The best information I have seen on making aluminum wire branch circuit
connections and fixing old installations is at:
formatting link
is based extensive research, primarily for the Consumer Product
Safety Commission, which looked at causes of failures of aluminum
connections. The paper gives detailed procedures for making different
kinds of connections and also other advice. A common theme is that
aluminum oxide is a major cause of failure and aluminum wires should
have antioxide paste applied then the wire abraded to remove oxides
before making a connection. The author specifically does not like the
Ideal #65 wire nut which, as far as I know, is the only wire nut that
has been UL listed for aluminum wire.
Aluminum oxide, an insulator, forms very rapidly on a clean aluminum
surface. Its formation is produced by the high reactivity of aluminum,
not aluminum to other metal contact.
Devices for aluminum wire are marked CO/ALR.
bud--
This is from The Canadian Electrical Code Rule 12-112 Conductor
joints and splices
(1) Unless made with solderless wire connectors,joints or spices in
insulated conductors shall be soldered, but they shall first be made
mechanically and electrically secure.
Rule 12-116 Termination of conductors
(1) The portion of stranded conductors to be held by wire-binding
terminals or solderless wire connectors shall have the strands
confined so that there will be no stray strands to cause either
short-circuits or grounds.
My Interpretation : Solder could be used to confine the strands!
On Tue, 07 Feb 2006 14:05:19 -0500, not i Gave us:
What part of "Unless made with solderless wire connectors" do you not
understand?
formatting link
The remark about exposed strands is so that assemblers and inspectors
can keep vigilant about making sure that their strip lengths and
insertion depths are kept tightly spec'd when using crimp style
connectors.
formatting link
It isn't something you "interpret". It IS something where you follow
the instructions given you by an inspector that DOES know what is
going on. You obviously do not.
Sometimes I think that some of you "interpret" people need to be
"confined" so that there will be no stray bullshit spewed into a
technical newsgroup.
"Andrew Gabriel" wrote in
message news:43e12c2e$0$87295$ snipped-for-privacy@news.aaisp.net.uk...
I am in the industrial controls business and work with
stranded wire extensively, especially finely stranded wire in
challenging environments. It is almost pervasively common
that manufacturers supply equipment with the wire ends dipped
in solder, I have never seen those loosen to any degree more
than non soldered ends,
the soldered ends seem to be much more reliable and preferred.
Thats after 40 years in the business across a broad spectrum
of industrial applications, nuclear, petrochemical,
semiconductor, food and marine applications.... including DDC
applications.
Crimp connectors also work. they are less reliable than
factory or field soldered ends under a screw in marine or
industrial corrosive environments however.
Phil Scott
that would be good, especially in a corrosive environment.
RE the govt training courses on the issue, one of the primary
features one notices with government is incompetence, followed
closely by insanity and bad practices. Thank god very few
industrial controls manufacturers adopt such loopy practices.
Phil Scott
On Thu, 9 Feb 2006 10:10:49 -0800, "Phil Scott"
Gave us:
I suggest that you contact AMP or MOLEX and ask them.
Your remarks about the military show a lack of knowledge as well.
:
: > : >
: >> On Fri, 03 Feb 2006 02:00:19 GMT, "Pop"
: >> Gave
: >> us:
: >>
: >>>In other words, it's an interpretation of the standardS
: >>>rather than a
: >>>written rule?
: >>>
: >>>Pop
: >>
: >> Absolutely not.
: >>
: >> Solder creep is a well known phenomena. It is a bad
: >> practice for any
: >> compression type connection.
: >
: > Just curious, what is the opinion for the following:
: > crimping the
: > connection, and THEN soldering it?
:
: that would be good, especially in a corrosive environment.
:
: RE the govt training courses on the issue, one of the primary
: features one notices with government is incompetence, followed
: closely by insanity and bad practices. Thank god very few
: industrial controls manufacturers adopt such loopy practices.
