[RE-wrenches] Battery Cable REvistied

[Warren Lauzon]

We use the “inner melt” type of heat shrink and have had few problems with it compared to the standard heat shrink. As far as Lead plated lugs, I am not sure I see much advantage to them. Also as far as coatings go, most Vaseline and other standard grease type are way too temperature sensitive, and in hot weather they just melt away – and they are also great dust/bug/dirt gatherers. 3M and others make a spray on coating that hardens somewhat that we have found to be much better. >From the 3M website “Scotch® Insulating Sprays 1601 and 1602 are electrical-grade, fast-drying enamel sealers and insulators in pressurized cans. Full Description »  These sealers protect surfaces against weather, moisture, corrosion, oil, alkalies and acids. The sprays can afford easy access to hard-to-reach spots. Use Insulating Spray sealers to spray over insulation on wire and cable splices, as a general-purpose sealer, or for touch-up insulation on motor windings and frames. Sprays are available in clear, red or black.”

The local Home Depot carries it here, also some electrical distributors.


From: R Ray Walters 
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 9:26 AM
To: RE-wrenches 
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery Cable REvistied

HI Mark; 

Where do you get the lead plated lugs? We used to special order tin plated lugs from Del City, but they quit carrying them. 
I found that the grease or vaseline coating was the most important issue, though. Tin plated lugs would corrode just like the unplated ones, except they first would lose their plating.
Lead plated lugs might just be the ticket, except you would still have to keep the corrosion from creeping up under the heat shrink to the copper cable.
I've had cables with corrosion going up the cable strands for over 6" past the lug. And yes we use heat shrink with the sealing adhesive inside; the corrosion just travels right under it along the surface of the metal. I actually found electrical tape seals better, it just doesn't look near as good, so we still use heat shrink, and coat over the heat shrink with the vaseline (or grease).

R. Walters
ray at solarray.com
Solar Engineer





On Nov 30, 2010, at 9:09 AM, Mark Frye wrote:


  I recently worked with a telecom specification that required lead plated copper lugs on the battery side and I have been using the same on my own systems for some time now.

  How important is it to use lead plated lugs on the battery side? Is tin plated copper just as good so long as you coat well with grease etc.?

  Mark Frye 
  Berkeley Solar Electric Systems 
  303 Redbud Way 
  Nevada City,  CA 95959 
  (530) 401-8024 
  www.berkeleysolar.com 



------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Glenn Burt
  Sent: Monday, November 29, 2010 6:03 PM
  To: 'RE-wrenches'
  Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Battery Cable REvistied


  Hi Ray,
   
  I have for my last 2 battery jobs used the Cobra X-Flex in 2/0 size with MTW rating.

  At the battery end I have found the Thomas & Betts 54163-TB lugs, available at my local Grainger store to be a good match both mechanically and specification wise (also the correct hole size for M8 terminals in my Concorde AGM’s).
  On the usual electrical equipment end, I use a Greaves Shoo-Pin PT131FX20 as the appropriate reducer to a THHN stranding #2/0 size (available through our local Graybar store, drop shipped to my office). Because I am using a Sunny Island, of course nothing #2 fits… so I have two Polaris style connectors in the trough below the SI where I switch from the Shoo-Pins to four #1 THHN to go up into the SI batt terminals (two conductors per pole).
   
  In fact, I am wrapping up one of these installs right now.
   
  Don’t know if this helps,
   
  -Glenn
  _______________________________________________
  List sponsored by Home Power magazine

  List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org

  Options & settings:
  http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

  List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

  List rules & etiquette:
  www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm

  Check out participant bios:
  www.members.re-wrenches.org





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
List sponsored by Home Power magazine

List Address: RE-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org

Options & settings:
http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org

List rules & etiquette:
www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm

Check out participant bios:
www.members.re-wrenches.org


Northern Arizona Wind & Sun - Electricity from the sun since 1979
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Online Solar Store
Free Solar Discussion Forum
--------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org/attachments/20101130/b7b55a06/attachment-0003.html>