Perhaps the most cherished dream of any electrician is electrical wiring without intermediate breaks. So that from the shield to each switch or outlet a separate wire runs without connections. But this is a pipe dream - not many will like the fact that dozens of wires will be connected to the electrical panel. Yes, and it turns out to be expensive - a lot of wires are needed. Therefore, the wires are branched and connected.

Normal wiring in an apartment can have over a hundred connections. And wiring faults, as a rule, appear precisely in these connections. Therefore, great attention must be paid to the correct connection of the wires.

Ways to connect wires

Several different wires are used to connect the wires. ways:

What is the best choice for twisting wires?

To begin with, let's turn to the PUE. Paragraph 2.121 says that the correct termination, branching and connection of the conductors of cables and wires must be carried out by soldering, welding, pressing or crimping (bolted, screw, etc.). That is, of all the above options, only twisting is illegal. But the twists will exist until the day there is electricity. Therefore, we will tell you about all the connection options.

Twisting

Despite the contradiction of the PUE, twisting is considered the most popular type of wire connection. The main disadvantage of twisting is gradual loosening of the fastening due to residual elastic deformation of the cable. Moreover, the transition resistance in the twist increases, the cable begins to overheat and the connection is broken. Well, if there is no fire.

But a properly made twist can last a very long time without any cause for concern. Therefore, if other connection options are not available to you, then twists can be made in the house. But only qualitatively!

Important! This option should only be used as a last resort. If possible, use other options.

It is impossible to connect in one twist wires of various materials (aluminum and copper), as well as stranded and single-core cables! For high-quality twisting, insulation is removed from two cables to a length of 70–90 mm, the wires are laid perpendicularly crosswise and twisted. If the cable diameter is small (up to one sq. Mm), then this can be done manually. But it is advisable to twist with pliers. The turns must be tight.

The remaining edges of the cable (4-6 mm) are removed with pliers by screw rotation, while the cable material is, as it were, smeared among themselves. When attaching three or more wires, the freed ends from the insulation are stacked together, parallel to each other, as tightly as possible and twisted at the ends with pliers. After that, the remaining ends are bite off in the same way. Overall size twists must be at least 12-14 diameters of twisted wires.

Then you need to do isolation twists. To do this, use insulating tape, heat shrinkable or polyvinyl chloride tube, or special caps. It is advisable to thread the heat-shrink tubing twice, and wind the insulating tape in at least four layers. The insulating material must grip all the undamaged cable insulation - this will protect the twist from moisture and prevent slipping.

Soldering

it most time consuming option connecting wires, which requires a certain amount of experience. Better quality twist than poor soldering. Therefore, for those who have sufficient skills, we will share general information. Before soldering, the cable is cleaned of oxides, if necessary, then it is tinned, screwed on (it may not be as tight as when twisting), treated with flux and soldered. Both aluminum and copper wires can be soldered if the correct solder and flux are selected. You do not need to choose an acidic active flux - it will certainly remain on the wires and destroy the connection over time. Soldering takes quite a long time, but the mount comes out one of the most reliable.

Welding

The most durable option twisting wires. Even with little experience, this connection option is relatively fast and simple. Welding is done with a current of any polarity with a voltage of 12-35 V. It is best to be able to regulate the welding current. For welding two copper conductors with a diameter of 1.5 sq. mm, 70 Amperes is enough, for 3 wires the voltage increases to 85-95 Amperes, for 3 wires 2.5 sq. mm, 95-110 Amperes are needed, and 4-5 of these wires already require 110-130 Amperes. With a correctly selected welding current, the electrode does not stick, and the arc is kept fairly stable. Copper-carbon electrodes are used to connect copper conductors.

Insulation with a length of 60-70 mm is removed from the wires and connected "for welding". It differs from simple twisting in that the ends of the veins do not twist by 6-7 mm. They are straightened and clamped in parallel with each other. If three or more cores are screwed on, then all the same, only two wires should be at the end, the rest are cut along the length of the twist. This makes it easier to form a ball of melt with a weak welding machine.

