I have a zone expander in my attic connected to an Elk P212S back up power supply. Most of the 2nd and third floor connections require power, and there is no way to get them all screwed into the terminals. Is there an elegant way to make all these connections, or does everyone just use pigtails and wire nuts?
12v auxiliary power connections
- Thread starter hgupta1
- Start date
In my experience I would use soldered splices with wire nut to cap it. I could see some saying that it's overkill but it can be very difficult to troubleshoot a problem later if you have one. Screw terminal strips are neat but can fail in time due to moisture. The same is true of a twist splice or wire nut if not soldered.
I had a bad experience when I first installed my Elk system that is well documented here in the Security forum archives. My system would just speak at random times for no apparent reason. It drove me nuts for weeks and ended up being a twisted splice/wire-nut on the RS-485 data bus. Very simple to fix but very, very difficult to find.
Mike.
I had a bad experience when I first installed my Elk system that is well documented here in the Security forum archives. My system would just speak at random times for no apparent reason. It drove me nuts for weeks and ended up being a twisted splice/wire-nut on the RS-485 data bus. Very simple to fix but very, very difficult to find.
Mike.
Let me add that I know this is not practical for a professional installer to do but I thought it was worth the time and effort for myself.
Not so much on power lines and zones as on the data bus. For power and zones I recommend at least a good twisted splice and silicone filled wire cap like the B connectors.
https://www.amazon.com/B-CONNECTOR-GEL-Gel-Connectors-Bag-100/dp/B00NP6F95M
The instructions for these say to just insert wires and crimp but I always strip, splice and then insert and crimp.
Mike.
Not so much on power lines and zones as on the data bus. For power and zones I recommend at least a good twisted splice and silicone filled wire cap like the B connectors.
https://www.amazon.com/B-CONNECTOR-GEL-Gel-Connectors-Bag-100/dp/B00NP6F95M
The instructions for these say to just insert wires and crimp but I always strip, splice and then insert and crimp.
Mike.
Thanks! I am hesitant to solder since I tend to make regular additions/modifications. I was thinking of getting the screwdown terminal strips, but I didn't realize that they get finicky over time. Looks like I am going the wire nut route. Hopefully between wire labels and velcro strips, I can make this look neat and organized with just a pigtail.
For power distribution, you can use a distribution board, like the Altronix PD8 or PD16. Simple terminal strips with bridging bars are also an option. I know some folks have had problems with loose connections, but if you tighten them down well, I believe they will hold. Using them for data wires vs power might be a different story since the data signals are more sensitive to a less than perfect connection.
Another option besides wire nuts would be to use Wago connectors. They're somewhat limited in the number of wires you can connect with a single lever-style block. I think the largest is 5 wires, but you can always use several to form a distribution tree.
The B-connectors Mike pointed to are reliable when crimped properly. Use too little pressure and the teeth in the connector won't make good contact. Use too much and the teeth will be deformed and also not make good contact. Dolphin makes a specialty crimp tool for these, but it'sexpensive. Maybe not so bad if you buy it from a reasonable seller.
Another option besides wire nuts would be to use Wago connectors. They're somewhat limited in the number of wires you can connect with a single lever-style block. I think the largest is 5 wires, but you can always use several to form a distribution tree.
The B-connectors Mike pointed to are reliable when crimped properly. Use too little pressure and the teeth in the connector won't make good contact. Use too much and the teeth will be deformed and also not make good contact. Dolphin makes a specialty crimp tool for these, but it's
Sorry that I didn't mention that about the B connectors. I do have the tool to crimp them but it's been a while since I used it and I forgot. The tool crimps the connector flat to a thickness of about 1/16" without crushing them.
Here's a link to a discussion on them if you're curious:
http://cocoontech.com/forums/topic/15043-b-connector-splicing-technique/
I like that they are silicone filled. Is there any such thing as a low voltage gel filled wire nut? I've seen large ones for burying high voltage lines but not LV.
Mike.
Here's a link to a discussion on them if you're curious:
http://cocoontech.com/forums/topic/15043-b-connector-splicing-technique/
I like that they are silicone filled. Is there any such thing as a low voltage gel filled wire nut? I've seen large ones for burying high voltage lines but not LV.
Mike.
