Re: Installalation Tips and Tools

[bdolph <bdolph@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Solid core is fine if the tech knows what he is doing.  One of the
biggest problems with solid wire I have seen is stripping the wire with
a cutting type stripper and nicking the wire and then you get a close
intermittent break in the wire.

One the other hand stranded wire is less problem prone since it takes
more effort to nick all the strands and overall more flexible.  The
danger here is that you have to use a spade or crimped connector on the
end (or tin the end) so that no loose strands touch a neighboring
terminal on the panel.

BobbD

Frank Olson wrote:

> Robert L Bass wrote:
>
>>> I can remember my first tech tip way back in junior high school
>>> electric shop.  It was wrapping a stripped wire properly around a
>>> screw terminal. An old time shop teacher that made sure we had good
>>> basic install skills. A very nice and basic tip.  While this seems
>>> obvious to many of us techs, you would be surprised how many wires I
>>> see wrapped the wrong way.
>>
>>
>>
>> I like to use stranded cable for transformers.  It doesn't break like
>> solid core cable can if the wire is flexed a bunch of times.  Also,
>> if I have some in the tool kit I crimp spade lugs on the wires rather
>> than wrap bare wires around the screw terminals.  This isn't entirely
>> necessary but it makes a good, solid connection and there's no chance
>> of a stray strand shorting the adjacent terminal.
>>
>
>
> Why would the wire "flex" a "bunch of times"?  I realize that you guys
> int he US really like those screw-in "wall warts", but isn't the screw
> supposed to discourage the customer from unplugging it?  And wouldn't
> you use a plug that was "out of the way" and not prone to occasional
> use?  Our contract stipulates that we must have a dedicated unburdened
> circuit for the panel.  Around these parts we use a wire in
> transformer, and all solid core wires.