Every year there are more and more electrical appliances - coffee makers, kettles, air conditioners, boilers and many others. And every time we choose a device more powerful and impressive. It is clear that all this loads the home network and the first link that responds to the increase in consumer appetite is the connection of wires. If it is performed poorly, then this will be the root cause of numerous fires. But if the master knows how to properly twist the wires, then dangerous consequences can be avoided.
But at the same time, it should be understood that this is not a completely safe way to connect wires, but it does not lose its relevance.
Everything needs to be done right
Electricity is that area or even the wholescience, where there is no place for negligence and neglect of established standards and rules. Here it is necessary to do everything competently and responsibly. For this reason, many people prefer to figure out issues related to electricity on their own than to entrust this matter to strangers. After all, personal security directly depends on this, and no one is insured against scammers or illiterate specialists.
A lot also depends on the quality of the work done. And we are talking not only about personal safety, but also fire safety. If the connection is made unprofessionally, then sooner or later it will lead to a fire. And, in fact, here and a criminal case is within easy reach.
Of course, it will not be possible to completely abandon the twisting of electrical wires familiar to many masters. But you can at least learn how to do it right, following certain rules and requirements. But first, let's look at the most common mistakes that uninitiated "specialists" usually make in their field.
Error propagation
The most common mistake that most home craftsmen make is winding one wire onto another. This option is completely unacceptable! The cores of the wires should evenly wrap around each other. Due to this, reliable mechanical strength is ensured, and the passage of electric current is not accompanied by any problems. Ultimately, such a mount can last for decades.
An important factor is the length of the twist. Here, too, many make mistakes, making it very short. ATAs a result, the connection is simply broken. The minimum allowable length of twisting of electrical wires is 30 mm.
In other cases, it all depends on the thickness of the wire strands - and the larger the diameter, the longer the twist section should be. At the same time, there are no specific requirements for twisting, for obvious reasons. For this reason, each specialist makes his own decision regarding the method of connecting the wires.
Why is this method so good?
It is worth considering a number of obvious advantages that are still present when twisting wires. If there is a need to twist copper wires, then they can simply be soldered to each other, which will be more reliable. However, this much-needed skill is far from being well developed by everyone, because certain tactics are also required here. In addition, a soldering iron is not always at hand.
And it is worth noting that copper and aluminum conductors have one good property - flexibility. That is why twisting has become so popular among most home craftsmen. It is enough just to put them together and just twist them in neat turns. If the cores are small in diameter, then you can even do without the use of pliers. At the same time, in this way it is possible to connect not only electrical wiring, but also damaged television, antenna, telephone cables.
Another plus of twisting wires in a box or elsewhere is the high reliability of the connection without soldering. As for interference, the twisting of wires is practically notcauses, and if they happen, then in extremely rare cases. It also saves time as the connection is fast.
Types of twists
There are several ways to twist, and there are dozens of such schemes! It is only worth clarifying one important point - such a connection is applicable only to the same type of wires. Otherwise, special terminals or screw terminals must be used.
As for the types of such a connection, there are several main varieties:
- simple;
- bandage;
- grooving.
Moreover, each of these types can be parallel, serial and branched. The so-called subspecies. Simple twisting is widespread among home craftsmen and, as a rule, is used in domestic conditions. In this way, wires are often connected in a junction box. Selecting the right tool and using wire twist caps is all you need to get a good wire contact.
Bandage twisting is relevant for cores with a large diameter. Grooving is mainly used to securely connect aluminum wires. If it is made with a high degree of accuracy in the junction box, then the contact will be reliable.
In order to make each of these types of twists on your own, you need to have certain skills. At the same time, it is allowed to connect wires with a conductor cross section of not more than 10 mm in this way 2. In household junction boxeswires usually have cores with a cross section of 1.5 to 2.5 mm2.
When this method must be abandoned
We already have an idea of how to properly twist wires. Now it’s worth learning about certain cases when twisting is highly undesirable, in order to avoid various consequences. But as we know, regardless of the requirements of the PUE, twisting was, is and will be the most popular wire connection and is unlikely to be abandoned in the near future.
At the same time, the main drawback should be taken into account - over time, the fastening weakens due to the elastic residual deformation of the wire cores. In addition, it is in the place of twisting that the transition resistance increases, which inevitably leads to overheating of the cable and a broken connection.
However, if the twist is done correctly, then it can last a long time without causing concern. For this reason, if for various reasons nothing else remains, then such a connection can be preferred.
However, there are certain situations when you should not even think about how to twist the wires correctly:
- If the current in the electrical circuit exceeds 2-3 A.
- It is forbidden to twist wires that are laid on combustible materials.
- Electrician work should only be accepted when the wire connection is secured by soldering or welding.
- Those people whose work is connected with electricity as part of an individual business or with official duties, twisting is contraindicated!Otherwise, this may lead to liability, up to criminal.
The latter is mainly due to the fact that potential customers (if wires are connected by twisting them) are at a certain risk. To what - we already guess. After all, if a fire occurs, then all the blame falls on the conscience of an electrician who did not connect the wiring as it should.
How to connect the wires in the junction box?
Probably only the lazy one does not know what a junction box is and what it actually serves. From the electrical panel, wires go to all rooms of a private house or apartment. And each of them has several sockets and switches.
