Despite its ambiguous name, the splice connector is actually a fairly common and useful connector used in electrical work. Plastic clips called splice connectors are used to quickly splice or connect two or more pieces of wire. They are made to be used with wires from electrical, telephone, and electronic devices.
Splice connectors are made of plastic clips with sharp metal inserts in order to safely cut through the plastic insulating jackets of two wires and crimp them together. The wires are firmly held together by the snap-in splice connector clip. Instead of soldering the wires together, you can splice them together using a splice connector.
Continue reading to learn more about how to use a splice connector in this article.
Table of Contents
What Is A Tap Splice Connector Used For?
Tap splice connectors are made to take a wire that is already in place and a fresh, cut end of another wire. The metal portion of the tap splice cuts into both wires when it is pressed down, creating a connection between the two wires. In order to create a tight and flawless connection between the wires, the plastic casing folds over and firmly holds them without removing the insulation jacket. If the tap casing is tightly closed and crimped, the connection is complete.
A dependable method of joining two wires of the same wire gauge is tap splicing. It is a quick and efficient method for splicing wires that are frequently used in numerous electrical applications. Electrical Basics offers a range of sizes that are CSA listed for safety, have a high-temperature rating of up to 220 F and are easy to find the tap splicer you require.
Tip To Use A Splice Connector
In case more splices with the cables are required in the future, leave 6 to 12 inches of extra cable to create a small amount of slack close to the splice.
- The insulation jacket and inner foil shield on the end of the cables that you are going to splice together should be removed, leaving a gap of one inch. Leave the interior wires alone, especially if they are protected by colored plastic insulating jackets.
- One of the individual interior wires from one cable should be inserted into the wire hole of the splice connector. The wire’s end should be fully inserted. The majority of connectors have a clear side that makes it possible to check whether the wire is fully inserted or not. Put the identical colored wire from the other cable into the splice connector’s other wire hole.
- Assemble your pliers and place the splice connector between them. Snapping the top and bottom of the splice connector together requires applying firm pressure with the pliers. A secure splice connection will be made by the splice connect, which will cut through the two wires and clamp together. Use the remaining wires from both cables to repeat this process.
- Secure the spliced cables together with a plastic zip tie to prevent the splice connections from being pulled apart. Both cables’ stripped insulation jackets have zip ties attached to them at the bottom, which you should do. Put a pair of scissors to work and snip off the zip tie’s end.
How Does A Tap Splice Connector Ensure Electrical Connection?
Two chambers, one on each end of the tap splice, are intended to safely hold two wires inside the connector. Each wire must be inserted into its own chamber, parallel to the connector’s length, in order to properly make a tap splice. After that, you must carefully close the tap splice cover so that each wire insert touches each wire. You can slowly and carefully close the cover and clamp it together with a pair of pliers while holding the wires and tap splicers in place. The connector’s metal insert is pushed into place by squeezing the pliers. As the pressure enters the connector, it will force the wires through a hole in the center. The two wires will be cut through by the pliers’ pressure at the splice connection, which will then clamp them together to form a solid connection. The wires should then be tugged to ensure a tight connection and a firm bond with the connector. Repeat this procedure for each wire connection you might require for your electrical wiring project, making sure to use only wires that fall within the tap splice connector’s recommended gauge range.
To prevent the cables from being pulled apart after the secured spliced connections have been made, you should tie the cables together with plastic zip ties or electrical tape. You can further secure the installation by wrapping the zip tie or electrical tape around the bottom of the cables’ stripped insulation jackets. If using this technique, you can then use a pair of scissors to cut the excess zip tie end off.
The Bottom Line
You can see a splice connector is an important tool. Please leave a comment and let us know if you have any questions about the splice connector.
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