How to solder two stranded wires

Engineering systems

When installing electrical wiring in buildings, one of the key points is wire switching. Very often it is necessary to connect stranded and solid wires. The differences in their structure determine certain switching features. If you do not take them into account, you will not be able to ensure a high-quality connection, which can cause serious problems. Therefore, you need to know how to connect a stranded wire to a solid wire correctly

Contents:

Why is it important to connect wires correctly?

The most vulnerable point of any wiring is the wire connections. If they are performed poorly, reliable contact is not ensured, which leads to a significant increase in the transient electrical resistance. As a result, the junction of the wires begins to heat up.

As is known, the resistance of an electrical conductor is directly dependent on its temperature. Therefore, heating the connection zone leads to an additional increase in resistance, which further increases the temperature increase.

Thus, if there is poor contact in the area where the wires are connected, a temperature limit can very quickly be reached at which the insulation begins to melt and a fire occurs.

In this regard, a poorly executed connection of single-core and stranded copper wires can cause a fire. In the most harmless case, the wiring may fail. However, repairs can be very problematic, since finding the location of damage in the wall is often very difficult. In such cases, it is often necessary to completely change the wiring or its problematic part.

Very often, in domestic conditions, contact connections are made by twisting. This is the simplest method that does not require the use of a special tool. A well-made twist provides a fairly low degree of transition connection. However, the problem is that such a connection is fixed only due to the elastic force of the twisted wires.

During operation of the electrical network, the connection will experience alternating temperature effects: under load it will heat up, after removing the load it will cool down. As a result, the twist, which does not have additional fixation, gradually weakens under the influence of temperature expansion. Over time, the contact becomes too poor and intense heating of the switching zone begins.

An additional problem is that twisting solid and stranded wires is very difficult. This is due to the difference in their hardness. Therefore, the contact may initially be of poor quality.

To avoid such problems, you need to know how to connect solid and stranded copper wire so that the transition resistance is minimal. This is achieved by pressing the conductors as tightly as possible and ensuring maximum contact area. In addition, the connection must be securely fixed.

Such switching is provided by the following methods:

• compression method;
• commutation by pressing;
• switching by soldering;
• connection by welding.

Let's take a closer look at each of these methods of connecting a stranded wire to a solid wire.

Wire connection by compression method

For this method, special terminals are used, with which switching is performed. This is the simplest of the correct connection methods, which provides much higher reliability than simple twisting of single-core and stranded wires. In this case, the method does not require large expenses, since the terminals used are inexpensive.

The most common switching device is the screw terminal. This is a brass tube sealed with polyethylene insulation. The wires to be connected are inserted into the tube from both sides, each of which is clamped with a separate screw. These terminals are best suited for switching solid copper conductors. When connecting aluminum wire, you need to tighten the screw carefully.

This metal is softer, so if the clamping force is exceeded, the wire can be crushed by the screw. In the case of connecting a stranded copper wire with a simple screw terminal, the screw can pinch and destroy part of the wires, which leads to a decrease in the cross-section and contact surface, and therefore to an increase in resistance.

To avoid this, it is recommended to use special lugs for copper wires.

Special screw terminals with a clamping pad are also used, which have a more complex design. The wire in them is pressed not by a screw, but by a metal plate. Due to its large area, destruction by squeezing individual wires or an aluminum core is eliminated.

Pressing method

The essence of the method is that the ends of the connected wires are inserted into a special sleeve made of soft metal. After this, the sleeve is clamped using pliers.

Before crimping a stranded or single-core wire with a sleeve, you need to choose the right type. Today the following types of sleeves are used:

• copper - for connecting copper wires to each other;
• aluminum - for connecting aluminum wires among themselves;
• brass - universal, allow you to connect copper and aluminum wires.

The method allows you to connect multi-core and single-core cables in any combination. The correct choice of sleeve is of great importance. It must be clamped with special crimping pliers, which allow you to apply the required force for reliable fixation.

Welding connection

The connection of single-core and stranded wires by welding, provided they are performed correctly, ensures maximum reliability and efficiency in electrical terms.

The essence of the method is that, using a special welding machine, the current-carrying cores of the connected conductors are melted. When the metal cools, a monolithic compound is formed.

In terms of its conductivity, it is not inferior to a solid conductor, since with this switching method there is no transition resistance. The connection made by welding can withstand mechanical loads well.

In this way, you can connect wires of almost any type with each other. The number of connected conductors can be any. However, it is important to know how to connect solid and stranded wire correctly. Installation by welding is performed after twisting the wires. Before twisting a stranded wire with a solid wire, it must be thoroughly cleaned.

After this, the end of the stranded wire should be processed with a welding machine. At the same time, it must fuse into a single whole. After this, the conductors are twisted together and their ends are melted with a welding machine to form a reliable and high-quality connection.

If installation is carried out without first melting a stranded wire, then its individual wires may burn out during welding, which will lead to a decrease in cross-section, and therefore an increase in resistance at the junction.

Solder connection

Soldering is one of the most popular switching methods. It also allows you to connect dissimilar wires together. Using this method, solid and stranded wire can be twisted and soldered to create a reliable, long-lasting connection that provides minimal contact resistance.

To solder the wires, they must first be treated with rosin. Before processing, you need to thoroughly clean the conductors. Stripping a stranded wire can be especially difficult, since for a quality connection it is necessary to remove the varnish insulation from each wire. An alternative option may be treatment with solder fat.

After the pre-treatment is completed, the stranded wire is tightly wrapped around the solid wire. The core of the latter is bent using pliers to pressurize the twist. The twisted wires are then treated with solder grease and solder to form the finished connection.

Another method involves treating wires with solder fat and rosin separately. After that, they are applied to each other and treated with solder. This type of connection will be easier to disconnect if the need arises.

Conclusion

Modern installation methods make it possible to make high-quality contact connections of single-core and multi-core wires. The choice of the optimal switching method depends on the conditions of installation work and operating conditions of the wiring.

Source: http://www.akruks.net/article/montazh/p489-soedinenie_mnogozhiljnogo_i_odnozhiljnogo_provoda/

How to connect a wire to a stranded conductor correctly, connection rules

A wire with a stranded core (stranded wire) is one of the most commonly used in electrical wiring, as it has sufficient elasticity and flexibility better than others, and the connections with it are strong and durable. The wire consists of many strands tightly intertwined and covered with a layer of insulation. This type of wire is used not only at home, but also in large-scale production.