Such a blanket statement, although true in some areas, is far
from true as a blanket, plus exposes the fact that you have no
real familiarity with the subject at hand. Not only that, but if
you think "industrial controls manufacturer" don't and haven't
used things like soldering techinques and methodologies, you're
going to be grossly wrong in your overal picture you're trying to
paint.
You, along with several others have taken a good question
asked by one who only needed a simple but reliable answer and
have turned it into a crapfest of who knows what about what, and
very few of the comments have had any real basis in fact, let
along related to the OP's quest.
absolutely correct in almost all applications including large
commercial applications.
In industrial and marine applications and of course with
electronics the practice is common and on corrosive
environments, necessary.
here are some links
220,000 hits... lots of good articles on the first page.
formatting link
There is a time and a place to solder crimped or non crimped
terminals and bare wire ends to be fit under a screw head....
and a time when that is not a good idea (hot running
situations, although Ive seen pure silver or brassed
connections in those locations)
Phil Scott
Not only correct but the only way to go in many cases... it
seems most on the NG are house wiring guys and applying NEC as
they see it in homes etc...but not of course in the industrial
markets.
.
In corrosive environments, stranded wire will corrode into the
crimmped terminal and around the wire, insulating the wire
from the terminal slightly causing it to burn, then fail..
thats common.
Accordingly battery cable manufacturers most often solder
their wire into the crimped terminal ends.
This practice is seen pervasively in marine environments on
both low amperage control circuits, and on power circuits.
Use of solder on power circuit terminals however has many
problems, namely the solder melting out of the joint if the
wire warms too much...and extrusion of the solder under
compressive stress if screw connectors are used.. the military
specs some are referring to cover that aspect... but not the
other aspects.
Use of solder in an already crimped terminal serves to
increase the electrical contact area, thats good, and to
preclude corrosive gases, vapors and oils from the joint (by
wicking up the bare wire).... that is seen commonly be the
cause of failure in those situations.
For the last 100 years... and currently.... most if not all
controls systems and component manufacturers dip wire ends in
solder that are to be fit under screw head connectors... the
practice is at least 90% common.... thats with *control
circuits.
The practice is not common with power circuits for the reasons
mentioned but is still seen in some situations (primarily
corrosive environments... anyone can purchase NEC approved
soldered connectors of course for those purposes... those are
also pervasively common, especially in the electronics
industry.)
Phil Scott
Mechanical/ Electrical engineer and industrial controls
contractor since 1852 (I'm very old)
Correct...you do not solder wire before it goes into a
crimped connector...but you do after it goes into a solder
socket connector and there are crimped connectors made to be
soldered as well of course.
.
In corrosive environments, stranded wire will corrode into the
crimmped terminal and around the wire, insulating the wire
from the terminal slightly causing it to burn, then fail..
thats common.
Accordingly battery cable manufacturers most often solder
their wire into the crimped terminal ends.
This practice is seen pervasively in marine environments on
both low amperage control circuits, and on power circuits.
Use of solder on power circuit terminals however has many
problems, namely the solder melting out of the joint if the
wire warms too much...and extrusion of the solder under
compressive stress if screw connectors are used.. the military
specs some are referring to cover that aspect... but not the
other aspects.
Use of solder in an already crimped terminal serves to
increase the electrical contact area, thats good, and to
preclude corrosive gases, vapors and oils from the joint (by
wicking up the bare wire).... that is seen commonly be the
cause of failure in those situations.
For the last 100 years... and currently.... most if not all
controls systems and component manufacturers dip wire ends in
solder that are to be fit under screw head connectors... the
practice is at least 90% common.... thats with *control
circuits.
The practice is not common with power circuits for the reasons
mentioned but is still seen in some situations (primarily
corrosive environments... anyone can purchase NEC approved
soldered connectors of course for those purposes... those are
also pervasively common, especially in the electronics
industry.)
Phil Scott
Mechanical/ Electrical engineer and industrial controls
contractor since 1852 (I'm very old)
"Billy H"
Maybe our friend Roy will.
.