Important! Welding work must be carried out in compliance with all fire and electrical safety rules with the obligatory use of protective equipment (goggles with a dense light filter or welding mask, gloves, protective clothing).

Then the twist is placed in the welding clamp and the electrode is welded. During welding, the ends of the wires must be melted until a ball of melt appears. For strong mechanical and electrical contact, the melting point must reach the main stranding zone. After cooling, the wires are insulated in a convenient way.

For wire welding, you can choose different types of welding machines. The most convenient welding devices inverter type... Their advantages:

• have low electricity consumption;
• low weight and dimensions;
• large range of welding current regulation;
• provide a stable welding arc.

So, with a fairly large number of electrical work, the purchase of a welding inverter can be considered the best choice, this device will be useful in many other works.

PPE connection

it plastic cap where inside there is a square metal wire set in a spiral cone. Often, its cavity is filled with a special grease that protects the wire from moisture and prevents oxidation. When connecting wires using PPE, it is important to correctly select the size of the clamp, taking into account the number and diameter of the wires to be connected. As a rule, this information is located on the packaging.

For fastening, the insulation is removed from the wires to a size slightly smaller than the length of the cap, stacked together and PPE is screwed on top. Moreover, the edges of the square spring remove the oxide layer from the surface of the core, its cone moves apart and, due to its elasticity, reliably clamps the wires together. For reliability, some electricians prefer to first make a regular twist, and then install PPE.

The advantage of PPE is the simultaneous fastening of wires and insulating their connection section. TO disadvantages refers to the weakening of the spring over time, which leads to an increase in contact resistance. It is not advisable to install PPE in high-current circuits.

Screw clamps

This mount is very widely used when connecting switches, electrical outlets, lighting devices and other electrical fittings to the wires. Screw terminals are often used when assembling electrical panels, so they make it possible to make a neat and quick installation.

The clear advantages of clamps include the absence of the need to isolate the mount. With these clamps, wires of various metals (copper and aluminum) can be fastened.

Of course, there are also disadvantages. It will not be possible to install a multicore cable in the clamps - it must be pre-crimped or soldered. In addition, the screw terminals require maintenance - they need to be tightened from time to time to prevent loosening of the connection. In general, if there is a free access to the connection areas, then screw terminals are an inexpensive and reliable solution.

WAGO Terminals

This is a fairly new type of mount based on installation insulated spring clips manufactured by the German company WAGO. These WAGO connectors are made in a large assortment, and include connectors of various designs, for various purposes, for a very different section, type and number of wires. Therefore, it is advisable to buy WAGO connectors in a specialized store and an indispensable verification of certificates.

The main advantages of these connectors include quick and easy installation without any special devices, as well as the simultaneous isolation of the connection and fastening of the wires.

WAGO fasteners have all the necessary tests, are certified and are widely used both in our country and around the world. Therefore, there are no serious reasons not to trust them. All cases of some problems are the wrong choice of WAGO mount for a certain load or the installation of fakes. It is on these points that you need to pay great attention when using for connection.

Crimping

This option means connecting wires using squeezes tip or tubular sleeve. Lugs and sleeves are made for cables and wires with a core diameter of 2.6-250 sq. mm. Crimping is quite convenient for fastening from the "made and forgot" series, but it needs special equipment and the right choice of sleeves for a specific diameter and the number of wires to be fastened. In the role of a tool, crimping presses are used, as well as manual hydraulic, electrical and mechanical pliers.

For crimping, the necessary sleeve is selected, if required, then the working end of the tool is adjusted or selected. The insulation is removed from the wires, the conductors are cleaned and lubricated with a special paste, a sleeve is put on and clamped. A high-quality tool clamps the entire length of the sleeve per pass, cheaper ones require several clamps at a certain distance between themselves. After that, the sleeves are insulated with heat shrink tubing or insulating tape.

Bolt fasteners

Applied in chains overvoltage... A washer of the required diameter is put on the bolt, then the wires are wrapped around the bolt, another washer is put on and everything is carefully clamped with a nut. If you install an additional metal washer between the cores, you can connect copper and aluminum wires together. In apartment wiring, this option is almost never used due to its bulkiness.