If a person does not have special knowledge and skills during the installation of electrical wiring, then incorrect connection of these wires can lead to serious negative consequences. There are so-called “Electrical Installation Rules” (RUE), which clearly state that electrical wiring must be used in a residential area, which is made only with copper wires!

Stranded and single-core wires can only be connected using soldering, pressing, welding, or squeezing.

Let's take a closer look at each of these methods.

Soldering

Soldering is when wire strands are connected using straightened solder. Although this method requires special tools and consumables, it is widely used due to the fact that absolute electrical contact is obtained with this method. This type is used when moving sockets, switches, connecting several damaged wires, etc.

What you will need:

• Flux (rosin)
• Sandpaper
• Tin-lead solder
• Soldering iron

Advice! In order for the connection to last for a long time, immediately before soldering it is necessary to apply a bandage and wrap the connected parts with wires of a smaller diameter.

Stages of work:

1. The first thing that is required is to remove the insulation from the wire by about 40-50 mm.
2. Use sandpaper to polish the wires to a metallic shine.
3. We connect the wire cores using one of the options shown in the figure.
4. Place the solder on the soldering iron and heat the twist so that the molten solder flows into it.
5. After the soldering has hardened, you can wipe it with an alcohol solution.
6. Then the completed connection is isolated.

Note! During the process, and immediately after you have soldered the wires, do not pull them! They should remain motionless for 5-8 seconds until they harden. After the structure has hardened, the surface of the solder will acquire a matte color.

Pressing

One of the advantages of this method is the faster connection speed than soldering.

The pressing method involves the use of special sleeves, hollow from the inside, into which wires are inserted and then clamped with pliers. Sleeves can be aluminum, copper and brass. Aluminum is used with aluminum wires, copper is used with copper, and others are used for both types of wires.

When the sleeves are compressed, the wires are deformed and, rubbing tightly against each other, create the necessary electrical contact, and the junction becomes quite strong.

What you will need:

• Connection sleeve
• Special pliers

Stages of work:

1. Using a special knife, remove the insulation from the wire. Insulation is made along the length of the sleeve.
2. They do a twist.
3. Twisted wires are placed inside.
4. Then the sleeve is squeezed with pliers.
5. Insulation of the connection point.

Advice! To prevent oxidation of the wires, the connection point should be preserved with technical petroleum jelly.

Welding

Connecting wires using this method is superior to other methods, as it is the most durable and of the highest quality. The essence of this method is that the ends of the wire strands are melted using a welding machine, and upon subsequent solidification, these strands become solid, ball-like, which ensures a fairly strong and durable contact. Welding can be carried out using both direct and alternating current.

What you will need:

• Welding machine (power at least 1 kW)
• Carbon electrode
• Flux (it protects the melt from oxygen)
• Welding mask (goggles)
• Rubber gloves
• Cord brush

Stages of work:

1. We remove the insulation and thoroughly clean the conductors to a metallic shine.
2. We twist the wires and align them, cutting off the ends.
3. Pour flux into the recess of the electrode, then, lowering the twist, press it firmly to the electrode.
4. We turn on the welding machine and watch how the ends of the wires melt, turning into a ball.
5. Using a metal brush, you need to thoroughly clean the finished ball of flux.
6. We varnish and insulate the finished connection.

Compression connection

According to the PUE, the compression method is the connection of conductors using bolts and screws. This also includes the use of Wago self-clamping terminals.

Connection with bolts

This type of connection is quite simple, but at the same time not very strong. In order to increase the reliability of the connection, it is necessary to strip the ends of the insulation, then tin the sections and fasten them with a bolt or nut, placing a washer between them. Due to the fact that connection using bolts is quite cumbersome and not entirely aesthetic, it was replaced by another, more convenient method of clamping using screws.

Connection with screws

This method is used to join types of metals such as copper and aluminum. The screw terminal block is presented in the form of a brass tube with two holes and a thread into which screws are inserted, which firmly compress the wire placed in the tube. Due to their small size, screw terminal blocks are used when connecting wires in junction boxes.

Self-clamping terminal block Wago

This method is widely used both in production and at home due to the fact that, firstly, it is simple and easy to use, and secondly, it does not take much time.

In terminal blocks of this type, the wire snaps into the socket. With its help, you can simultaneously connect up to 8 wires at once. Some terminals already have a special contact paste applied to them, which prevents oxidation of the aluminum conductors.

Source: https://remboo.ru/inzhenernye-seti/elektrika/soedinit-provod-s-mnogoprovolochnoj-zhiloj.html

Solder without a soldering iron: principle of operation and tinning, making paste with your own hands, repairing headphones

Cold soldering is a valuable skill. There are many situations where being able to repair or modify electronics can really save your day. But most people don't carry a soldering iron, and even if you do have a soldering iron, you may not have access to electricity. How to solder without a soldering iron?

So today I'm going to show you how to solder using objects and tools you have around (and some solder).

Using the tinning method when soldering

How to properly solder with a soldering iron with acid

A quick way to solder wires is tinning. To do this, you can use an ordinary nail or a piece of copper wire, the end of which must be flattened with a hammer. Soldering is done as follows:

1. The ends of the wires, stripped of insulation, are twisted.
2. Flux is applied to the twist.
3. Solder is converted into powder using a file or needle file.
4. The flux on the twist is generously sprinkled with lead-tin chips.
5. A metal rod (nail, copper wire, etc.) is heated over an open fire. A gas burner or a blowtorch can be used for this.
6. The hot core is passed along the twisted wires until a tinned connection surface is obtained.

Using a homemade sting

To save money, many craftsmen decide to create a homemade tip. The operating principle of the soldering iron is quite simple:

1. There is a heating element that receives power from the power supply.
2. Heat is transferred to the sting, which has a pointed shape.
3. When the tip comes into contact with the material being processed, it heats up and becomes plastic.

You can make a homemade design as follows:

1. A piece of copper wire is required, which has a diameter of about 0.5 cm. A conductor can be used as a tip, one end of which is sharpened at an angle of 45 degrees. A small piece of fabric that is temperature resistant is also required.
2. One end of the cable is insulated. It will be used as a handle. Fiberglass is often used as an insulating material. Fixation is carried out using heat-resistant glue.

