Crimping Solid Conductors

[Wilko]

Chase above and below damage, crimps conductors and slide pvc conduit over it.

FWIW, Westy gets my vote, a permanent connection and containment

 

[Des 56]

Chase above and below damage, crimps conductors and slide pvc conduit over it.

I would be very surprised if any of the other methods suggested ( new fangled wagoish push connectors and other various other modern --- tat )can provide the answers that this very simple common repair provides

 

[Richard Burns]

I slide glue lined heat shrink over such a joint.
Though I have used the ideal push ins once under a floor, probably very bad, but I am not sure.

 

[Midwest]

We'll have to wait for the solder brigade. I'm a crimper (nothing to do with my luxurious locks) practitioner, in these circumstances. But I'm prepared to be convinced otherwise.

 

[telectrix]

seems all the old skills have been forgotten. choc block with 2 layers of insulating tape.must be OK as B&Q lights have this method in their manufacturers instructions.

 

[westward10]

seems all the old skills have been forgotten. choc block with 2 layers of insulating tape.must be OK as B&Q lights have this method in their manufacturers instructions.

Four layers to make it double insulated.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Now my soldering skills are pretty rubbish

There was a time when this would have disqualified you from being an electrician!

My soldering skills are excellent but crimping is convenient and avoids the use of heat (which causes so much needless agro on a lot of sites) and the conductors need not overlap, which can be a problem when a captive cable has lost 1/4" out of the middle where the damage was.

What I would say is that if one crimps, the crimps must be specified by the manufacturer for solid conductors of the relevant size, and must be fitted with their approved tooling. Anything else is too prone to failure on solid, which is a lot less forgiving than stranded. I would definitely not accept some unbranded red things out of a houshold bargains blister pack and a generic tool. Same with the sleeving, I use branded products within their correct size range, with appropriate wall thickness and mechanical strength to exceed the performance of the original insulation, not just random tubey stuff that shrinks.

If one solders, then the joint should be laid up properly, soldered and ideally de-fluxed, as flux residue can prevent heatshrink making a proper seal or promote corrosion later. The surface must be clean and smooth with no projecting edges or corners to damage the heatshrink. This is all just general good practice in wiremanship.

Then, whatever connection method is used, the finished joint should be adequately protected e.g. against both impact and tension on the cables. A few layers of semi-rigid adhesive-lined HS, properly applied overlapping the sheath for a fair distance, might just about do this but I would rather see it mechanically clamped. If there's room for conduit for impact protection, there's room for a gland at each end.

In a nutshell, I would only be truly happy to embed a joint in plaster that I would trust underwater, under tension, while being hit with a rubber mallet, with a similar likelihood of survival as the original cable. I can make joints like that with either crimps or soldering, so I consider both good enough.

 

[sparksburnout]

Chase above and below damage, crimps conductors and slide pvc conduit over it.

Or just a bit of heatshrink? Lets face it, under the conditions described, anythings going to be a bit of a "best effort". Not ideal, but just one of those situations.......

 

[sparksburnout]

"In a nutshell, I would only be truly happy to embed a joint in plaster that I would trust underwater, under tension, while being hit with a rubber mallet, with a similar likelihood of survival as the original cable". Blimey is this house in the UK or Syria??

 

[SJD]

What about heatshrink solder butt connectors.
For example: http://www.workshopsupplies.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d1434_Heatshrink_Solder_Butt_Connector.html
I've used these a few times, using a decent electrical heat gun with a selection of clip on nozzles, choosing a nozzle to suit. You do have to be careful to avoid overheating the joint, it is possible to char the whole joint (which means starting again).

Plus at least one glue-lined heatshrink for an outer sheath.

 

[Marvo]

As per SJD, we call them solder sleeves in my neck of the woods. They're available from RS Components, Digi-Key etc.

They come in all sizes and configurations and the type we use you just strip the two wires, shove them in so they overlap 5 or 6 mm in the centre of the sleeve then use a miniature blowtorch to melt the slder and shrink the sleeve.

It used to be that they were only available in aviation and mil spec and cost a fortune but nowadays they're available all over the place in general electrical spec and they're much cheaper than they used to be.

 

[sparksburnout]

Well I think this has gone a bit off the plot TBH. I can see the scene now, when "Mr Electrician" turns up to "Mr DIY" house and draws a sharp intake of breath. "Ooohhhh my god, this is going to need a very specialist butt soldering-crimping-insulating whizzo to fix this one". Area to be taped off and risk assessed.
FFS just crimp the cable, stick some heat-shrink over it and then make good, test it and jobs a good un. £85 please mate, next......

 

[SJD]

I disagree, I carry a selection of ordinary butt crimps, heatshrink butt crimps and heatshrink solder butt connectors. And select whichever is most suited to the task. They are all in the one selection box. Perhaps takes a few minutes longer with the solder type, but it really is no trouble at all.

 

[Marvo]

The problem with crimping is that I've always found it's difficult to gat everything lined up and get the damn crimp tool in when it's half way down a wall and plastered in on either side.

The solder sleeves are easy, they come with the solder and flux already inside them like a Yorkshire plumbing fitting. You just put the (clean) wires in apply heat.

 

[Midwest]

What about heatshrink solder butt connectors.
For example: http://www.workshopsupplies.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d1434_Heatshrink_Solder_Butt_Connector.html
I've used these a few times, using a decent electrical heat gun with a selection of clip on nozzles, choosing a nozzle to suit. You do have to be careful to avoid overheating the joint, it is possible to char the whole joint (which means starting again).

Plus at least one glue-lined heatshrink for an outer sheath.

I've seen those today, but I think they are designed for stranded cables, i.e. the strand's are mixed together then soldered

 

[sparksburnout]

The problem with crimping is that I've always found it's difficult to gat everything lined up and get the damn crimp tool in when it's half way down a wall and plastered in on either side.

The solder sleeves are easy, they come with the solder and flux already inside them like a Yorkshire plumbing fitting. You just put the (clean) wires in apply heat.

Absolutely, the cable has been ruptured along its length with no free play, anything is going to be a compromise. If you are confident you can make a perfect soldered joint, then fine, probably best way. But you have got to rake it all out, fix it, make it good..... There is only a maximum you are going to get away with for this sort of work, you can't take all day?

 

[DPG]

Agree with the above posts, decent crimps and decent adhesive-lined heatshrink can make a very good joint. If done correctly then it certainly isn't going to come apart when buried in a wall ! Daz

 

[Midwest]

Thanks for the replies chaps and views, seems crimping is not frowned on then.

Incidentally, I quite like the ' heatshrink solder butt connectors' as another option, but it seems they primarily designed for stranded cables? I seen them on Ebay, Amazon etc, but not shown as specifically for solid cables, guess you just overlap conductors, but does that provide a good soldered joint?

 

[KennyKen]

Inline crimp cores individually. Heatshrink cores obviously using correct colours. Raychem over sleeve over the heatshrinked joint. Raychem = Heatshrink used as an oversleeve heating releases a glue which enables the oversleeve to stay in position.

 

[DPG]

"Other brands of heatshrink sleeving are available". Daz.