Therefore, in order not to overload the home electrical network, the load should be evenly distributed, dividing it into several lines. At the same time, the main wire stretches into each separate room and points (sockets, switches) are connected to it. This is where the junction boxes are needed, where the supply wires and consuming lines fit.
But the main task of this essential element of the electrical network is to ensure fire safety. By using junction boxes, the wires can be reliably isolated from combustible materials. In addition, by hiding the wires in them, the aesthetic appearance of the room is noticeably improved.
Now knowing the main function of this element, we can consider how to connect the wires injunction box.
Terminal blocks
The use of terminal blocks is relevant in many cases, including those when you need to connect wires from different metals (copper with aluminum). In this case, oxidation can be avoided. Just before buying these elements, you should find out the amount of current in the connected wires and the required number of mounting terminals in the block.
The installation process itself is very simple - you should cut the required number of sections, part of the insulation is removed from the wires, the cores are stripped, then they are inserted into the terminals and clamped with screws. It is not necessary to twist them with excessive force, it is enough that the cores are not pulled out.
The advantage of these elements is that any segment can be trimmed if necessary. In addition, this method allows you to get high-quality contact, which will be saved for a long period of time.
Twist
How to make a twist of wires? The main thing - do not forget that it is absolutely impossible to wrap one vein around another! Both electrodes should twist at once. In addition, soldering skills are additionally required here. Moreover, this method is suitable for connecting aluminum wires with copper wires.
To begin with, the insulation must be removed from the wire, and the cores themselves should be stripped to a metallic sheen. After that, you can connect the cores by twisting them. Next, it is not the metal that should be melted, but the solder, and it must be ensured that it flows into the twist. Then the connected wires must be processed withusing flux or rosin. After that, you can lower them into the solder bath, keeping them there for a while (a few seconds will be enough).
It is better to leave them to cool naturally, but it is by no means recommended to use water for this! In the end, it remains to hide the soldered twist under the electrical tape - for safety.
Press testing
A little later, a kind of apparatus for twisting wires will be considered. And before that, we will analyze one well-known, but also controversial way of connecting wires. It seems like it is very popular due to the fact that breaking contact or deforming it will not work. At the same time, there are some nuances associated with the choice of tool or sleeves.
The procedure itself consists in indentation or local compression. Before connection, both wires must be treated with a special lubricant, which reduces friction and the risk of damage. Then both cores are inserted into the sleeve from both sides until they touch. Moreover, this is done so that the docking point falls on the center of the sleeve.
Having made crimping with a special tool, it is imperative to isolate the connection.
Bolt connection
How can I connect copper and aluminum wires? Many home masters are interested in this question, because everything is not so simple here. But this method is quite suitable for this. This is a homemade type of connection that is no less effective than the methods already listed.
Most importantly, it is easy to implement, since everything you need is easy to find:
- bolt;
- nut;
- washers (3 pcs.);
- wrench;
- means of isolation.
To begin with, you should also remove some insulation from the ends of the wires, and then form loops from the cores according to the diameter of the bolt. The connection is made according to the following scheme:
- First, a washer is placed on the bolt.
- A loop of one of the wires is placed on top.
- Another washer is placed on top of the laid core.
- A loop of another wire is placed.
- Closed by the third puck.
- The final element of the whole scheme is the nut.
In this case, the nut should be tightened as much as possible, which will prevent loose wires and securely fasten them to each other. At the final stage, the entire circuit, for obvious reasons, must be covered with some kind of insulating material.
This method is good because the connected wires do not touch each other. It is for this reason that it is relevant in cases of connecting copper and aluminum wires.
Use of a screwdriver
A screwdriver can not only tighten fasteners, such a device is also suitable for twisting wires. There are three ways in which this can be done. In the first case, no additional devices are required.
As usual, to begin with, it is worth clearing the section of wires from insulation and stripping them. Twist the ends a little, put them into the cartridge of the device and clamp. Nowit remains to start spinning the screwdriver (by pressing the button, while keeping the speed light), holding the wire (you can use pliers). At the end, it remains only to cut off the ends.
For the second method of twisting wires with a screwdriver, one useful thing is useful - a bolt is threaded into the nut and fastened with a nut on the other side. At the same time, several small holes need to be drilled around it (no more than 5, since it is problematic to twist more strands).
In the screwdriver chuck, you should fix an already home-made fixture. Then the wire cores are inserted into the holes (preferably opposite each other) and then it acts in the same way - we turn on the device, which makes the necessary twist with its rotation. At the end, you should also bite off the remaining excess.
At the same time, it is worth noting that when using a home-made device for twisting wires, the connection is better - the cores are pressed tighter.
The third method involves the use of an insulating PPE cap. It, like the fixture above, is clamped in the screwdriver chuck. We are already familiar with the next steps - insert the cores into the PPE, turn on the device.
Conclusion
Despite the rather strict rules for electrical installations or PUE, twisting will enjoy well-deserved popularity for a long time, at least among home craftsmen. Of course, in industry, this connection method is not suitable for obvious reasons, since rather powerful equipment is used there.
In addition, rather thick wires are used in this area, which simply cannot be twisted. In other words, twisting by and large will be useful in everyday life. At the same time, one should not forget that the twisting of aluminum wires is prohibited by the rules of the PUE. However, in some cases, this method can also be used.