Homemade sting

Soldering without a soldering iron can be carried out using a fire source, for example, a gas stove. Using fire, the tip is heated, after which you need to touch the solder or rosin. Due to the use of a special material, the tip will become tinned and the tip can be used as a soldering iron.

Features of soldering in the groove

Soldering iron repair

Connecting both single-core and multi-core cables with a cross-section of 3 mm2 without soldering equipment is possible in an original way:

• twist the stripped ends of the wires;
• a piece of foil is bent so as to form an elongated bath;
• a twist is placed in it;
• Flux is applied to the stripped wires and tin powder is added;
• the foil is heated with an open flame from a lighter or other flame source;
• during heating, the twist is rotated around its axis;
• upon completion of soldering, the remaining foil is removed;
• the soldered twist is wrapped in shrink film and heated until a dense layer of insulation is obtained.

Hot Iron

A metal object is heated on an open flame, for example a gas burner, or simply in a fire. A thick paperclip or nail will do. The size is selected based on the thickness of the material being soldered. The improvised tip is red-hot, then pressed against the prepared soldering area.

Solder must be placed in the work area in advance . It will not be possible to solder it efficiently in one go, so the procedure should be repeated many times.

This video demonstrates a simple method of soldering wires using a regular candle.

Sun and magnifying glass

By concentrating the sun's rays with a magnifying glass, you can create a point with a temperature of up to 600 degrees. This is quite enough to melt the solder, provided several conditions are met. Firstly, the magnifying glass must be fixed , since an unstable point of concentration of solar energy will not create the required temperature. Secondly, this value (600 degrees) is only theoretical.

When heating a material with good thermal conductivity (in our case, copper wire), the heat will instantly dissipate. However, a magnifying glass with a diameter of 8-15 cm is quite suitable for extreme soldering. Of course, provided there is sun and a cloudless sky. The greatest effect is achieved at noon.

Short circuit

This method is used when connecting single-core electrical wiring to improve contact in the twist. It is based on the spot welding method. You can use a regular car battery.

Therefore, the cables that supply voltage must be of large cross-section. Care must be taken when working.

Wires are suitable for “lighting”, which motorists use to revive a dead battery. To solder a wire without a soldering iron using a battery, you need to briefly touch the terminals to the twist at a distance of 1-2 cm. The contact time should be no more than 1 second.

Otherwise, you can damage the battery and melt the soldered wire. The joint is pre-treated with flux, and a piece of solder is placed on it.

Soldering dishes or containers

Over time, metal utensils can rust. There is no need to rush to throw away a leaky pan; it should be sealed.

Soldering station - operating principle and types

How to do this without a soldering iron? There is a simple way to do this. For the sting you will need a piece of metal strip 30-40 mm wide and no more than 1 mm thick. This is something that can be used instead of a soldering iron. You also need to prepare a piece of lead-tin alloy, flux and a blowtorch or gas torch. The work is carried out in several stages:

1. The metal strip is cut so that it is convenient to hold it with your hand. This side of the strip is wrapped with heat-resistant material.
2. The second end is cut in the shape of the letter V. It is sharpened with a file.
3. The pan is turned upside down. Some material with a metal plate is placed under it so that the metal fits tightly from below to the hole in the bottom.
4. Use sandpaper to clean the surface around the hole.
5. Solder is cut into pieces ø 3-5 mm.
6. Flux is applied to the cleaned surface.
7. Then pieces of solder are placed around the hole.
8. The working end of the strip is heated over an open fire.
9. A homemade soldering iron is used to tin the repaired area of ​​the bottom of the pan.
10. After cooling, the solder is polished with emery.

Note! To solder dishes and various containers for preparing food, you need to use a food alloy, which consists of 90% tin. This metal is absolutely harmless to human health.

Tinning without a soldering iron

To improve the contact of wires and increase the quality of soldering, preliminary application of solder to the places of the elements to be connected is used. This technology is called tinning and can also be carried out without using a soldering iron. To do this, you need a small container, which can be used as any metal lid from a jar.

The wires are prepared and the insulation is removed from the ends that are subject to tinning. Rosin and tin-lead solder are placed in the container. Next you will need to heat the contents over a fire. The bare and stripped ends of the wire are dipped into boiling rosin, and then into a mass of tin for a few seconds. After removing the wires, you must immediately remove excess solder using a soft rag so that the procedure leaves a thin, uniform layer.

If the purpose of tinning is not wiring, but the repair of dishes or other non-steel surfaces, then the container will not be suitable. The work is carried out directly on the part. To do this, solder with rosin is planed onto the processing site and subjected to heating from the bottom. Afterwards, the contents are ground, and the excess is removed with a rag. To obtain a high-quality result, it is recommended to treat the surface with a special acid. Now the tinned parts are ready for soldering.

Solder paste for soldering without a soldering iron

Solder paste includes flux and solder. This is very convenient when soldering without a soldering iron. There is no need to tinker with these two components separately. It is enough to apply the paste once to the junction of the wires and then heat it to the melting temperature of the solder.

Solder paste consists of metal powder, flux, and fixative (an adhesive substance to hold the alloy in a liquid state within the soldering area). The paste contains tin and lead powder with the addition of silver. The proportions of the composition vary depending on the purpose of the product.

Soldering with a lighter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2J-6t4Rfb0

When heated, the flux instantly evaporates, the solder firmly and tightly covers the entire twist of wires. The result is high quality soldering. The applied composition allows you to do without soldering irons and soldering stations.

For food soldering, it is recommended to use the following brands of pastes: POS 63, POM 3 and others. Paste soldering is used to work with microcircuits, where instead of soldering irons, thin metal rods are used, heated by external heat sources.

Source: https://instanko.ru/drugoe/kak-pripayat-bez-payalnika.html

How to connect stranded and solid wires - and do it correctly

We connect single-core and stranded wires

How to connect a single-core and stranded wire so that this does not lead to problems in the future, and the contact connection serves us for many years? And in general, how to properly connect different types of wires?

We will try to answer all these questions in our article, and we will also analyze what such rules are associated with and what dangers are hidden behind an incorrect connection.

Why contact connections must be made correctly

First of all, let's look at what the requirements for high-quality contact connections are related to. It is not without reason that clause 2.1.21 of the PUE separately stipulates methods for connecting wires, and allows only screw or bolt clamps, crimping, welding or soldering.

