Resolved OASIS Saga Part Deux (bad relay)

[Joe Hogan]

Neal, I'm no expert or electrician but stranded wire spliced to solid wire using a wire nut sounds like a bad connection just waiting to cause an issue. Not sure if the wire gauges are the same . You might want to consider a crimped Butt connector for this application.

 

[Neal]

Neal, I'm no expert or electrician but stranded wire spliced to solid wire using a wire nut sounds like a bad connection just waiting to cause an issue. Not sure if the wire gauges are the same . You might want to consider a crimped Butt connector for this application.

This is how Newmar wires these units. Wire nuts but no electrical tape to secure them. I'm no electrician, no clue what's going on here.

 

[stang37]

You might consider using an electrical split bolt connector although they may take up a little mores space vs wire nuts. It requires rubber tape and then electrical tape. I haven't been back to look at my connects in about 2 years and everything seems ok.

 

[RKins]

Stranded wire to romex is used all the time with a wire nut - look at your ceiling fans, recessed lights, outdoor lights. All of those have stranded wires and your home has solid romex. I've not had a problem and I just replaced 2 outside lights. I agree that there should be no heat if the connection is solid.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Stranded wire to romex is used all the time with a wire nut - look at your ceiling fans, recessed lights, outdoor lights. All of those have stranded wires and your home has solid romex. I've not had a problem and I just replaced 2 outside lights. I agree that there should be no heat if the connection is solid.

Good point. I guess the practice of wire nut connection between solid and stranded wire is more common than I realized.

 

[Joe Hogan]

Wago connector testing

 

[Joe Hogan]

More considerations with connectors

 

[Neal]

For those that have not looked at their OASIS wiring, it's not a pretty site. There is a mix of wire types and gauge. What's under the 120V junction box is one thing, what's under the hour meter and further down is another. "Braided" wire which looks like rope, small gauge (14-16??) connected to 120V wires for the relay. In my burn through it was heavy gauge stranded paired to a romex. Different sizes. The Wago use cases all seem to be like wire types and gauge. I think what happened in my recent situation was arcing. I don't know whether the wago is too small for the size (8-10 awg??) on one side and maybe the metal bridge was insufficient and the two wires laying side by side not in contact instead arc'd?

If there was building code for this setup I think it would fail. I'm glad I added Nest Smoke Detectors to my basement, one over the shore power reel which is close to the OASIS unit for coverage and one over the inverter. That gives me peace of mind for smoke/fire detection. I feel better with the wire nut connection of mismatched wire gauges such as this situation. The larger wag @Joe Goodxrvn pointed out is probably the better fit for the larger gauge stranded wire even though this connector is rated by V and A to be sufficient, the size is not.

I replaced the two smoke detectors in the house with Nest and added two to the basement. Here is a 4-pack should anyone else want to do the same, highly recommended and I really like these smoke detectors.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GF3Z5KK/?tag=rvf01-20

 

[RKins]

I think the safest connection is a terminal strip that you land a wire under each screw terminal with a ring crimp connector crimped onto each wire. Something like below.

https://www.bing.com/th?id=A2fbeac3...=110&h=110&c=7&rs=2&qlt=80&dpr=1.1&pid=SANGAM

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

I think the safest connection is a terminal strip that you land a wire under each screw terminal with a ring crimp connector crimped onto each wire. Something like below.

https://www.bing.com/th?id=A2fbeac3...=110&h=110&c=7&rs=2&qlt=80&dpr=1.1&pid=SANGAM

I was thinking the same thing. The next best might be the Wago Wall-Nut connectors as they are similar in concept to a terminal strip.

TJ