All completed installation connections of any type must be available for further maintenance and inspection. Correctly selected wire connection is the main guarantee of the reliability of electrical wiring in an apartment or private house.

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Twisting wires is the simplest and at the same time the most "dangerous" way to connect them. More than 80% of all fires resulting from a short circuit of electrical wiring occur through the fault of installers who connect the wires by twisting. The use of this type of connection is not provided for by any regulatory document in force on the territory of the Russian Federation. Nevertheless, the correct twisting of wires is not much inferior in reliability to the terminal and even welded connection.

In order to correctly carry out the connection of wires (cable) by twisting, it is necessary to have at least a general idea of ​​the properties of the materials to be joined. It is not allowed to twist aluminum and copper wires. The difference in electrical conductivity of these metals leads to a rise in temperature at the junction. In addition, aluminum is chemically more active than copper, and therefore more susceptible to all types of corrosion. This is especially typical for rooms with high humidity - baths and kitchens (condensation formed at the junction leads to electrochemical corrosion of aluminum). There are many ways to twist wires, but in their classification, 2 large groups can be distinguished:

1. Parallel twisting is one of the easiest ways. It is she who is best used to connect aluminum wires with solid conductors.

The aluminum wire strand is suitable for conductors with a large cross-section. The wire for wrapping the bandage must also be aluminum.

A groove twist is suitable if you need to make a branch.

But it should be remembered that with a heavy load on the network at the point of the branching of the wire, the temperature can rise so much that the insulation melts and a short circuit occurs. For branching, it is better to use terminal blocks.

2. Twisting a copper wire is a more complicated operation, since copper conductors used in everyday life are most often wires with stranded conductors. "Pigtail" is the most reliable, although not common method. The strands of the wire are woven together, and the "tails" remaining after twisting are cut off with scissors.

The bare ends of the wires must be sanded with fine-grained emery paper before twisting. To isolate the twist point, it is best to use Russian-made PVC insulating tape (Intek, Polymerplast, Avalon). Cheaper Chinese counterparts do not have sufficient heat shrinkage, their glue dries faster. Therefore, they do not provide sufficient moisture protection for the connection. In addition to the insulating tape, you can use the connecting insulating clamp - PPE (manufactured in Russia).

It will be better if the twist of the aluminum wire is insulated with PPE, since aluminum is a soft metal, the connection is easily deformed and loses strength. A steel spring inside the cap will keep the conductors "compressed" at all times. The twisting of the wires should be as tight as possible, for "tightening" (even if the wires are small) you need to use pliers. If you see that the insulation in the place of the twist has changed color and structure, or you feel warmth from the junction, you must de-energize the network and reconnect the wires.

Alternative ways of connecting wires

Terminal blocks and clamps
The reliability and safety of the wire connection directly depends on its density. The more tightly the surfaces of the conductors adhere to each other, the less the connection will "warm". In terms of density, the terminal connection is inferior only to the welded one. Twisting copper wire with aluminum is undesirable due to the high difference in the redox potential of these metals.

In the terminal block, this problem is solved by using brass plates. A distinction is made between self-clamping and screw terminal blocks. For wiring in a typical apartment, 4 and 6 pair screw clamps manufactured by IEK (Russia) and three-conductor WAGO terminals (Germany) are suitable. It is better not to use screw terminal blocks to connect aluminum wires due to the high ductility of aluminum. If the screw is tightened too tight, it can simply "cut" the conductor. Self-clamping terminal blocks can be used for all types of connections. The low price of these parts is repaid many times over by the reliability of the power grid. Saving 200 - 300 rubles on terminal blocks for electrical installation in an apartment does not justify the risks associated with a fire and failure of expensive equipment.