Poor contact is the main cause of fires

• This is primarily due to the fact that these types of connections can provide the required level of durability and reliability of the connection. After all, any electrician will tell you that more than 90% of all damage occurs at contact connections, and that is why so much attention is paid to them.
• After all, what is a poor-quality contact connection is a connection that has a high contact resistance. And since we have resistance, this means heating.

Dependence of resistance on conductor temperature

• As we remember from the physics course, any conductor in a heated state has greater resistance than a conductor with a lower temperature. Therefore, an avalanche-like process results. A poor-quality contact connection causes the conductor to heat up and its resistance increases even more. As a result, it heats up even more until it reaches the point where it simply melts.
• As a result, our main task is to ensure minimum resistance between the two conductors being connected. This is achieved by ensuring the proper area of ​​contact between the two conductors, as well as by ensuring the maximum possible contact between them.
• Let's immediately look at why we will not consider the question of how to twist single-core wires or their multi-core counterparts. Indeed, with the right approach, and through twisting, it is possible to ensure a sufficient area of ​​contact and compression of the conductors with each other.

Twisting is prohibited

• The fact is that in any case, the contact connection will be subject to temperature influences. That is, it will heat up and cool down. And as we know, heating leads to expansion of materials, and cooling, accordingly, to contraction. As a result, our contact connection, which is not fixed by any third element, can quickly become of insufficient quality.

Note! Surely each of you can give dozens and hundreds of examples where twisting has lasted for decades, and even now looks better than screw or bolt connections.

But, as they say, exceptions to the rule only confirm the rule itself. According to statistics, twisted joints are damaged much more often than other types of joints.

Correct connection of conductors

Now we can talk about how to correctly connect a single-core and stranded wire, two single-core or two stranded wires. And also, which type of connection for each of these types will be optimal, and which should be used only with certain restrictions.

Connection using the compression method

By compression method, PUE means screw or bolt connection of conductors. The same type of connection includes the now popular Wago terminals, which use the compression method through the use of springs or special mechanisms.

Different types of terminals and lugs for connecting wires

• At the moment, the compression method is one of the most popular joining methods. After all, the price of terminals based on this method is one of the lowest. The installation process is simple and does not require additional equipment, and the method itself is quite reliable.

Note! Here and below we give examples of connecting conductors of small cross-sections, up to 16 - 25 mm2.

For larger cross-section wires, these rules are not always suitable - or they have their own nuances.

• For wires of small cross-section, the screw connection method is predominantly used - or the compression method using a special mechanism. The essence of the screw method is that two conductors are installed in a brass tube, which are then each clamped with its own screw.
• This method is well suited for connecting two single-core copper conductors. If aluminum is used, then this material is softer, and when clamping it with a screw, you can either critically reduce its cross-section or completely crush it. Therefore, for aluminum wires, the use of this method is undesirable, or it should be used with extreme caution.

In the photo - a tip for a stranded wire

• Using a screw clamp to connect multi-core wires is also associated with the possibility of breaking individual wires that make up the conductor in whole or in part during the process of tightening the screw. To protect the wires from mechanical influences, special tips should be used.
• Using special lugs, stranded wires can be connected both to each other and between single-core wires using screw terminals.

Screw terminals with clamping pad

• There are screw terminals with a special clamping pad, which provides clamping over the entire cross-section of the brass tube. In this case, the use of special lugs for stranded wires is not necessary.

• As for Wago terminals and the like. There is still debate among electricians about their reliability and durability. Some argue that using springs in terminals is not the best option, others that it is very convenient and the springs are quite reliable.

Note: Experience carried out personally by the author of these lines confirms the reliability of such terminals under conditions of increasing current. But I cannot say how such terminals will behave over time. But be that as it may, such terminals make it possible to ensure contact of wires of any type quite reliably, quickly and efficiently.

Connection by pressing method

The instructions also provide for connection using the pressing method. This method requires the presence of a special tool - pliers. This tool comes in manual and hydraulic types. For small cross-section wires, hand-type pliers are sufficient.

Sleeves for pressing wires

• Special sleeves are used for pressing. These sleeves can be aluminum, copper or brass. The first, respectively, are used for aluminum wires, the second for copper, and the third for connecting both copper and aluminum wires.

Wire crimping pliers

• For connections, the same lugs can be used as for connecting stranded wires to screw terminal blocks. They are usually used if it is necessary to connect several wires in front of the terminal block.

Pressing of stranded wires

• The pressing method can be used to connect any wires: single-core, multi-core, or a combination of both. The main thing here is to correctly determine the type of sleeve and the pressure force.

Welding connection

Connecting wires using the welding method is one of the most reliable. At the same time, it is quite difficult to implement it with your own hands due to the need for a special welding machine.

Connecting wires by welding

• The essence of this method is that the ends of the conductor strands are melted using a welding machine. When they harden, they form a single whole and provide reliable contact.

Wire welding machine

• You can connect an almost unlimited number of conductors at one point in this way, which is an undoubted advantage. At the same time, connecting single-core and multi-core conductors to each other is fraught with certain difficulties.
• If no special work is required to connect single-core and stranded wires to each other, then to connect these two types of conductors to each other you will have to perform several additional operations.

Welding stranded wires

• In this case, you need, as shown in the video, to first melt the end of the stranded conductor so that it becomes a single whole. And after this, the termination is connected to a single-core conductor. Otherwise, you may experience burnout of individual conductors of a stranded wire, and only partial connection of the conductors with each other.

How to connect two wires without soldering - electrician's advice - Electro Genius

In the life of every person, situations may arise when he needs to connect certain wires with each other.

There are a huge variety of methods on how this can be done. This is worth talking about in more detail.

How to connect wires in a box

Very often a situation arises when a person needs to connect wires in a junction box. Here you can use several widely used connection methods at once.

You can use the most ordinary twist. Many experts say that this connection method is the best. To connect with a twist, the wires must be properly stripped and then twisted in the appropriate colors.

That is, phase must be connected to phase, zero to zero, and ground to ground.

There are other methods. For example, plastic terminal blocks can be used to connect wires in a box. They are sold in every store that has this line of business.

They are made of plastic so they can be separated easily and easily. In this case, you will need three pairs of contacts. Here, wires from one cable are also inserted on one side, and wires from another cable on the other.

You can also press the wires in pairs. For these purposes, you will have to purchase special press-fit fasteners. They are made of metal. For pressing, you can use a special tool, or you can use ordinary pliers.

