Can stranded and solid wires be connected reliably? A trick that a friend taught

  • Sep 27, 2021
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Can stranded and solid wires be connected reliably? A trick taught by an electrician friend

Hello dear subscribers and guests of the channel!

I don’t presume to call myself a professional electrician, but to connect a lamp or install a new outlet at home is within my power. Once I ran into a certain problem. I needed to install a power outlet in the hallway. For old memory, I bought a single-core rigid 2.5 mm cable.

Can stranded and solid wires be connected reliably? A trick taught by an electrician friend

Of course, I wanted to do everything faster, and therefore I bought a couple more Wagov terminals.

It seemed to me that the task was elementary, and I would not have any problems. But then I got into the junction box. After removing the insulation from the wires, an unusual twist was revealed to my eyes. It was then that I found myself in a dead end.

Such twisting is unacceptable.
Such twisting is unacceptable.

Stranded soft wires in the box were twisted with rigid single-core wires. Probably, the old tenants left me a similar surprise. Previously, it did not even occur to me that soft wires with several cores could be seen in the wiring.

Naturally, the terminals I bought turned out to be unsuitable for this connection. To twist together a single-core and stranded wire, which have different cross-sections, you need to use clamping terminals. Also, some perform crimping, but here you cannot do without a special tool.

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At first I had no ideas. I could not figure out how to make a reliable twist without using the terminals. Since the road to the store takes a very long time, I had to strain my brain.

At first I tried to make a regular connection. Nothing good came of this venture. The twist turned out to be unreliable. Leave it as it is - a short circuit could happen at any time.

I spent about two hours in agony and doubt, but smart thoughts did not want to enter my head. Then I went to help a neighbor. He used to work as an electrician and has already given me good advice on several occasions.

After listening carefully to me, the neighbor went to the barn and soon returned, clutching something in his fist. It turned out that he had brought bolts, nuts and washers.

It turned out that the correct answer lay on the surface. With these fasteners, stranded and solid wires can be twisted. The wire must be wound around the bolt, and then put on the washer. Repeat this action with the other wire.

Can stranded and solid wires be connected reliably? A trick taught by an electrician friend

Then we tighten the nut well. That's all! It remains only to insulate the wires and hide them in the box. The connection is reliable and durable.

Reliable and cheap twist
Reliable and cheap twist

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