crimp sleeves found on hot/nuetral, residential wiring

[Levitation29]

I realize crimp sleeves are listed for ground connections, but I'm replacing some outlets in my '70s era house and found that uninsulated crimp sleeves, with tape, were used for creating pigtails at the outlets boxes.

the person removed insulation to expose copper 6" down one wire, and crimped the other cable/wire in the box to that.. So there are two wires in the crimp, with one wire continuing for the pigtail.

From what I understand, uninsulated crimp sleeves on hot/neutral (even with tape) like this isn't an approved method. Funny looking at it, because there are just two wires in the crimp, you can see how the wires don't touch in some...so that the crimp sleeve would carry the current, which is bad.

Made me think about the same issue with crimp sleeves on ground connections. wire to wire contact isn't guaranteed (especially with plier crimps). I would think an approved crimp connection must need wire to wire contact (like you get with a wire nut.

Anyone know if using crimp sleeves and tape on hot/nuetral was common in the '70s? I'm guessing this was just the behavior of some local electrician.

It's weird though. You would think that the ground connection needs to be as robust as any hot/nuetral connection (for instance it's sized to carry same currents nowadays)...so NEC must think it's a robust connector (crimp sleeve). so theoretically the only issue would be the taping as insulation.

-lev

[Don Young]

Taped crimp sleeves were quite common in some areas at one time. They should not be a problem if properly crimped and insulated but I imagine some were installed without the proper crimper. We always securely twisted the wires before crimping and used a special three prong crimper that crimped equally around the sleeve.

Don Young

[sym]

common practice it is, just make sure the wires are twisted then crimped perferably if not at least put a twist on the wires. in the area of bare wire. ive seen these connections without a twist burn up the wires makes a really big mess. the connections on your hot and nuetral wires are far far more important than the ground. if they are loose (bad) they can start a fire. a loose or bad ground might under certain conditions might cause a shock hazard

[Levitation29]

thanks for the responses, Don and sym. I managed to find some more info on the web.

Yeah it does sound like this was more common back in early

70's.

Evidently they're commonly known as Buchanan crimps, I guess name of first manufacturer.

Ideal still makes them, and they are UL listed for 600v, so since they are UL listed, NEC 110.14b would seem to allow them even on hot/neutral even today. (with appropriate insulation...i.e. better than the wires)

But the key is using the right crimp tool (the Ideal c-24 crimper, for instance, although it's a $50-$75 tool)

The crimps I have are only 2-points ..looks like done with a pliers crimp tool. Evidently 4-point crimps is what you need nowadays for a UL listed connection.

The plated steel sleeves are evidently okay, and they have copper sleeves available also.

Ideal also makes insulating caps that fit over them so you don't have to tape. That would make meeting the insulation rule easy/consistent.

I think the tape issue is the one thing with the old stuff: mechanical and electrical soundness.

So it seems like I could leave them as is, if I replace the tape maybe. I already got rid of some, switching to using feedthru connections on the outlets instead of pigtails.

But the original crimps there are pretty poor. Two-point crimps, with no wire to wire contact on some. Although the connection seems pretty solid (steel sleeve).

I'm not sure they really save space compared to compact wire nuts...once you have appropriate insulation on them. I was thinking I could replace them. because if I cut them off, I'm left with pretty sure wires...they might be compact for creating new pigtails that have better crimps.

-lev

[sym]

the crimp barrel itself is important buchanon crimps are soft i dont and wont use them i will use a wirenut before a buchanon. ideal crimps are a better way to go.