How to connect wires in a socket

Quite often people think about the question of how to properly connect the wires in an outlet. There's really nothing complicated about it. Everything is quite simple and clear.

First you need to open the outlet. There are often three wire mounts here. One of them is intended for underground. This is where you should twist the yellow-green wire from the cable.

Next, you need to connect the two wires that remain. One of them is zero, and the second is phase. How exactly to connect them does not matter, because we are talking about alternating voltage.

The wires are connected using a bolted connection. Sometimes you need to connect an additional cable to an outlet that will go to another outlet or switch. In this case, you should do things a little differently.

Here you need to tuck the wires from one cable under the corresponding bolt, and then tuck the wires from the other cable under the bolt. After this, tightening is done.

Moreover, the tightening should be done to the maximum. In this case, the contact will be good, which means that the wiring will serve faithfully for many years.

After this, the socket is assembled. Most often this is done using a screw connection. In principle, the work can be considered completed.

How to connect thin wires

With thin wires, there may be some problem during the connection process. Yes, of course, the best way in this case is soldering, but you can do without it.

To connect two thin wires together, you can use twisting. Here this connection method is also acceptable. However, twisting should be done as carefully as possible.

Thin wires must not be live. At the same time, they are twisted and then additionally insulated with high quality using heat shrinkage. This method is also considered quite effective.

You can go another way. In this situation, you can use a terminal block. However, it must be significantly smaller in size than that used to connect phase wires.

Everything is quite simple here. Pairs of contacts are connected to the terminal block according to color and then tightened firmly using a bolt. It is also a fairly common method that is used everywhere in relation to thin wires.

Source: https://orenburgelectro.ru/baza-znanij/kak-soedinit-dva-provoda-bez-pajki-sovety-elektrika.html

How to connect two wires without soldering

It is clear that you can connect two or three wires together by soldering them, but this is the most difficult way, because you need a soldering iron, socket, solder, flux. Of course, the easiest way to connect wires is to twist them. If you know how to do it correctly, such a connection can be quite mechanically strong and provide good electrical contact. Check out the photo below. It shows the method used to join cables together with high mechanical strength.

This method however has its drawbacks. Making such connections is very tedious, especially if there are to be many of them in an electrical installation.

In addition, the length of the cable used for connection is long, which indicates how much less wires we will need for installation if there are really a lot of such connections, or how much we will have to pay to connect the system.

What is important is that under no circumstances can such connections be made under voltage, which sometimes cannot be turned off and you have to work under current.

Precautionary measures

Wires often vary in size and type of conductor. The thinnest wire in the entire system must be able to carry the maximum current that flows in the circuit. In addition, the connection between two wires can further increase the series resistance, especially if it is not a good one or, for example, it does not match the diameter of the wire. This can cause the connection to overheat, which is often observed by inexperienced electricians.

Depending on the voltage and current, different standards apply for these types of connections. These standards exist for a reason, and if you ignore them, you are doing the job at your own peril and risk. Sometimes it ends in a very unpleasant way. A typical example is the possibility of a fire due to the use of an unsuitable electrical connector, even if the connector is located in a completely different location than the fire that occurred.

Now let's look at the most popular and frequently used cable connectors for connecting electrical wires together.

Electrical terminal block

If you want to connect several different electrical circuits together, you can use an electrical terminal block as shown in the figure. The topic of terminal blocks is very broad - this is a huge group of connectors that would be difficult to cover within one article, so let's just study the photo - most of us have already had the opportunity to use this type of connection when installing chandeliers and lamps.

Nuts for cables

These types of connectors (Molex 0191600039) come in a variety of colors and sizes. They are very popular in electrical installations in different countries. They are used for connections in the indoor energy network. Such a nut consists of a truncated cone made of insulating material with a thread inside.

Using this connection is simple - take two insulated ends of the cord, insert them into the cone and twist. This nut makes it easy to connect even very different wire diameters, and also allows you to connect two, three or four wires at the same time.

Provided that all bare conductors are contained within an insulated cone, the connection is completely insulated. However, the connector itself is not very durable and a strong tug may cause it to come loose, which means you should consider whether there might be any mechanical stress in that area.

The good thing about this connector is that you can unscrew it to make changes if you wish.

Wago quick connector

The quick connector (Wago 221) shown in the photo is designed to connect two wires together, but they are available in versions with five simultaneous connections. The insulated cable ends are placed into connectors that snap into place by pressing a lever.

Useful: VAZ cooling fan connection diagram

The lever makes it very easy to attach and unfasten the connector - the connection can be reused several times. Additional accessories for Wago connectors are also available, which allow, for example, the entire connector block to be permanently mounted in the housing.

Spade terminals

Anyone who knows about car wiring has seen what spade terminals look like. Here are photographs depicting such a connector: there is a male version (Panduit DNF18-250-M) and a female version (Panduit DNF14-250FIM-M).

Terminals of this type are clamped onto insulated wires using a special device - a crimping tool. Connectors are available in a wide range of insulation colors. Very often the color is also an indicator of the recommended wire thickness at which the terminal should be crimped.

Typically, part of this connection is attached to the relay or other device block, and the other part is slipped over it and located on the cable, but there are also simple crimp connectors.

When using it, make sure that the entire connection is completely isolated. Special insulating gaskets make this quite reliable. Connectors of this type provide a fairly high resistance to accidental disconnection, even for high tensions.

Plug crimp connectors

These connectors use the same crimping and insulating tools as spade terminals, butt connectors (such as the Phoenix Contact 3240061 connector) are often found in the same manufacturer series as automotive terminals.

This connector is simply a metal tube (sometimes insulated) in which the stripped end of one wire is placed at one end of the tube, crimped, and repeated for the other wire on the other side.

Bullet connectors

The specified connection is not separable. This connection is often heard in the English name: Bullet Connector. The photo shows a pair of Panduit connectors: EBV18-4MB-Q and EBV18-4B-Q.

This type of connection consists of a metal tube in which the cable is clamped on one side, resembling a bullet (sometimes with additional insulation), and on the other, a similar tube into which the so-called “bullet” enters. An electrical wire is also connected to the second tube.

Scotchlok connector

Sometimes it is necessary to use an unbroken cable for connection. Of course, you can always cut it and make, for example, a three-way connection. There is a practice for this, which consists of removing a small section of the insulation of the wire and wrapping it with another. However, a much better solution is available - Scotchlock couplings, shown in the picture.

