The transfer switch under it transfers incoming power from the meter to a welder outlet. The last is of the main panel for the farm. Two are in process pictures of the new sub panel. Looking around online I see that a three wire feed was/is ok, other places say that I need a four wire feed.ĭoes the three wire feed have to be upgraded when changing out the sub panel? Neutral and grounds from the branch circuits shared the same bus bar. The original panel was pretty ratty and too small to add any more circuits. I would also say that the preferable fix is to put appropriate ends on each peice, it is probably safer, and certainly less embarrasing - If you put ends on it then you can claim it was deliberate, but a splice screams "I'm a clumsy person that chopped it.I changed out a sub panel in a horse barn for a friend of mine. I have some of those plier tools, they are tolerable wire strippers, and OK for cutting wire or trimming small screws (if used right) However one should grind the crimping section away so that you aren't tempted to try using it to make a crimp! (I also have spent the money to get ratcheting crimpers for anything I use regularly, or I use solder.) The only tool that will make a good crimp is a ratcheting compound lever tool, preferably regularly calibrated. They could not pass the required destructive test that a properly made crimp is supposed to handle - A sample is put on a tensioning machine that pulls until failure - the wire must break other than at the crimp before the crimp pulls out or otherwise fails. It is NOT POSSIBLE to make a consistent "mil-spec" crimp with the "plier" style multi-function crimp tools you find at the local hardware store! I've seen folks try it at a former job. Mechanically, a properly made crimp should be stronger than the wire it's made with, but it all depends on the crimper tool. I don't generally use crimps in an application like this, but they probably would be ok from a mechanical standpoint, I'm just not sure about their ability to seal moisture. It sort of works but I would only use it as an under layer with shrink or tape over it, as I found it wasn't possible to get a reliable uniform thickness of coating on it, and bare/thin spots just aren't acceptable. I've used the "tape in a can" stuff, also the stuff used to dip tool handles in to coat them. Works real nicely on "T" connections and other such places where you can't use shrink tube. Another option that is hard to find, but works really nice is "Tommy Tape" which is a self fusing rubber electrical tape - when you put it on, it will melt together permanently in a very short time (don't make mistakes!) but won't stick to anything but itself. Use the rubbery FP or FIT 221 spec tube (comes in multiple colors, fairly expensive, usually found at good electronics stores) that will shrink to a very flexible coating, not the hard PVC shrink, (usually black, found at cheap stores and Radio shacks) that hardens to a rigid tube. I then slide a bigger peice of shrink over the entire splice to seal and protect it. I also try to preserve the polyester cord "strength member" found in the center of most exterior grade cords, and tie the two ends together so as to minimize the strain on the splices. I solder those splices (use ROSIN CORE solder for electrical work, NEVER use "ACID CORE" plumbing solder!) and cover each with a length of shrink tube. My personal preference is to use Western Union splices, staggered as shown earlier. Note the center section that provides mechanical strength and the different type of twist at each end provides a bit of strain relief like that coil spring thing on some garden hoses. Now when you run over a 100' cord with a mower and it reels in the whole thing, best just get a new cord.Ī pic of a splice that was taken out of service. That way you can get the tape stretched properly as it is wrapped so it seals better. When wrapping the tape it helps a lot if you can have someone or something put the cord straight and tight so you have both hands free to wrap the tape. If I do solder it is just a very small amount in the center of the twist. Normally I do not solder the connections I just strip enough wire so that the twisted part of each splice is at least 1" long. The Western Union splice or Lineman splice. Believe it or not there is a name for this kind of wire splice.
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