Why are wire nuts disliked in boats.

[jeffnick]

Exactly.

But there are people out there that like to be resourceful, clever, think out of the box and Macgyver things instead of using the easier, more accepted methods.

Using 5200, shrink tube and other methods to seal the wire nut opening is the dumbest thing I've seen.

So you open a $10-$14 tube of 5200 just to seal a few wire nut openings, put the cap on the 5200 and let the 5200 harden in the tube. Brillant!

And these geniuses are bragging about the practice!

And who has wire nuts on board instead of crimp connectors, crimped and shrink tube?


Quote: 5 pages on why wire nuts are not a good idea on the boat...really? Amazing

Truly amazing!

https://72land-n-sea.blogspot.com/2011/08/taming-tube-3m-4200-and-5200.html

 

[jeffnick]

You don't use common crimp tools, you use purpose built ratchet crimpers with dies for heat shrink terminals. Something tells me you plan to never sell your boat or have it surveyed ever again... something like this bad boy:

Ratchet Crimping Tool for Heat Shrink Terminals Genuinedealz.com

Virtually fool proof.

Most of us don't have a gauge to test crimps...at least I don't. And I did buy one of those expensive ratchet crimpers, but I wasn't always happy with the crimp. I migrated to the dimple crimp and have never been disappointed.

Ratchet left, dimple right - the dimple unquestionably holds better.

 

[Sweet Dreams]

Also usually punches a hole through the plastic cover allowing moisture to penetrate.

 

[Comodave]

With my ratcheting crimper, it does not punch a hole in the plastic cover. I have not had any problems with the wires not being secure. Also the connector shown in the photo is not a shrink connector. I would not use any connectors that are not shrink with an adhesive lining.

 

[foggysail]

Also usually punches a hole through the plastic cover allowing moisture to penetrate.

Ever think of the moisture entering the connection via the connector ends? On the whole, I like crimps and use an old standard cheepy crimp tool. My use and the use of most others does not require quality control inspections that for the most part are satisfied only by using an expensive ratchet tool used with approved crimping procedure.

 

[STB]

foggysail,

I see where you are going, but those of us that happen to really care about this type of thing usually use heat-shrink connectors. These not only shrink to seal the ends, but also have a heat-activated adhesive that "glues" the shrunk connector to the wire sheath for a better seal. So, the edges will seal up, but, if there is a puncture, it won't.

If this had been a heat-shrink connector, I guess one of two things would have been the case. The dimple wouldn't have broken the heat shrink tubing, and it would have been fine. Or, it would have, and the heat shrink would have shrunk, exposing the "live" metal. If this was a +12V or "hot" AC wire, that could then touch a ground and short. Or though less likely, if it was a ground, it could tough a hot wire and short. Or, or, or.

I don't have the experience to tell you how this would have worked out with heat-shrink connectors. I don't have that type of crimper. And, although I have seen such crimps, I haven't seen them used with heat-shrink.

So, I'm not taking a position on the quality of that crimp, just because I really don't know. I'm just saying that, if that were heat-shrink tubing with heat-activated adhesive, such as many of us use, moisture would be sealed out of the edges, too.

 

[Bigsfish]

I think there are quite a few forum members who give great advice, a few I would take to the bank anything they said.

 

[Comodave]

The ratcheting crimper that I use doe not puncture the connector like the one in the photo. I use heat shrink connectors so the ends are sealed from moisture and there is also a bit of reinforcement to the wire due to the glued area of the connector. Why would anyone use the non ratcheting crimper I will never figure out, they aren’t that expensive to get quality connections.

 

[Bigsfish]

Dave I agree with you. I have found a couple of times wiring in tight conditions that I had to use a smaller crimper.

 

[Steve DAntonio]

Apropos of this discussion, I encountered this on a recent new vessel inspection. You can clearly see the heat shrink insulation has been pierced (I suspect a crimping die designed for uninsulated terminals has been used). This is an incredibly common occurrence. The Channelock crimping tool shown in this article does not pierce the insulation, the die is relatively gentle. https://stevedmarineconsulting.com/crimping-etiquette/