Soldered connections
The twisting of wires has one significant drawback - insufficient density. Because of this, the bare conductor at the junction becomes covered with an oxide film (copper is slower, aluminum is faster), which prevents electric current from passing through it. This process is a kind of a time bomb - every year the contact area of ​​"clean" conductors becomes smaller, and the resistance and temperature at the connection site becomes larger. When the temperature gets high enough to melt the insulation, a short circuit occurs. In order to prevent metal contact at the junction with atmospheric oxygen, lead-tin solder can be used. To do this, first, the usual twisting of wires is performed, preferably in a parallel way or with a pigtail, after which the junction is evenly covered with solder using a soldering iron. After the solder has cooled down, the junction is wrapped with insulating tape.

One of the fastest and at the same time the most unreliable ways of splicing wires is twisting the wires. It is popular because it does not require special devices, and only insulating tape is needed to close the junction. You do not need to have special skills, it is enough to know the most common types of twists. However, this method is not without its drawbacks.

Why twisting - the main benefits

If you need to connect two copper wires together, they can be soldered. But not everyone has this useful skill, and a soldering iron may not be at hand, for example, if there is a break in the power tool cable or wire in the junction box in the country. Therefore, such a property of copper and aluminum conductors as flexibility is very convenient - they can simply be folded together and twisted in neat turns. In this case, even pliers are not needed if the metal cores of the wires have a small diameter. This applies not only to the television cable, antenna, telephone and many others, including computer ones.

Another advantage is the sufficiently high quality of the connection without soldering. If the wire is used for signal transmission, interference due to twisting usually does not appear, and if it does, then in very rare cases. It is very important that this connection saves time and sometimes money. In particular, there is no need to wait for the soldering iron to warm up or equip a special welding inverter for wires, you do not need to tin each core.

If the cores are varnished and do not provide contact, it is enough to simply burn them with a match or a lighter.

Very thin veins are easily burned out or become brittle when opalized, which can already be attributed to disadvantages.

What you need to know - the nuances of using twists and their disadvantages

So we mentioned some of the challenges of working with very thin, varnished copper cores. Without stripping, they will not give contact, but simply scorching with an open flame means burning the wire. However, even with thick veins, it is not always possible to easily cope with ordinary splices. For example, aluminum is quite brittle and too many turns leads to microcracks, which lead to the fact that the twisted ends simply break. Approximately the same happens in severe frost with a copper core - when the coils are tightly pulled together, they burst.

There are also directly opposite nuances, in particular, concerning the insufficiently tight twisting of the ends of the wire. Each time, connecting the cores of two cables with a twist, you need to connect the power supply without insulation and after 30-40 minutes check if the core is not heating up. The fact is that with a loose contact of the conductors, increased resistance occurs and the junction begins to heat up quickly, which can lead to burnout of the splicing of the wires. It should be borne in mind that due to temperature changes, the twisting of wires weakens over time and still starts to warm up.

In order to connect the bare ends of the wire, it is enough to twist them with your fingers, but it is recommended to use pliers to create high-quality tight turns.

It is highly undesirable to interconnect conductors made of two different metals, for example, aluminum and copper, but if there is no other option, you should use a special terminal, caps or pads. We also avoid splicing a single-core wire with a stranded one, since they have different resistances, and with the same diameter they are designed for different loads. If you do have to do this, calculate the peak current that will flow through the conductors at maximum load. It should be within the range for the weaker wire.

Existing types of twists - a list of commonly used

There are dozens of intertwining schemes for single-conductor and multicore cables. In this case, it is extremely important to know that it is always necessary to connect the same type of wires, or use special electrical junction boxes with terminals or screw clamps. The same devices easily combine cores made of different metals with each other. As for twists, there are parallel, sequential and branches. The difference between them is in the location of the conductors relative to each other. In the first case, the ends are placed side by side, in the second they are brought together, and in the last version we attach the conductor perpendicular to the bare area.

As far as the splice method is concerned, there can be quite a lot of room for action. So, for example, multi-core cables can be pre-twisted at the ends and you will twist the wires correctly as if you had single-core cores in your hands. But it is still better to splicate in a sequential way, first separating the veins at both ends and then weaving them in oppositely directed turns. Wires with one core can be twisted in a simple way, with a groove or bandage. We will analyze each of them in more detail.