This connector has two tracks. One of them slides along the main wire (insulated), and the other for the butt wire.

The entire connector on both wires is covered, which may require the use of pliers, especially with larger gauge wires or thicker insulation.

When closing the connector, a special knife is pressed into the insulation, which, after passing through it, touches the inner conductor, closing both wires located in the element. This type of technology (with cut contact insulation) is called IDT.

IDT Butt Connectors

Now that we have already presented one type of IDT connector, we will learn about several more connectors of this type. The photo shows an example of an IDT butt connector (Keystone 8377). There are many series of connectors of this type, such as the i-Clamp Keystone shown or the Coolsplice series from TE Connectivity.

Very convenient pedal type connectors, considered one of the most modern.

Fittings connectors

There are also such connectors as fittings. Fully insulated, which means you can work under voltage if necessary.

Summarizing

For all the connection options described above, it is important to remember that some of them - for example, terminal strips or nuts - are universal and very popular, while others are specialized, that is, they serve a specific application. We always need to think carefully to choose the right connector for connecting wires in an electrical network or other installation that we are repairing or creating. And if in doubt, ask in the comments and we will try to clarify the question.

Source: https://2shemi.ru/kak-soedinit-dva-provoda-bez-payki/

How to properly connect stranded wires to each other

In stranded wires, the cross-section is formed by several, sometimes intertwined, cores. Knowing how to connect stranded wires to each other, you can easily do this work yourself and get a strong contact that is absolutely safe during operation.

Where are stranded wires used?

Any stranded conductor contains at its base a large number of thin wires. The use of a multi-core cable is important in areas that require a large number of bends or, if necessary, to pull the conductor through holes that are too narrow and long enough.

The scope of application of stranded conductors is presented:

• extended tees;
• mobile lighting devices;
• automotive wiring;
• connecting lighting fixtures to the electrical network;
• connecting switches or other types of levers to influence the electrical network.

Flexible stranded conductors can be twisted repeatedly and easily, which does not negatively affect the functionality of the system. Among other things, this particular type of electrical wiring is distinguished by plasticity, and greater flexibility and elasticity is imparted to the wire by weaving a special thread, which in strength and composition is a bit like nylon.

Methods for connecting stranded wires to each other

The methods used today for electrical connections of stranded conductors are distinguished by the ability to obtain not only strong, reliable and durable, but also completely safe contact of the conductors.

Stranding of stranded conductors

This option is the easiest to implement and intuitive, not requiring the use of special equipment or professional tools.

Twisting is the easiest way to connect stranded wires

1. Strip the conductors at the ends of the conductors from the insulating layer and place them on top of each other. Twist the exposed strands overlapping each other.

   Before connecting the wires, the ends must be cleaned

2. Strengthen the twist using pliers. Simple parallel twisting is quite reliable from the point of view of contact between the cores, but vibration and mechanical forces applied to break can easily destroy the strength of such a connection.

   Use pliers to twist the wires together

The second method consists of the following steps:

1. Strip the conductor cores from the insulating layer and place them on top of each other crosswise.

   Peel the insulating layer of the wires and stack the wires on top of each other

2. Wrap one bare wire around the other over the entire surface.

   Wrap one wire around another

   Wrap the wires

3. Visually verify the strength of the winding. Using simple or traditional twisting, the electrical connection of additional conductors to the main, leading electrical wiring line is carried out.

Twisting wires using the third method:

1. Remove insulation from the ends of the conductors. Place the bare ends on top of each other and wind the first core.

   Place the wires on top of each other

2. Wind the second core, then visually verify the reliability of the connection. The sequential twisting method involves “winding” each connected conductor onto another, which ensures optimal contact of the cores.

   Wind one of the cores

   In this method, one wire is “wound” around another

There is also a fourth method, which is as follows:

1. Using a sharp knife, strip the ends of the conductors from insulation and align them along the length.

   Align the wires in length

2. Bend the connected stripped ends and wrap them with a piece of another core.

   Twist the folded strands with a piece of conductor

3. Perform a visual inspection of the connection and make sure it is secure. Band twisting consists of parallel application of the connected cores to each other and subsequent fixation of the resulting connection using a tightly laid soft conductor.

   Bandage twisting ensures a reliable connection of cores

Soldering method

Soldering the conductors using a household soldering iron ensures high-strength contact and good electrical conductivity. Tinning of stranded conductors is carried out using rosin (flux) and standard solder using standard technology.

1. Strip the wires of insulation and remove any resulting oxidation if necessary.

   Remove all oxidation from the wires

2. Heat the wires with a soldering iron tip until the flux melts and immerse the heated wire in a container with rosin.

   Heat the wire with a soldering iron and immerse it in rosin.

3. Apply molten solder to the soldering iron tip and carefully transfer it to the exposed parts of the core. After tinning, the wires should be connected to each other by twisting, which must be “tightened” with pliers.

   Tighten the twist with pliers

Terminal type connections

The use of terminals of different types is the most accessible way to connect multi-core wires in everyday life. In most cases, the terminal blocks used are divided into a couple of main types.

The principle of operation of clamping terminals involves fixing the wire using a built-in spring mechanism.

Terminals are often used to connect wires

The screw-type terminal block involves reliable fixation of all connected stranded wires using a screw. To increase the area of ​​wire contact with a conductive surface, an additional bend of the core is required.

The wires in the terminal block are secured by tightening the screws

Stage-by-stage execution of work:

1. Strip the ends of the conductor and align them in length according to the depth of the terminal block.

   Align the wires in length

2. When connecting more than one conductor to the terminal block at the same time, you must first connect the wires by parallel twisting.

   First you need to twist the wires

3. Check the reliability of the twisting and then fix the wires in the connector hole.

   Fix the wires

Crimping method

The crimping method involves connecting wires or cables using a copper or aluminum sleeve using special crimping pliers of a hydraulic or manual type.

In this case, the connection is made using a special sleeve

The pressing technology involves stripping the insulation according to the length of the sleeve, and conductors that are too thin should be connected by twisting. Then all the cables are folded together and placed inside the sleeve, after which double crimping is performed along the entire length. The method allows for a reliable and safe connection of multi-core wires made of different types of materials.

Bolted connection

The simplest, but not reliable enough way to connect stranded wires is twisting followed by bolting. This detachable connection option is most often used in open wiring conditions.