In corrosive environments, stranded wire will corrode into the
crimmped terminal and around the wire, insulating the wire
from the terminal slightly causing it to burn, then fail..
thats common.
Accordingly battery cable manufacturers most often solder
their wire into the crimped terminal ends.
This practice is seen pervasively in marine environments on
both low amperage control circuits, and on power circuits.
Use of solder on power circuit terminals however has many
problems, namely the solder melting out of the joint if the
wire warms too much...and extrusion of the solder under
compressive stress if screw connectors are used.. the military
specs some are referring to cover that aspect... but not the
other aspects.
Use of solder in an already crimped terminal serves to
increase the electrical contact area, thats good, and to
preclude corrosive gases, vapors and oils from the joint (by
wicking up the bare wire).... that is seen commonly be the
cause of failure in those situations.
For the last 100 years... and currently.... most if not all
controls systems and component manufacturers dip wire ends in
solder that are to be fit under screw head connectors... the
practice is at least 90% common.... thats with *control
circuits.
The practice is not common with power circuits for the reasons
mentioned but is still seen in some situations (primarily
corrosive environments... anyone can purchase NEC approved
soldered connectors of course for those purposes... those are
also pervasively common, especially in the electronics
industry.)
.
220,000 hits... lots of good articles on the first page.
formatting link
There is a time and a place to solder crimped or non crimped
terminals and bare wire ends to be fit under a screw head....
and a time when that is not a good idea (hot running
situations, although Ive seen pure silver or brassed
connections in those locations)
Phil Scott
Mechanical/ Electrical engineer and industrial controls
contractor since 1852 (I'm very old)
well ...maybe Fuchsie is a closed mind etc... or maybe he
is a romex wiring house type electrician... there are about
200 of those for everyone doing industrial contols and
automation (where soldering stranded ends is pervasively
common).
So...we get on the ng, this 200 to 1 ratio of
insightability. Im sure Roy will respond appropriately to my
posts on the topic... gentleman that he is, and realizing that
the way to become an idiot is to defend ones current
position...
As a consulting engineer the first thing I tell my clients
is that they know more about their situation in many aspects
than I do, and that I will be learning from them and
formatting much or most of my recommendations based on what
they know and have learned about their systems.. that
works...and I am not then immune to learning myself.
.
In corrosive environments, stranded wire will corrode into the
crimmped terminal and around the wire, insulating the wire
from the terminal slightly causing it to burn, then fail..
thats common.
Accordingly battery cable manufacturers most often solder
their wire into the crimped terminal ends.
This practice is seen pervasively in marine environments on
both low amperage control circuits, and on power circuits.
Use of solder on power circuit terminals however has many
problems, namely the solder melting out of the joint if the
wire warms too much...and extrusion of the solder under
compressive stress if screw connectors are used.. the military
specs some are referring to cover that aspect... but not the
other aspects.
Use of solder in an already crimped terminal serves to
increase the electrical contact area, thats good, and to
preclude corrosive gases, vapors and oils from the joint (by
wicking up the bare wire).... that is seen commonly be the
cause of failure in those situations.
For the last 100 years... and currently.... most if not all
controls systems and component manufacturers dip wire ends in
solder that are to be fit under screw head connectors... the
practice is at least 90% common.... thats with *control
circuits.
The practice is not common with power circuits for the reasons
mentioned but is still seen in some situations (primarily
corrosive environments... anyone can purchase NEC approved
soldered connectors of course for those purposes... those are
also pervasively common, especially in the electronics
industry.)
.
220,000 hits... lots of good articles on the first page.
formatting link
There is a time and a place to solder crimped or non crimped
terminals and bare wire ends to be fit under a screw head....
and a time when that is not a good idea (hot running
situations, although Ive seen pure silver or brassed
connections in those locations)
Phil Scott
Mechanical/ Electrical engineer and industrial controls
contractor since 1852 (I'm very old)
"Billy H"
Thats interesting... and at the least reasonably valid
possibly. Id like to hear more about that.
in the controls business of course the amperage very small so
thats not an issue and we can solder the ends of the wire.
