The three most reliable ways to connect wires in a junction box

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More and more powerful electrical appliances are appearing in our homes: coffee makers, kettles, air conditioners, boilers, etc. All this significantly increases the load on the home power supply network. The first thing that reacts to increases in circuit current is the wire connections. They are the first to lead to fires if they are not made in the appropriate way. And if there are several of them, and even in a closed distribution box, then the total heat generated is summed up and increases. This means that the distribution box is a particularly important and responsible node in terms of the load capacity of the network.

The three most reliable ways to connect wires in a junction box

I will tell you three reliable ways to connect wires in a junction box, which I use myself and recommend to others.

Welding wires

The first in terms of reliability is wire welding. Produced by a special welding machine using a graphite or tungsten electrode. Due to the melting of the metal, the structures are mixed and the wires become one.If possible, use it.

Pros:

The most reliable connection of all presented.
Suitable for aluminum and copper wires.

Minuses:

Requires special equipment.
Labor-intensive and not always applicable.

Soldering wires

The second most reliable method of connecting two or more wires is soldering. Produced with a regular soldering iron using conventional solder and flux used in radio engineering. This is the most affordable way.
First, a twist of several centimeters is made, and then it is sealed along the entire length.

Pros:

A very reliable connection with the proper length of soldered twist.
Available to most DIYers.

Minuses:

Labor-intensive and not always applicable.
Applicable to copper wires only.

Wire crimping

The third most reliable method is crimping wires with lugs. Due to its speed and reliability, it is often used by electricians when laying wiring in new houses.

Pros:

Very fast, requires minimal time to create a reliable connection.
Suitable for aluminum and copper wires.

Minuses:

It is necessary to have special crimping pliers and tips.

Conclusion

Conventional twisting, screw terminals, terminal blocks, caps, clamps - in my opinion, an electrician with 20 years of experience is not a reliable connection of wires! By reliability, I mean that the connection is capable of withstanding, without unnecessary heating, the same current that the wire itself is designed to withstand for the entire period of operation.
Of course, I use VAGO terminals and twists in my work, but I try to do this either in light wiring, where the maximum current does not exceed 5 Amps, or in other examples with low current. Connecting lamps with such terminals is very convenient and fast, you can’t argue with that.
Now many people will begin to tell me that VAGOs are very reliable, designed for high currents of 32 A, etc. But my many years of experience, unfortunately, indicate the opposite.

Therefore, the three compounds given at the beginning can be used and not worry about the consequences in the future.

Informative video on the topic

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Comments (49)

#1 Mi Guests July 14, 2018 00:25
12

And what is this photo with Vaga supposed to say? What wires? Which machine DO? Is it exactly VAGO, or eek/rexant/aliexpress? Personally, my garage was hanging on for a year, and welding, and an angle grinder, and a heat gun, and other small stuff was constantly loaded, but I haven’t seen anything like that) Oh yes! I have normal wires everywhere, not this disgrace in the photo)
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#2 Sergey 66 Guests 14 July 2018 13:29
11

An electrician with 20 years of experience, you’ve read the PUE, with properly chosen protection the VAGs work great, but when the hand-assemblies work “they work like fuses....
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1. #3 Valka Guests 14 July 2018 20:21
  10
  
  They read it! But you won’t! Put your car, even the original one, at a load of 3 kW and look for a new home.
  Listen to another smart person:
  
  Answer
  1. #4 Guest Guests 19 January 2022 16:29
    1
    
    3000/220=13.63A Therefore, we set the machine to 16A, the wire (copper) with a cross-section of 2.5mm2, the backup machine Uzo 16A (30mA) for current leakage, we read the parameters on the box with the plugs (it’s not easy for the manufacturer to write these parameters this way, they’ve probably carried out tests and received an international certificate), we take the correct cable and connect it. The circuit breakers will be the first to operate in case of overload - the wires will be intact and the vagi will be intact. The vagi hold the stated load. And yet, if the wires have already started to melt, then it’s correct that you will have to change both the wires and the cables (the insulation will not be the same and twisting will not help you. Not a single cable has melted under prolonged load (as they demonstrate here) in 5 years and did not fail.
    
    Answer
#5 Guest Nikolay Guests 14 July 2018 20:55
2

In my practice, a load of 5A was placed on a 16A vago (gray). The connection lasted up to a year; the clamp began to melt. Here, draw your conclusions.
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1. #6 AngryBalDman Guests 25 July 2018 19:51
  6
  
  there is no need to buy a Chinese WAG. If the original has 16 A melting after 5 A, feel free to remove it and go to the dealer.
  
  Answer
#7 Andryukha. Guests July 15, 2018 07:19
20

A good twist never fails! 15 years of experience.
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#8 popvovka Guests 15 July 2018 08:56
9

Not a single professional electrician will use these vagi.
Even though I have 15-20 years of experience, the twist has never failed me.
I had a good friend with more than 40 years of experience who spoke about the most reliable method - twisting.
The Americans have also proven that this is one of the most reliable methods. The twist should be 15-20 mm.
Welding is a dream. Solder and solder.
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1. #9 avg Guests 15 July 2018 15:32
  4
  
  Well, if the Americans have proven it, then of course! Americans are famous gentlemen and never lie! They always say the right things!
  
  Answer
#10 Guest Sergey Guests 16 July 2018 18:50
9

I make a 3.5mm twist on top, screw it on the siz and insulate it with electrical tape from moisture.
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#11 Guest Vladimir Guests 19 July 2018 09:32
4

The author is wrong about the fact that welding is the most reliable method. The cause of a car fire is determined as follows. If X-ray diffraction analysis shows the presence of cuprous oxide in copper wires, there is a short circuit. No copper oxide - arson. When welding, it is quite difficult to protect the melt from oxygen. There will be copper oxide. In addition, a thermally affected zone is possible - loss of strength and ductility. I expose the wires by 7 cm, tin, twist and solder with Wood's alloy. I am not a professional electrician, I only do electrical work at home. I use terminal blocks only for LED lamps.
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1. #12 Guest Victor Guests August 1, 2018 01:17
  1
  
  welding of copper was done in a bath with a borax or boron graphite electrode, you can use a brush for an electric motor, borax or boron as the flux does not allow oxygen access welder trans 150 watts 4.5-6.5 volts winding 4 mm
  
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2. #13 Guest Alexey Guests 6 August 2018 14:15
  1
  
  Why so many 7 cm (70 mm) for soldering? 2-3 centimeters would probably be enough.
  
  Answer
#14 Guest Alexander Guests 19 July 2018 18:50
1

The twist takes a long time, but is cheap. Vaga is much faster, but expensive. It's up to you to choose.
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#15 Guest Alexey Guests 19 July 2018 21:54
2

The laboratory skips welding, soldering and PPE - that’s it, no screws or terminal blocks.
- Answer
#16 Supporter Guests July 20, 2018 08:25
9

One thing is clear, the Soviet copper cable VVGng 2*2.5 on a conventional twist keeps a 6 kW electric boiler on almost around the clock, it specially put the load through the original cars, after 5 hours they fused, that’s all. There is no need to explain anything more and everything is clear. The cars are not designed for the current that the cable can carry, although in theory they should have a 2-3 times reserve if they are considered safe. It’s just beneficial for someone, so he pushed this idea.
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1. #17 Seryoga Guests 1 August 2018 17:38
  5
  
  the fact that your 2.5 squares hold a current of almost 30A is very bad. And this is provided that you have a voltage relay and the voltage does not drop below 200V. You should change the cable to 6 squares
  
  And how do you understand that the cable “holds”? you hung a 32a machine gun on 2.5 square meters!
  
  Answer