G+_Ben Reese Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Small soldering project tonight. We just moved to a new house and there was no power where we wanted the TV. Instead of drilling 2" holes through the built-in cabinet for the plug to fit I used ?" holes and cut the wire. 14 Gauge cord should be sufficient (couldn't find a 12 gauge with a right-angle plug on it). And I had some white heat shrink that I wanted to use instead, but it wasn't going to fit over the splice. Cord: POWTECH Heavy duty 15 FT Air Conditioner and Major Appliance Extension Cord https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072KJ7SZS/ Heat shrink: 328 Piece Heat Shrink Tubing Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KUT0AB4/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Black Merc Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Telford Dorr Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 That will certainly get the job done. 14 AWG is good for 15 amps - certainly adequate for a TV. One suggestion for next time: stagger the splices by making each wire a different length (with the other half of the cord matching, of course). This way the splices aren't all together and thus don't make a big lump in the cord (and your outer overall heat shrink tube will be smaller). I generally insulate the black and white wires individually, and let the outermost tubing take care of the green ground wire. Done carefully, you can barely discern a change in the cable diameter. FWIW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted October 23, 2017 Author Share Posted October 23, 2017 Staggering the wires would have been a good idea. I've done a few over the years that aren't too noticeable. This ones going inside a cabinet so I wasn't too concerned about the color matching. Really, the white would have probably been too tight even if there wasn't extra thickness added. Still, though, staggering the splices would help prevent shorting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Shooter_FPV (Shooter_FP Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Ben Reese Nice... I’m not brave enough to work with “real” power yet... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Paul Hutchinson Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 To add enough mechanical strength so that the splice meets UL/NEC standards you should use a short tie Western Union Splice before soldering (or a 120VAC approved splicing connector). en.wikipedia.org - Western Union splice - Wikipedia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted October 23, 2017 Author Share Posted October 23, 2017 Paul Hutchinson good to know. This won't have any stress put on it, so I wasn't too concerned about strain relief. I figured this was far better than the wire nuts I've seen so many people use on extension cords ?. Probably should have used extra strain relief on this vacuum cord I fixed though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Paul Hutchinson Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Ben Reese Actually Wire Nuts are the preferred method by UL/NEC standards. They are specifically engineered for the purpose giving better long term strength than a soldered splice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted October 23, 2017 Author Share Posted October 23, 2017 Paul Hutchinson hmmmm.... I don't know if I'd agree with that. I've pulled on wires held together with wire nuts and had them come apart. Wouldn't happen with a soldered splice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Paul Hutchinson Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 Ben Reese Part of the reason is the decades long reliability, solder fractures with age and temperature cycling do to varying current. UL/NEC have done the long term engineering over the past century. Another factor is the failure mode during pulling. If you try to pass a home electrical inspection with soldered splices you'll quickly learn that the NEC frowns upon them and only allows them under special circumstances. STA - I forgot one of the big problems that the NEC, which is created by the National Fire Protection Association, specifically has data showing problems. Fire, during a fire soldered splices melt and partially open leading to more sparks and other problems. The metal in a wire nut is designed to not come apart during a home fire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Scott W Posted October 24, 2017 Share Posted October 24, 2017 Paul Hutchinson I would think the insulation would melt much sooner than a soldered splice. PVC melts around 320 degrees, 60/40 solder around 370 degrees I have extension cords I have solder spliced 20+ years ago that are still going strong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_John Sullivan Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Paul Hutchinson If he made the connection using wire nuts, wouldn't they have to be enclosed in a junction box? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 cosmic Ray with strain reliefs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Black Merc Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 Didn't NASA require the exact method asPaul Hutchinson mentioned as the preferred standard? Done correctly, that splice actually reduces resistance(by maximizing contact between conductors)at the joining and is equally resistant(if not more so) pull stress(and more when solder is added). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Scott W Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 We are talking about a splice on an extension cord going inside a media cabinet, not on the space shuttle. Don't over think the project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Paul Hutchinson Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 cosmic Ray We've drifted way off but yes, code says any splice in line voltage wiring, using any method of splicing, must be enclosed, with strain relief and the enclosure must be readily accessible. However few people pay attention to the code which is why I originally recommended a western union splice to get mechanical strength as well as electrical integrity. The wire nut topic diversion was only from the comment implying that wire nuts are inferior to overlapped soldered wires. They are not they are superior to overlapping leads that rely on the solder for mechanical strength. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Reese Posted October 25, 2017 Author Share Posted October 25, 2017 Paul Hutchinson that's fine. I also wouldn't recommend overlapping wires and relying only on the solder for mechanical strength. I guess I didn't go into detail, but these are stranded wires (a flexible extension cord), so the strands are loosely interwoven into each other. Each wire then has heat shrink to provide insulation and a little extra mechanical strength, and heat shrink is applied to the whole splice for additional protection/strength. Although I didn't put any close to the splice, the cable is fastened to the cabinet - both to keep it tidy and provide strain relief (technically in Kansas the strain relief should be within 6 inches of the junction and a box should be used - this isn't getting inspected other than by a few on G+ ?). I definitely appreciate all the feedback and understanding the reasoning behind the wire nut argument. I wouldn't recommend a soldered splice for solid wire. Speaking of, I have used a soldered splice for solid wire when working for an electrical engineer. Brilliant man in many ways, but some decisions may not have been so bright. In this case he had a junction box with a few 8 guage (if I remember right) wires coming in. He didn't have wire nuts big enough to tie them all together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Telford Dorr Posted October 25, 2017 Share Posted October 25, 2017 One issue with soldering is that it weakens the wire (copper dissolves in solder, making it thinner). Thus you never want to use solder in a situation where vibration is present (obviously not applicable in this situation). The best method for joining wires is to use butt-splice terminals (properly crimped). But in this case, the soldering method used is perfectly adequate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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