We twist a stranded wire - the best option

As already mentioned, if there are no terminals, we use twisting, but the main condition for any multicore cable is the maximum contact of all conductors at the junction. Therefore, having exposed the ends, we twist each of them at the base, a quarter of the length from the insulation, and then we spread it with a whisk. We do this with each wire, usually you need to make 2 twists of electrical wires to get plus and minus (or zero and phase), less often 3 - if there is another phase or ground.

For a serial connection, carefully with a counter movement, we bring the beams together so that the corollas enter one into the other and the wires intersect, even at different arbitrary angles. Next, we begin to twist the veins of one end away from ourselves, and the other - towards ourselves, if you look at the cables from the side. In general, they will be curled in the same direction, clockwise, when looking at each rim from the point of connection.

The parallel connection of electrical wires is performed in almost the same way, only the ends with the separated bundles of cores are brought to each other at a slight angle from the side until they intersect. After receiving the desired contact, we simply weave all the veins into one thick pigtail. Then, of course, it is advisable to pour the resulting twist with tin, having previously tinned it, but if this is not possible, you can wind the insulation, be sure to at least 2 layers. For this purpose, special tubes are also used, which are put on the wire before connection.

We connect wires with one core - effective ways

The simple parallel option is the fastest. All that is needed is to connect two cores to each other at a certain angle, which need to be twisted, and then twist them in even turns from the point of intersection. To make a serial connection, you need to slightly bend the bare ends of the wires, bring them together in an opposite motion so that they intersect. After that, each wind around the base of the other, one away from you, and the second towards yourself, if you look at the cable from the side.

Parallel fastening with a groove is performed by curling one conductor around the other at two points - at the base of the stripped core, closer to the insulation, and near its end, which was previously slightly bent. This method gives a fairly even and strong installation, consisting, in fact, of two twists. The serial connection is carried out already by the mutual braiding of the cores bent at the ends with the passage of a small section. Again, there will be two twists near the insulation itself.

The bandage is done in cases where the wires are too thick and difficult to twist together. In such a situation, the cores are stripped of insulation and bent at the ends by 90 degrees, after which they are connected in parallel or in series. Then a thinner core is taken, and also necessarily from a wire with one core, and wrapped in even turns around the sections to be mounted. Then insulation is applied.

The connection of three wires is no different, you just need to add a third core to one of the first two in a parallel way, and then connect to each other with any of the above options. The same applies to the screwdriver. The difference in connecting the side conductor to the bare section is only in the fact that only it will be wrapped in turns, and the main wire will serve as the basis. All of the above methods are suitable, including the bandage in a situation where the core of the cable to be connected is too large in diameter.

Safe operation of the electrical network depends on whether the wires are twisted correctly, whether the peculiarities of the connections between copper and aluminum cables are taken into account. It is necessary to take into account the cross-section and the number of cores in the wires. Basic knowledge of the basic principles of cable splicing is a guarantee of high-quality work on the installation of an electrical network.

It is important to know and apply, but why?

Electric current is a source of increased danger. Neglect of the rules for installing the electrical network can lead to such consequences as:

• electric shock;
• poisoning by toxic fumes from combustion of insulation;
• fire.

Poor twisting is one of the reasons for these consequences. In places of poor connection, the passing current experiences increased resistance. The resulting heat energy does not have time to dissipate, excessive heating occurs. With an increase in the load in this section of the circuit, the resistance increases even more, and a short circuit occurs.

The twisted wire connections made in compliance with the rules guarantee the safe operation of the network. At the point of contact, resistance will not grow, the current will flow through the conductor. Connected electrical wires can be hidden in a box or under plaster. There will be no consequences if the instructions for twisting are followed.

Basic ways

Strands of the same metal, for example, copper wires, can be twisted directly together. The most common are the following:

• simple twisting;
• bandage;
• twisting with a gutter.

