Electrical Wire Splicing

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by rwidman

There are situations where a terminal block is appropriate and situations where it is not. "Splicing" wires does not require a terminal block. "Splicing", by definition, is joining two conductors together. One would "splice" the power lead from the boat's electrical system to the pigtail on a bilge pump. One would not typically install a terminal block. A splice can be made waterproof. A terminal block cannot.

Done properly the terminal block is the better option. two wires into one end of a butt connector just screams cheap, lazy, etc....... I have a terminal block on my float switch, and on the bilge pump. They're both protected from the water and facilitate neat and clean replacement of items that will cease to work properly with age.
At any rate, for the OP's question, No, I don't know of any ABYC splice requirements. But for the sake of neatness and ease of maintainence you'll want the terminal. Use heat shrink rings, and spray the terminal with something like boshield after assembly.

[TaoJones]

Okay, folks . . . no reason to get snippy with one another. This is an interesting thread and contains information that others will find useful, I'm sure. There are "best practices" as well as "ways that work," "jury-rigged" and "accidents-waiting-to-happen." Understandably, not everyone agrees on which category a particular technique fits into.

That doesn't mean that if someone disagrees with someone else on the way to do something, they're entitled to turn their abuse on the person they disagree with. Please debate the subject, not the character of another member.

Thank you for your cooperation.

TaoJones

[IceMan]

Every connector I use is heat shrink with adhesive. That is why I questioned the manufacturer’s suggestion to splice the relay wires as they, "don't carry any real current" in their words. I just asked for other ideas from more experienced sailors because if I do it the easy way, I'll be doing again at an inopportune time.
WD

[Healer52]

OK, I don't want to start any more contests here.

I appreciate that a max of two terminals per screw is an accepted standard, and a best practice.....

Is it a ABYC or other recognized standard, that that is acceptable? I'd rather have wires like that set up on a terminal strip with jumpers as needed. Two on a screw might be an OK temporary fix but it still seems kind of half-way to me. Of course, in my house, every single electrical outlet is on it's own breaker.....I'm weird that way.

[Christian Van H]

Originally Posted by Healer52

I appreciate that a max of two terminals per screw is an accepted standard, and a best practice.....

Man, I was way off!

"11.16.4.1.11. No more than four conductors
shall be secured to any one terminal stud. If additional
connections are necessary, two or more terminal studs
shall be connected together by means of jumpers or
copper straps."

Must have been a mental thing...I know TWO is MY limit, but I like the way Ice and Healer think!

[Healer52]

Thanks for posting that. I guess there's legal, there's acceptable, and then there's the way I do it

[Wotname]

FWIW - acceptable aircraft practice limits the number of terminal connections to a terminal block stud to 4. (reference AC 43.13-1B/2A, para 11-98 f).

Although not stated, standard practice suggests this is taken to include any jumper or link connected to the stud.

Really this just makes common sense although if one knows the current load of each termination and the current rating of the stud and the physical aspects of stud length, nut size etc, one can make up one's own mind as to what is safe or not

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by IceMan

What I need is to have a connector that can take 2 foot switch wires, one hand controler wire and one cockpit switch wire into one side and one wire out to the relay. I don't want to use "T" Tap splices, Quick splices or Tap in connectors if I don't have to.
WD

Buy a covered bus bar terminal strip and crimp a fork connector on each wire, then attach with screws. Each wire size is handled on its own. Mount it to the bulkhead. Neat, organized and secured. Easy to troubleshoot if something doesn't work, too.

If you can't find the covered type you can buy a bare one at Radio Shack for around $6 (or any marine chandler for a few $ more) and cover it with electrical tape.

[Patrick_DeepPlaya]

Originally Posted by rwidman

A splice can be made waterproof. A terminal block cannot.

A terminal block can be enclosed in a waterproof housing achieving the veritable unicorn of electrical connectivity!

DC Power Onboard with Newmar offers Water Proof Junction Boxes and Splashproof Junction Boxes. Water Proof Boxes are ideal for making wiring connections above or below decks, even in areas subject to occasional spray. Splashproof Boxes Provides for s

-p

[SailFastTri]

If it's inside the boat it doesn't need to be waterproof unless it's going to be down in the bilge.

[Christian Van H]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

Buy a covered bus bar terminal strip and crimp a fork connector on each wire, then attach with screws.

"11.16.3.4. Terminal connectors shall be the
ring or captive spade types."

The captive spades are the ones with the ends of the fork bent up to stop the fork from falling off if the terminal screw gets slightly loose...

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

If it's inside the boat it doesn't need to be waterproof unless it's going to be down in the bilge.

You may not have read Robbie Burns’ poem “To a mouse”, wherein he states that
“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

Water-resistant* is always appropriate on a boat.

I hesitate to tempt the gods to laughter, by using the term water-proof.

Originally Posted by Patrick_Seattle

A terminal block can be enclosed in a waterproof housing achieving the veritable unicorn of electrical connectivity!

What's a "unicorn of connectivity", and are we certain we wish one?

[capn_billl]

1. It is allowable to crimp two wires per connector, but as mentioned above problematic to waterproof.
2. If it is a connection that you have no need to remove; a solder joint covered in oxide inhibiter and heat shrinked is the best long term connection.
A terminal block is good for things that break like switches, etc..

[DeepFrz]

"11.16.4.1.11. No more than four conductors
shall be secured to any one terminal stud.

I think some of you may be mixing up "terminal studs" and bus bars. My recollection is that no more than 2 wires are allowed per screw on a bus bar but I can't remember where I read that. It has to do with the depth of thread.

Also, to add to the confusion of this thread, there may be bus bars that incorporate terminal studs, but I doubt they would be appropriate for the OP's purpose. They are usually meant for much larger cables carrying higher current. FWIW.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by capn_billl

...2. If it is a connection that you have no need to remove; a solder joint covered in oxide inhibiter and heat shrinked is the best long term connection...

Per ABYC 11.16.3.7.
"Solder shall not be the sole means of mechanical connection in any circuit.”