How do you crimp wires to connectors? To connect electric circuits, electrical connectors are required. However, you must crimp an electrical connector to a wire in order to use it. How tightly you crimp the wire to the connector determines the quality of the connection, whether you’re connecting two pieces of wire together or one wire directly to an electrical terminal. Fortunately, you can connect your electric circuits quickly with the right equipment and a little bit of knowledge.
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What You’ll Need
A crimping tool is a specialized tool used only to crimp connectors to wires. Although it appears to be a pair of pliers, it performs tasks that tin snips and household scissors perform differently. In addition to other features, such as wire cutters, wire strippers, and bolt cutters, some combination electrical tools also have a crimping feature.
The flat faces that are present on typical pliers’ jaws are absent from a crimping tool’s jaws. A small notch and a knob that fits into it are on opposite sides of the object. The knob forces the crimp fitting and the wire into the notch when the tool is placed around a crimp connector and the handle is squeezed, causing a deformation that permanently pinches the wires together. The wires are kept from pulling out and a continuous electrical connection is made as a result.
A crimping tool, like a crimp connector, is made to work with a particular wire gauge. You can use the tool for a variety of wire gauges with some connectors’ multiple knob/notch combinations. Each notch has a color and the wire gauge range clearly visible next to it.
- Red signifies the notch is suitable for 22- to 16-gauge insulated connectors.
- Blue is for 16- to 14-gauge insulated connectors.
- Yellow is for 12- to 10-gauge insulated connectors. For 8-gauge non-insulated connectors, the yellow notch is also suitable.
The coding on the tool notches and the insulation on the connectors both use the same color scheme.
TIP: Ratcheting functionality is a feature of a good crimping tool that allows you to apply more force to the handles. It functions similarly to a bolt cutter and produces the best weld—one free of air pockets that could lead to rust and early failure of the crimp connection.
How Do You Pick The Correct Connector?
Make sure you select the appropriate crimp connector for the job since there are numerous designs available.
- A ring connector makes the most secure connection to a terminal post. The terminal’s nut must be removed in order to disconnect it.
- A spade connector is best for situations in which it’s impractical to remove the nut from the connection terminal. The terminal’s socket accepts the tip’s spade shape.
- A quick-disconnect connector can be barrel-shaped or blade-shaped. You can pull the two halves apart to separate the connection.
- A butt connector permanently splices two wires together.
Insulating sleeves that cover the connection are included with connectors for wires smaller than 10-gauge wire. The wire gauge for which the connector is appropriate is indicated by the insulation’s color. An uninsulated connector is necessary when crimping wire that is 8 gauge or larger.
How To Crimp Connectors Onto Wires？
It’s similar to Japanese calligraphy to create crimp connectings: Although it’s very easy, you only have one chance to get it right. If you make a mistake, you have to redo everything from scratch. The fundamental procedures for creating a perfect crimp connection are as follows:
- Just enough insulation must be removed from the wire to reveal about 1/2 inch of bare wire. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, there should be enough bare wire to fit inside the collar and extend through it 1/16 inch or so toward the connector tip. On the end of the collar across from the connector, no bare wire should be visible.
- Make sure all strands of the wire are inserted into the collar before putting it on.
- If the collar doesn’t already have one, slide an insulation sleeve over it. If your crimp connector is uninsulated, there is no need for you to perform this step.
- With the collar’s seam facing up, place it into the corresponding notch of the crimping tool.
- To finish the crimp, exert as much force as you can on the tool handle. To make sure the wire is properly seated in the connector, give it a firm tug, and then let go of the handle.
If you’re using an uninsulated connector, you should seal the bare metal after crimping to stop corrosion and provide electrical insulation. Ring and fork connectors can be sealed with electrical tape or liquid tape, but barrel-style butt connectors are more frequently sealed with heat-shrink sleeves. Slide a heat-shrink sleeve over the connector and heat it with a heat gun to shrink the rubberized plastic. Although the sleeve is meant to be permanent, it can be taken off if necessary.
TIP: Always swap out a wire connector with one of the exact same size to avoid a variety of issues with your appliance, some of which could be dangerous.
WARNING: Crimp-on connectors can take the place of soldered connectors, but they don’t have the same strength or dependability. While not particularly significant, this is merely a reminder to make sure all of your crimp-on connections are as tight and secure as possible.
Related Post: How to Crimp JST Connectors?
Conclusion
All types of electrical equipment, particularly in appliances like dryers, refrigerators, and ovens, uses wire connectors. These wire connectors are typically soldered to the wire itself, providing a strong bond and maximizing voltage flow. You can master the ideal crimp if you adhere to the aforementioned steps.
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