Bolted connection is the simplest, but not very reliable

To increase the level of reliability of the connection of stranded wires, it is recommended to strip the ends of insulation, then tin the cleaned areas and fasten them with a bolt.

Application of connecting insulating clamps

PPE elements are used when it is necessary to connect multi-core wires with a small cross-section (within 25 mm2). The design feature of this clamp is a plastic body with a built-in cone-shaped spring.

This method is suitable for connecting wires with a small cross-section

Stranded wires are first connected into one bundle using twisting, onto which the clamping part is then screwed. Among other things, the wire connection does not require additional insulation.

Welding method

A permanent connection is the most reliable method when working with multi-core wires. When welding is performed correctly, the general indicators of mechanical strength and contact resistance in terms of reliability do not differ from similar parameters of a solid conductor.

Welding connection of wires is considered the most reliable

Welding can be performed on alternating and direct current. At the preparatory stage, the wires are stripped of insulation, after which they are twisted and straightened by trimming the ends. To ensure that the conductors do not overheat during the welding process, it is necessary to ensure high-quality heat removal.

Security measures

In order to ensure safe operation of connected stranded wires, it is important to insulate all parts of the electrical wiring.

Proper insulation helps prevent dangerous contact of conductive parts with each other or with the human body.

When choosing an insulating material, it is necessary to take into account the operating conditions of the electrical circuit, but in most cases, insulating tape, as well as a special vinyl or heat-shrinkable tube, are used for this purpose.

If the connection area is exposed to the negative effects of high temperatures, it is recommended to use varnished cloth or fabric insulating tape as an insulating material.

Correct execution of all stages of electrical installation is of no small importance.

Only with reliable connection and proper connection of all elements of the electrical network is it possible to minimize the risk of areas with poor contact, and also prevent local overheating and electrical wiring breaks.

Multicore cables are a popular and widespread option, widely used for arranging electrical wiring for various purposes. The general rules for the separate connection of stranded and single-core conductors do not have any differences or features, therefore it is allowed to use twisting, screw clamps, PPE elements, welding and soldering for this purpose.

Source: https://aqua-rmnt.com/ehlektrosnabzhenie/kak-soedinit-mnogozhilnyie-provoda-mezhdu-soboy.html

How to solder thick copper wires

Soldering is the primary method of electrical and mechanical joining of both parts and wiring. But despite the apparent simplicity of the process, soldering is quite complex and painstaking. That is why, before picking up a soldering iron, you need to have a good idea of ​​what, why and, most importantly, how to solder wires.

Tools and accessories

Soldering, like any other technical process, involves the use of certain tools and accessories. You will need a few tools: a soldering iron, a knife, pliers, a file, sandpaper.

There are even fewer accessories - soldering flux and alcohol or gasoline are enough. Nevertheless, all of these are important components of the process and the choice of both must be taken extremely seriously.

Both the mechanical and electrical reliability of the soldered joint will depend on the quality of the soldering iron and the availability of the necessary accessories.

Selecting and preparing a soldering iron

This is perhaps the most crucial stage. A poorly chosen or improperly prepared tool will not produce high-quality soldering.

Power and type

The main criterion for choosing a soldering iron is its power. The industry produces instruments with power from 10 to 200 W and higher. The former can be the size of a fountain pen, the latter look like a natural hammer of impressive size.

Electric soldering irons with a power of 30 (left), 60 and 200 W.

All that remains is to decide which soldering iron to choose for soldering wires. Here everything will depend on the operation being performed, or more precisely, on the thickness and massiveness of the parts that need to be soldered. The more massive the parts, the greater the heat capacity the tool should have. An approximate dependence of the recommended soldering iron power on the task being performed can be presented in the following table:

• 15-25 W – small radio elements, microcircuits, conductors with a diameter of up to 0.3-0.5 mm;
• 30-40 W – large radio elements, wires with a diameter of up to 1 mm, including multi-core ones;
• 40-60 W – fairly large parts, conductors with a diameter of up to 2 mm;
• 100 W – massive parts, wires with a diameter of up to 3-4 mm;
• more than 100 W – power wiring with a diameter of more than 4 mm.

If you don’t have a soldering iron with the necessary characteristics at hand, you can take a slightly larger one in power, but not vice versa. With a massive device, it is possible to solder thin wires with a certain skill, but with a small and low-power thick one, it is almost never possible. Ideally, your household will have several electric soldering irons of varying power.

But what to do if there is no soldering iron of the required power or if it does not exist in nature at all? Trying to solder busbars into a pencil thick with a 100-watt soldering iron? In no case! In this situation, regular fire will help.

Place the parts prepared for soldering, for example, in the flame of a household gas burner or alcohol lamp and solder. Additional heating will help to perform high-quality soldering even with low-power tools.

The only thing is, when heating the wires over an open flame, do not overdo it - a little additional heating is enough.

Separately, it is worth noting the so-called “pistol” or pulse soldering irons, which were widely used, and even today are in service with craftsmen on the road.

A modern version of a pistol soldering iron.

At first glance, the advantages of such a device are obvious - it heats up instantly and cools down just as quickly. But this feature is convenient only for a narrow circle of specialists - on-call specialists. He came, took it out of the suitcase, poked it, put it in the suitcase, took the money and left. But anyone who has seriously worked with such soldering irons knows very well their shortcomings.

The device is literally too heavy to lift, does not maintain the optimal temperature, and the shape of the tip, which burns catastrophically, is extremely inconvenient. As a result, soldering with a similar tool with a wire loop instead of a tip can be characterized by the phrase “ugh, looks like I’m drooling.” A pistol electric soldering iron is at least suitable for repairing a Record tube TV, and a Whirlwind vacuum cleaner, but nothing more. There can be no question of high-quality soldering, especially of wires.

Sharpening and servicing the tip

After the soldering iron is selected, it must be prepared - sharpened and tinned the tip. There are many types of sharpening tips:

Unified forms of soldering iron tip sharpening

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRHLv23JFv4

Which one to choose depends on your personal preferences and habits. For soldering wires, the most optimal sharpening points are Nos. 3, 4 and 5. After sharpening with a regular file, the tip must be immediately tinned - covered with a layer of solder.

Why do you need to do this? Briefly, the soldering process is as follows: a drop of solder is applied to the tip of a heated tip, which is subsequently transferred to the parts being soldered.

