Butt connectors for #10 stranded wire

[dadster3]

After 4 months of waiting on repairs, I finally got my in inverter/charger back. Wiring it back up uses #10 marine tinned stranded wire. Does anyone know where to find suitable butt connectors? I bought some like were on it originally, only to discover that those connectors were for solid wire and unsuitable. It seems stranded wire of the same gauge is slightly larger than solid wire in the same gauge. Does anyone know where to find suitable connectors for #10 stranded wire? I found some that looked like they would be perfect, but they don't seem to come larger than #12 wire. I think I could probably make permanent crimped splices, but I like being able to take them apart if I should need to in the future. The ones in the attached pic look like they would be perfect.

[SteveSails]

Yellow heat shrink crimp butt splices are for #10 - #12 wire. If you think you need to take them apart then use ring terminals and a terminal block with screws. The ones in the pic don't look very water resistant, but I could be wrong.

[HeywoodJ]

The Wago 221 series of "compact splicing connectors" is listed for use with up to 10AWG solid/stranded/fine stranded.

Easily terminate conductors from 24–10 AWG
Original model: 24-12 AWG
10 AWG model: 20-10 AWG
Connect solid, stranded and fine-stranded conductors

[dadster3]

The Wago style are an improvement on wire nuts, but I need to butt splice 4 wires, each with 3 wires so a connector that lets me connect the wire from the unit to the AC wiring is what I really need. As to waterproofing, the unit is on a shelf over the fuel tank. If the water in the boat gets that high I will have much bigger problems than a non-waterproof connection. I was/am more concerned about one of the lever accidentally popping open so I was thinking to slide some shrink tubing over the connector to make sure that doesn't happen. The Wagos will work but I would need 6 of them. For butt connectors I only need 2.

[HeywoodJ]

The Wago 221's are one of the few I know of that work with #10 stranded. They do come in 2,3,4, and 5-wire versions, so you can use one connector per phase. Don't know of any pass-through/butt type of the lever connectors that do the same thing (some are listed for #10 solid as you found, but not stranded).

Option B, terminal blocks, which it how some of our stuff is connected.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by dadster3

After 4 months of waiting on repairs, I finally got my in inverter/charger back. Wiring it back up uses #10 marine tinned stranded wire. Does anyone know where to find suitable butt connectors?

Butt connectors are often a kludge, in my view; it's better to have continuous wire runs, or make interconnections on a terminal strip or buss bar.

(Aside - I found that at the yellow size (#12 to #10AWG), that's where the difference between cheap and good crimp connectors stands out. The cheap ones have seams and they split when you crimp #10; the good splices are welded seamless and grab #10 wire much better. Pull tests proved this)

Those lever connector seem cool, but I don't know if I'd be comfortable with them at the currents running through #10 wire.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by dadster3

I think I could probably make permanent crimped splices, but I like being able to take them apart if I should need to in the future.

Just use crimped splices and cut them out and replace them if you need to. Leave enough extra wire to allow this.

[Putt-Putt]

Let me see if I have this straight.

You removed your inverter for repairs, for the rewiring you have to reconnect the 120 AC supply conductors (likely a 3 conductor, 10ga. cable) and the 120 V AC pass through (or inverter supplied) power of another 3 conductor 10 ga. cable to the short cable sections attached to the inverter that you created when you cut the original cable to remove the inverter. You want to do this with 6 plastic lever connectors or 2 butt connectors.
You have as you state 4 wires (cables), each with 3 wires (black,white,green?) in them. Is that about right? If not, please disregard most of the following.


It's likely 120 V. AC, the connection needs to be in an enclosure, at least drip proof and not over the fuel (don't care what kind of fuel) tank.

How you would do this with 2 butt connectors is beyond me.

It's your boat, it's up to you.. I urge you to call a Marine Electrician or better yet obtain some Professional advice/help and learn something.

Even Gretzky knew when to quit.

[Rough Magic]

I just did crimp splicing with #10 stranded. I used these from amazon. Wirefy #8.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Frankly]

I must confess some confusion about what the issue here is.

I have used crimped butt splices on stranded wire (marine and otherwise) for longer than I can remember (I turn 80 shortly). Of recent times I purchase insulated butt splices from the big box stores, blue for #12 and yellow for #10. Use a good set of crimp pliers, and if weather sealing is important remove the plastic insulators and use adhesive lined heat shrink.

Just last week I premptly respliced the power feed on my dock power (#10 THWN untinned) that I had spliced some 25 years back. The splices are normally dry (enclosed in RNC) but frequently submerged when we are visited by Hurricane tides. Original splices looked like Hell but still conducting electricity.


Frankly

[Mithril Bham]

Ancor heat shrink

[dadster3]

Thanks to all who offered their help. I'm going to go with the Waga 221s. If it doesn't workout I will go to crimpted splices. It's not going to be a particularly neat set up either way since there will be 6 nuts instead of just 2 if I could find the ones I want.

It seems that the marine industry is not particularly astute in incorporating new products, even for something as fundamental as wiring. There is an opportunity here for some hungry entrepreneur.

[Squanderbucks]

Are you sure you need butt connectors. Butt connectors are for joining two pieces of wire together. Typically you need some type of crimp on lug either with a suitable sized hole.
Often like a battery lug.
Places like marine stores sell them with heat shrink already attached or without and after crimping cover the crimped part with heat shrink tubing.

Often the 12 volt wires simply insert into the built in connection point and get secured with a screw that secures and compresses the stranded wire.

AC connections can vary but often have screw connections for Ring Terminal crimp on connectors.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by dadster3

Thanks to all who offered their help. I'm going to go with the Waga 221s. If it doesn't workout I will go to crimpted splices. It's not going to be a particularly neat set up either way since there will be 6 nuts instead of just 2 if I could find the ones I want.

It seems that the marine industry is not particularly astute in incorporating new products, even for something as fundamental as wiring. There is an opportunity here for some hungry entrepreneur.

Electrical codes for AC specify that connections must be mechanically secure. So I don't believe that the lever-type splices would get approval for AC connections, since they can be opened with a flick of the finger. The plastic housings could melt in heat, or be cracked by impact. Can they meet the same pull-test specs as crimps or other terminations?

For similar reasons, I want DC connections to be secure as well, so I don't think I'd use the lever connectors for anything other than low-current applications (eg LED cabin lighting) where additions or changes are more likely.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Electrical codes for AC specify that connections must be mechanically secure. So I don't believe that the lever-type splices would get approval for AC connections, since they can be opened with a flick of the finger...

Evidently, they’re [Wago connectors] UL 486C approved.
➥ https://www.wago.com/global/installa...2401#approvals
UL 486C ➥ https://standardscatalog.ul.com/Prod...oductId=UL486C

But, I don't like them for permanent wiring, either.