A simple correct twisting of electrical wires is known to every electrician who once connected them with his own hands. For two veins with a cross section of more than 4 sq. mm. a bandage method is needed, in which they are tied with a third wire. Gutter twisting is a method of connecting aluminum wires, when the ends are crocheted, interlocked and wrapped.

When connecting copper and aluminum, which have different resistances, an additional conductor is necessarily used. This can be a brass tube, a connector block, or a plug-in terminal. Threaded connections are also used with the obligatory use of additional cut washers. In such connections, it is necessary to increase the contact area, which is achieved by flattening the cores and reducing the resistance of the passing current.

Modern materials

Manufacturers of electrical installations offer their solutions to the issue of connecting wires. Factory made compact connectors provide a modern alternative to twisting cables. For example, PPE clamps for twisting are a cone-shaped spring installed in a dielectric housing. Inserted into such PPE caps, the bundles of wires are scrolled several turns and securely fixed.

For quick connection, the "Wago" terminals of the manufacturer of the same name are suitable. The joint in them occurs automatically: when the core is inserted into the corresponding hole, a flat-spring clamp is triggered. These terminals are disposable or reusable. Due to its ease of use, wiring is easy and the contact is reliable.

Do not forget the standard terminal blocks, which are universal for all types of connections. Made using a pad, the connection is not inferior to either Wago or PPE caps.

One-piece crimping

For twisting stranded wires, special one-piece crimp connections are used. This connection method should be used for the same metals, since due to the difference in resistance in each crimping, contact, for example, of copper with aluminum, will lead to heating. If the twist is made of copper wires, this should also be the connecting tube, the diameter of which approximately corresponds to the thickness of the wires to be connected. Pre-twisting the wires is optional.

Cables inserted into the tube are crimped with pressing tongs on both sides. An insulating material is applied to the resulting joint in at least three layers. As an alternative to electrical tape, you can use ready-made crimps with an insulating cap. Such a tube is crimped immediately with a polyethylene cap, which is gently deformed and reliably insulates the joint.

Advice: before twisting the wires, it is necessary to calculate the load on the electrical network. For this, the power of all electrical installations that can work at the same time are summed up. The minimum cross-section of one of the cables to be connected must correspond to the design load.

And what about the larger section?

Use of standard connection options for conductors with a cross section of 10 mm. sq. and is no longer allowed. In such cases, the ends of the cable are pressed with a special tip, on the sides of which there is a sleeve and a ring. One or more twisted wires are inserted into the sleeve and crimped with press pliers such as PK, PMK, PKG or PK. The lug ring is designed to connect to a terminal or pad of another wire.

Typically, connections via a ferrule with a ring are used to connect the contact wire in power shields. In such installations, it is not allowed to simply twist the cores together, because high voltage will instantly burn through the wires at the joints.

Soldering iron to help

In addition to twisting, soldering is used at the joints. This method is used in places of high humidity, where the requirements for resistance of wires to oxidation are most important. The previously made twist is melted with rosin, after which solder is applied to it. At the same time, the power of an ordinary household soldering iron is enough, it is important to exclude sharp burrs on the solder. After drying, they are removed with a file, because there is a risk of damage to the insulation.

The use of solder helps to connect the twisted fine stranded wires. The contact surface after processing with a soldering iron increases, therefore, the contact area of ​​the joints becomes larger. It should be borne in mind that the load on the wires to be connected, regardless of the use of soldering, is calculated according to the cross section of the smallest of them.

Original solutions

It is not necessary for everyone to know how to make the correct twisting using non-standard solutions, but in some cases it is precisely such knowledge that helps to cope with the work. For example, how to correctly make a twist, in which it is necessary to connect not two or three cores, but several tens of pairs? For this, a special mechanical device is used - a manual press technique. This press twists both stranded and single-core wires from the same metal.

Sometimes, on the contrary, it is necessary to decide how to properly twist for low-current installations: power cords, LEDs, telephones, etc. For this, special connectors are used, which are plastic caps for twisting wires, inside which there is a metal alloy plate in a special solution. It is a hydrophobic gel that prevents rust and protects contact from oxidation and moisture ingress.

