[RE-wrenches] Wago Connectors (221 series)

Fri May 7 21:48:49 EDT 2021

I am with you William ! I also know that alot of rookies apply torque
quickly. Torque needs to be slowly applied up to the rating. This allows
the wire to take shape and not loosen up the connection later. Probably one
of the biggest sources of connection failures is a loose connection that
was not done right to begin with. 

Take your time on this one, or at least
go back in a month or so and check it!  

Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
"we
go where powerlines don't"
http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/ [1]
e-mail
offgridsolar at sti.net [2]
text 209 813 0060

On Fri, 7 May 2021 17:47:44
-0700, William Miller  wrote:   

Friends: 

Call me old fashioned, but I
cannot get any confidence on the Wago connector. It seems somewhat akin to
the back-wire mechanism on a 15A receptacle. This connection relies on a
spring that is subject to reduction in force when it gets hot. We have seen
many of the back-wire receptacles heat up and get more resistive as heat
increases, creating more heat, etc.  

We have learned when connecting
battery cables to inverters or batteries that the best connection does not
have any washer or any intermediate object between one conductor and the
other.  

I know wire nuts are not ideal (pun intended) but I like my
conductors to be in direct contact, or under a screw terminal where I can
determine and reconfirm the pressure placed on the conductor. It is also
necessary to have control over the pressure applied to the connection,
which is why there are listed torque specs. 

Yesterday I was measuring the
line voltage on an SB Series 22 inverter. This unit uses the Wago terminal.
There was no way I could get a meter probe into the Wago to measure line
voltage. I had to take the cover off the electronics sections and measure
voltage at the circuit board. I much prefer a screw terminal I can adjust
the torque and get a meter probe onto it. 

William Miller 

Miller Solar

17395 Oak Road, Atascadero, CA 93422 

805-438-5600 

www.millersolar.com
[3] 

CA Lic. 773985 

FROM: RE-wrenches
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org [4]] ON BEHALF OF Dan
Fink
SENT: Friday, May 7, 2021 4:01 PM
TO: RE-wrenches
SUBJECT: Re:
[RE-wrenches] Wago Connectors (221 series) 

Jason; From the Wago 221 data
sheet, it's listed to UL 486C, 600V, 30A, Use Group C (industrial) . I have
a copy of UL486C, and voltage is just specified for dielectric testing.
That standard specifies tests with AC, because it is easier (and cheaper)
to generate and ramp up compared to DC, and DC test platforms are
relatively rare.    

So my interpretation of UL486C is that because of AC
voltage peaks compared to RMS (Vpeak = Vrms x 1,414), a 1000VAC rated
connector under UL486C would need to be tested to 1414VDC. Working that
math backwards, a 600VAC rating would mean the DC dielectric rating would
be equivalent to 424.33 VDC.   

How that would apply to AHJs asking you
questions, I do not know!   

Dan Fink    

Owner, Buckville Energy
Consulting LLC   

IREC Certified Instructor for PV and Small Wind
Installation   

NABCEP Certified PV System Inspector   

d
[5]anbob88 at gmail.com [6]   

970-672-4342   

On Fri, May 7, 2021 at 3:43
PM Jason Szumlanski  wrote:    

In another thread these connectors were
discussed recently. There was a question regarding the suitability for DC
circuits. I don't think we came up with any answers or consensus on that. I
see the connectors are UL listed to the 486C standard. I can't determine
whether that is applicable to AC and DC circuits. Does anyone know?  

I
have only used these on AC circuits and they have been very effective. Now
I'm curious whether they can be used on DC circuits up to 600 volts.   

While on the subject, I noticed they are UL 467 listed for grounding and
bonding. That's helpful where you have EGC splices for conductors up to #10
AWG inside junction boxes.    

Jason Szumlanski   

Florida Solar Design
Group   

Links:
------
[1]
http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/
[2] mailto:offgridsolar at sti.net
[3]
http://www.millersolar.com/
[4]
mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org
[5]
mailto:dan.fink at greendustrialtraining.com
[6] mailto:anbob88 at gmail.com
[7]
mailto:jason at floridasolardesigngroup.com
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