Insulating Wire Ends

Dec 13, 2022 Last reply: 3 years ago 14 Replies
J

I have replaced an old wall thermostat with Honeywell TR 3 (on excellent advice from this group) which works brilliantly. It is a simple on-off switch and I have a spare neutral and earth in the backplate which I don't want to cut off as a future upgrade might need them.



I need to insulate them and wondered if something like these wire caps would work:



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They seem to be designed to take two wires, I need to insulate these two wires separately, when they touched accidentally my RCD tripped as quick as a flash which I believe is WAD?



Are these caps any good? If not any other suggestions please?


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B

Just get a two gang piece of choc block.

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A

not legal for mains house wiring usual chocblock should do it

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A

Choc block or better still wago 221

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Possibly expensive from Screwfix etc. because you need to by quantities of 25+

Smaller quantities on Ebay (but shop around) First Ebay hit

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R

Or put a crimp connector on each wire, leaving the free end uncrimped ready to connect another wire if you ever need to.

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T

put heatshrink on them

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R

or 2 x one-gang if space is tight. (I was there late Friday night rescuing a neighbour by isolating part of a kitchen ring which was tripping her RCD.)

downside with crimps is that you can't easily remove them and cutting them off may leave the wires too short

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B

There may not always be room for that though. I cannot see the ones suggested, but back in them good old days, Tandy used to make close ended sleeves that were quite flexible but strong. a bit of superglue and the right size and the job was done. They were a bit like those slide on toggle switch coloured sleeves you can get, but longer. Brian

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M

But DONT put both wires into a single Wago 221, you will need two separate ones. Unlike chock block a Wago will short both wires together.

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J

Top posted as Brain contributed.

Many thanks for all the replies :-)

Choc block it will be so that the wires are available >Are these caps any good? If not any other suggestions please?

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D

Squirt some silicone sealant over the ends of the choc block, easy enough to dig out when/if the time comes.

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A

That's a bit OTT. Green yellow insulation tape is what the op needs:-(

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A

Just put both cables to earth at both ends with some green yellow over sleeving

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A

Or as found in my mothers house when she purchased it - connections made by just twisting the wires together and insulated with Sellotape.

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