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This article has a somewhat provocative title. I am sure that immediately there will be people who will write instructively, they say, twisting is illegal and according to the PUE, twisting of wires is prohibited.

Nobody argues with this. If not for the fact that, despite everything that is written in the PUE, the vast majority of wire connections on the territory of the former large Soviet country are still twisted.

I will not claim that very good twisting of wires- this is the most reliable and high-quality way of connecting wires, although they constantly try to prove it to me. It seems that someone even measured and compared the voltage drop across the twist and on the whole piece of wire, so it turned out to be less on the twist. Perhaps this is something from the field of mythology among electricians. Let's just proceed from the point that good twisting can be called one of the stages and a very important element of such methods of connecting wires as, for example, soldering or welding.

Before discussing further about the correct twisting, let's dwell on what will happen if the wires are connected just like that, without technology, "how did it happen." In this case, at the point of contact of two wires occurs. There are two reasons for this - a decrease in the cross-sectional area of ​​the wire at the point of contact (mainly due to microprotrusions during connection) and the presence of an oxide film on the wire cores.

Oxide film- the result of the interaction of the atoms of the metal of which the vein consists with oxygen in the air. This oxide film has a very decent resistivity. The oxide film is absent only in noble metals - gold, platinum, etc. (that's why they are "noble", that they do not react with anyone). In silver, the resistivity of the oxide film is the same as that of the metal itself, therefore silver is actively used in the contacts of various electrical devices.

When the wire is heated by the current passing through it, the contact resistance increases even more, because the generated heat is not completely discharged into the environment, but also heats the wire itself, including the twist.

As a result, all this can lead to an avalanche-like process when the place of twisting heats up more and more. Here is one of the causes of fires due to the so-called "wiring faults."

I met one case when an aluminum twist in a neighbor's dacha stood for only one day. The reason for this is not only the presence of poor-quality twisting, but also the material of the conductive core of the wire itself. the site has already been written.

The most interesting thing is that no circuit breakers and fuses in the electrical panel will help in this case, because they react to an increase in the current in the circuit. In our case, the current does not change, it just warms up more and more the place of contact of the two wires.

Based on this, we can conclude that good twisting of wires is necessary, first of all, so that the contact resistance always remains stable and does not change over time.

So what does it take to make a good wire twist?

First you need to remove the insulation without damaging the wire cores. We clean the bare section of the conductor from dirt with a clean cloth soaked in acetone or white spirit. Then we clean the veins with a metal brush or sandpaper to a metallic sheen.

Next, we twist the stripped veins with two pliers. To do this, we bend the ends of the cores at an angle of 90 ° at a distance equal to 7-10 core diameters from the cut of the insulation, and put them one behind the other. We wind 5-7 turns of one core to another with pliers.

We wind 5-7 turns of another core and seal the connection with pliers, i.e. we tighten the turns of the veins in opposite directions with two pliers. Then we bend the ends of the wires tightly.

In order to make a branch, it is necessary to wind 10-15 turns of the branch core around the main core. Seal the branch with two pliers, tightening the turns of the core by moving them in opposite directions. Then bend the end of the branch strand tightly. After all these operations, the stranding will be mechanically strong and reliable.

There are many other ways to twist wires. All these methods have even been given characteristic names.

For example, here are the methods shown in one well-known book for young electricians:

The option that I described in this article, using two pliers, has been tested by practice and has never let myself down.

After creating a high-quality twist, the wires can be soldered (little used due to laboriousness), welded (in one of the articles on the site it was somehow proved that).

Good twisting is needed, for example, for a more modern and less time-consuming method of connecting wires - when used, which is a good alternative to electrical tape.

In appearance, it looks like a regular cambric, which is worn on a twist with a margin in both directions. Then the heat shrink tubing heats up (you can use a regular lighter for this, but it is better to use an electric hairdryer), tightly wraps around the cable and reliably insulates it.

Do the twists right!

If you have your favorite wire connection options - share and tell about it in the comments to the article!