Re: Hi Jacked Thread - Solid vs Stranded and Other Prewire issues

["Crash Gordon" <webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

One "feature" I like about solid is when/if it breaks...it breaks..gone,
switch to the spare pair, with stranded you may have 18 of 19 strands
broken...leaving one lonely strand holding the circuit.

Besides, I hate working with stranded...takes longer to do makeups.


"Bob Worthy" <securinc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:AkHLf.20140$UD1.9696@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
|
| "Bob La Londe" <usenet@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
| news:j-GdnWruKbY6s2LeRVn-gQ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| >
| > "Bob Worthy" <securinc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
| > news:QcFLf.39534$bW.8125@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| > >
| > > "Robert L Bass" wrote in message
| > >
| > >
| > >> For most systems the wiring is simple enough.  Using 22/4 solid
| > >
| > > or stranded. I see more problems with solid down the road, than with
| > > stranded, but that is open to opinions. Nothing says you have to use
one
| > > over the other.
| >
| > There are advantages and disadvanatages.  I can't say I have seen any
| > problems with solid over stranded once an installation is complete.
|
| We used to use solid, as a standard, many years ago, when working for a
| national company. I switched, when on one particular type of system, that
we
| were installing, required us to keep going into different areas of the
| system and adding more buildings over the years. Eventually, we started
| getting opens on the circuits. It seemed the problem was always at the
| splice point. Not the new one, but the existing ones in the same area.
| Granted, it wasn't the best application, but it was, as is in most of
todays
| applications, two wires spliced together with beans, beanies, crimps or
what
| ever other term people use. The crimps have very sharp little teeth inside
| to penetrate the outer jacket of the wire. I think that it might be
| possible, that with that style crimp, those teeth just may be scoring,
| notching, or damaging the solid copper core, leaving it weaker than
normal.
| When people are back into the splice, where there is always that
possibility
| of bending or repeated movement of the wire, the copper could break within
| the jacket at the splice. Maybe we were using the wrong crimps, or maybe
we
| should have been using blocks but in any case, the average installer is
| going to use the most popular method and that is crimps. The problem went
| away with stranded wire.
|
| > There
| > are a couple things that enter in for a prewire during construction.
Any
| > wire tags that wind up hanging out of doors or windows tend to get torn
up
| > from opening and closing.  The stranded tends to hold up marginally
better
| > to this abuse.
|
| Agreed
|
| Unfortunatley the stranded is much more limp making it
| > difficult to leave a bit of slack up in the wall or ceiling.  I use the
| > solid because I can make an accordiin bend back and forth in my hand
about
| > five times and leave it inside the frame of the house.
|
| Here in Florida, we don't have that luxury. There is only a 3/4" cap
between
| the sheet rock and the cement block and we have to make a block shot
| diagonally from the wall to the window. We need flexibility.
|
|  This gives me abut 2
| > feet of slack to work with.
|
| Must be nice
|
|  When I come back to do a tie down I grab the
| > wire hanging out of the hole and pull it down.  Then I completely cut
off
| > the stub that was sticking out.  This totally eliminates any wire
damaged
| > from the opening and closing of the door or window.
|
| We have to drill either a 3/4" or 1" hole into the window or door buck and
| curl our service loop up into that. Again, needing the flexibility. The
new
| hurricane codes have the doors and windows bolted tight tight tight to the
| sub frame with no caps. Not as easy as the old days.
| >
| > I don't imagine that many residential low voltage contractors carry and
| > angle grinder and a cable locator in their truck.
|
| Working in S. Florida, where everything is concrete and steel they do.
|
| Bottom line is that you are right. I am sure there are advantages and
| disadvantages to both from area to area and mostly boils down to
preference.
|
|