrical tape.
Thanks Again!

[Dale M.]

Boaters world has 3 way crimp connectors which could also be shrink wrapped if you wanted..

http://www.boatersworld.com/product/199321886msk.htm

There are also some here:

http://shop.genuinedealz.com/items/item ... id=3926595

Jim

Although they are electrically effective and easy to work with, they create a nightmare to insulate with either tape or heatshrink and create excessive bulk in any wiring system.... I avoid then at all cost....

Dale

[Dale M.]

Kayakerguyer & All-
Thanks for all the input- those ring connectors look great to me. My soldering skills allow me to properly tin the wire ends and solder the terminals to the wire ends, but my attempts at soldering a wire onto a spliced wire have turned out pretty chunky. I think I feel safer with mechanical connections and some solder and elctrical tape.
Thanks Again!

Chunky solder splices are caused by not forming wire "splice" correctly and not using enough heat to solder splice.... A soldered splice should not be any larger than the initial mechanical splice before soldering...

Dale

[kayakrguy]

[[/quote]

Although they are electrically effective and easy to work with, they create a nightmare to insulate with either tape or heatshrink and create excessive bulk in any wiring system.... I avoid then at all cost....

Dale[/quote]

Dale,

Why are they any harder to heat shrink than any other connector?

Jim

[Dale M.]

Dale,

Why are they any harder to heat shrink than any other connector?

Jim

Because you have to use a huge tube to slide over the "T" shape of connector...... Heat shrink will only shrink a certain percentage ... IF you have to use a large tube to get over initial shape, it may not shrink enough to actually seal air and moisture from connection and may allow stray metallic object to enter into gap and cause a problem....

Dale

[kayakrguy]

Dale,

Why put the shrink over the Y ? I would simply heat shrink each of the individual joints...just like I would with a regular two wire connection. I see no need to shrink on the center connector....

Jim

[asianflava]

For my trailer lighting (turn, brake, stop) I used wire nuts, Gasp! They aeren't your traditional wire nuts though. The wries go thru a ring, and the wire nut threads onto the ring so the wires are locked into place, they work pretty well for me. I've also seen water resistant versions of this connector. It is basically the same thing except it is filled with what looks like grease.

I will probably have to remove my fenders so I needed a way to disconnect them without having to cut the wire every time.