The idea you present on current flow being possibly less at a
soldered in connection would make a good google search.... If
I find anything on that I will post it.
Here is what I have so far though. but that could and may
well be all related to electronics or control circuits...
.
In corrosive environments, stranded wire will corrode into the
crimmped terminal and around the wire, insulating the wire
from the terminal slightly causing it to burn, then fail..
thats common.
Accordingly battery cable manufacturers most often solder
their wire into the crimped terminal ends.
This practice is seen pervasively in marine environments on
both low amperage control circuits, and on power circuits.
Use of solder on power circuit terminals however has many
problems, namely the solder melting out of the joint if the
wire warms too much...and extrusion of the solder under
compressive stress if screw connectors are used.. the military
specs some are referring to cover that aspect... but not the
other aspects.
Use of solder in an already crimped terminal serves to
increase the electrical contact area, thats good, and to
preclude corrosive gases, vapors and oils from the joint (by
wicking up the bare wire).... that is seen commonly be the
cause of failure in those situations.
For the last 100 years... and currently.... most if not all
controls systems and component manufacturers dip wire ends in
solder that are to be fit under screw head connectors... the
practice is at least 90% common.... thats with *control
circuits.
The practice is not common with power circuits for the reasons
mentioned but is still seen in some situations (primarily
corrosive environments... anyone can purchase NEC approved
soldered connectors of course for those purposes... those are
also pervasively common, especially in the electronics
industry.)
.
220,000 hits... lots of good articles on the first page.
formatting link
There is a time and a place to solder crimped or non crimped
terminals and bare wire ends to be fit under a screw head....
and a time when that is not a good idea (hot running
situations, although Ive seen pure silver or brassed
connections in those locations)
Phil Scott
Mechanical/ Electrical engineer and industrial controls
contractor since 1852 (I'm very old)
On Fri, 10 Feb 2006 12:50:22 -0800, "Phil Scott"
Gave us:
What a silly thing to say.
Not true. In corrosive environments (like your marine scenario)
standard non-gas tight connectors are not spec'd. If they are used,
they will corrode. A gas tight connector must be used, and that too,
would NOT require any solder.
The huge crimped terminal on a commercial battery cable is NOT a gsa
tight termination. What does get used gets soldered because that is
the only way they can give the termination SOME life span.
Yet not seen in ANY marine environment where the proper fittings are
used. Most consumer level crap won't have such overtly expensive
hardware in it, hence the "workaround", with solder.
If the wire warms to the melt point temperature of solder, then
there is a much larger underlying problem with the circuit or the
wiring design. NO circuit wiring should EVER rise to that temperature
in ANY non fault mode of operation. EVER.
It is not referred to as extrusion, it is called CREEP.
The military were the inventors of the gas tight crimped connection.
If the connection is gas tight, it will be vapor and liquid tight as
well. If it is not made using gas tight methods, then it is open to a
host of problems. Many of which solder still does not fix or address.
It varies from product producer to product producer as some of them
conform tightly to proper manufacturing specs and some do not.
That doesn't make those that do not "most if not all".
None of those will be crimp style connectors. It is either a solder
terminal or a crimp terminal... not both.
On Fri, 10 Feb 2006 12:56:19 -0800, "Phil Scott"
Gave us:
Nope. There are solder cup connectors that DO get soldered, and
there are crimp type connectors. Find ONE crimp style connector that
is meant, by design to be soldered. CITE!
On Fri, 10 Feb 2006 13:18:17 -0800, "Phil Scott"
Gave us:
Fuck you , retard! You have now posted the SAME cut and paste CRAP
seven times or more. You need to bone up on Usenet, you retarded
fuck!
On Fri, 10 Feb 2006 13:23:15 -0800, "Phil Scott"
Gave us:
Goddamned cut and paste retard!
Just so you know, in many circles what you did is considered SPAM.
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