But how to work with a finger tip, the untinned tip of which is covered with copper oxide and is absolutely not wetted by solder?

So, if the tool tip is sharpened or simply cleaned to a copper shine, it’s time to move on to servicing. To do this you will need regular soldering rosin and a piece of solder. Plug in the electric soldering iron and slowly, without pressing, rub the cleaned area with a piece of rosin. As the soldering iron heats up, the rosin will begin to melt and cover the tip with a thin layer.

Quickly put the rosin aside and pick up the solder, trying to “paint over” the area covered with rosin with it. As the soldering iron continues to heat up, the solder will also begin to melt and spread evenly over the tip. The operation can be considered completed. If nothing works on the first try, do not despair - cool the soldering iron (it is useless to clean the hot tip - it will immediately oxidize), repeat the cleaning and tin again.

Tool temperature

All that remains is to select the optimal tip temperature. There is an opinion that the greater the power of an electric soldering iron, the higher the temperature of its tip. This is absolutely false! Only the thermal capacity of the tool, and therefore its ability to warm up the soldering area, depends on the power. For the same reason, the higher the power of the soldering iron, the larger and thicker its tip.

As for the temperature of a soldering iron of any power, it is the same and should be such that, on the one hand, the solder easily melts, collecting a drop at the tip of the tip, and on the other, the rosin does not burn with the characteristic smell of burning resin.

When soldering wires with a soldering iron with an underheated tip, you will not be able to properly heat the joint, and when working with an overheated tool, rosin or any other flux will burn faster than it has time to perform its functions.

In both cases, you will end up with soldering, which installers call “slobbery.”

Usually, special devices are used to change the temperature of the soldering iron - voltage regulators. But if you do soldering only from time to time, you can get by with more budget-friendly, but quite effective methods. In order to slightly reduce the temperature of the tip, simply loosen the locking screw on the device body and slightly move the tip out of the body.

As a result, a small part of the tip, which was previously inside the heating element, will be outside and, instead of being heated, will be cooled by the surrounding air.

If the temperature of the soldering iron is insufficient, perform the opposite operation - push the tip deeper. Despite its apparent simplicity, this method is very effective.

Soldering flux

In order for soldering to be of high quality, the solder must firmly adhere to the part being soldered and moisten it. But when heated, almost any metal intensively oxidizes and is absolutely not wetted by solder.

Even if you manage to depict something using a soldering iron and one solder, such soldering, called “cold” soldering among experts, will not provide either good contact or mechanical strength.

An example of cold soldering can be considered a photo, which on many information resources for some reason is an example of exceptionally high-quality and correct work:

Source: https://crast.ru/instrumenty/kak-pajat-tolstye-mednye-provoda

How to solder stranded wires

Soldering wires is an integral procedure for installing electrical wiring. High-quality soldering, fastened wires in the distribution box, correct twisting - all this will allow you to create durable electrical wiring.

For a reliable and durable connection of wires, soldering is most often used.

Today, electrical conductors that are made of wire are often used. Such a device is made of copper or aluminum. It is worth noting that the quality and service life of copper wires make them the most beneficial for users, despite how much the material costs.

Electrical wiring can be connected in various ways. The main ones are the following:

Read about repairing a hydraulic jack here.

How to solder wires using a soldering iron?

Methods of twisting wires.

First of all, you will need to prepare your workplace: all the necessary materials and tools should be located nearby so that no difficulties arise in the process of performing all the work. Soldering requires some special tools, without which you cannot do it.

You will need the following items:

• stand for soldering tools;
• rosin;
• flux;
• soldering tool;
• a sponge that will be used to remove contaminants from the tip that interfere with soldering electrical wiring.

The sequence of actions in this case is as follows:

To solder wires with a soldering iron you will need rosin and solder.

1. As an example, we will consider the fastening of two copper wires. Cables can be either multi-core or single-core. The difference between soldering these devices is that the multi-core cables must be pre-twisted to secure them in place. In this case, soldering will occur faster.
2. When the stranded wires are twisted, you will need to tinning the material. This process must be carried out so that the solder is correctly reunited with the base of the wire.
3. Once the fixture is tinned, you will need to cover the soldered base with solder. To do this, melt some solder, then apply it to the tip of the soldering tool. After this, you need to run the tip along the marked section of the cable. Care must be taken to ensure that the tinol completely covers the cable section with a thin layer.
4. For cables that will be processed in this way, twisting and heating with a soldering tool (for small cross-section wires) will be necessary.
5. If it is necessary to twist working elements of a large cross-section, this process must be performed slightly differently. Tinning of the twist is carried out (heated with a soldering tool, dipped in rosin). The twisting of the contacts must be warmed up, and then solder must be applied until the final goal is achieved. Consequently, as a result, you can obtain correct and high-quality twisting of contacts.

When heating strands of electrical wiring, it is recommended that heating be done first from the far end from the insulation. If you neglect this recommendation, the twisting may damage the insulation layer.

Soldering Features

In the distribution box, the connections of the loops must be of good quality, since the soldering of these electrical network elements is carried out for a long period.

Type of wire when soldering, welding, twisting.

Previously, in most cases, the cables were twisted in the appropriate distribution box using mechanical force. Twisting as a method of fastening wiring loops is prohibited by the PUE, since after this fastening the resistance will contribute to heating of the wires, which is unacceptable.

Soldering is not the fastest or easiest method for installing wiring loops. However, it has one significant advantage - connection reliability.

The melting point of solder is much lower than that of copper cables. You need to know that tinol makes it possible to dissolve the outer metal layer of a copper wire. When it hardens, you will get a high-quality twist of the cables.

After stripping the wire, an oxide film may form on its base. This is precisely the difficulty of soldering aluminum. Such a film can be removed chemically or mechanically, everything will depend on the soldering method used. To avoid the formation of a film, you will need to use flux, which is intended for soldering the required material. The layer of flux that is applied to the base of the wires must be thin.

The chemical method of removing the film is as follows: the place to which you plan to connect the wire will need to be cleaned, and then carefully apply a few drops of copper sulfate solution to it. Next, you need to connect the negative pole of the current source to this place, and a piece of copper wire is connected to the positive pole. The end of the wire should be lowered into the drop so that the wire does not touch the joint.

Source: https://master-kleit.ru/origami/kak-pajat-mnogozhilnye-provoda/