Battery charger needs 8ga wire - ok to use a pair of 10ga?

[Ron20324]

Generally, it is not a good idea to only solder- especially a high-amperage circuit. If the solder gets hot it can melt and the connection come apart leaving a bare wire loose. If the wire would be secured in some way, you could solder, but it's not a good idea. Might even be an ABYC requirement.

 

[sailingdog]

I don't recommend using screw terminals on battery cables on a boat.

 

[Maine Sail]

Crimper..

Thanks... this is good to know for future projects.

Interestingly, I was not able to find a crimper that will do 8ga. All of them that I saw (and the one I have) will only do 10ga-22ga. Then there's that heavy duty lug crimped that looks like you whack it with a hammer, but it only does 6ga - 4/0.

Is 8ga the unwanted stepchild of wire gauges?

--Michael

This is a great crimper for heat shrink crimps and it will also do insulated crimps but just won't crimp the strain relief barrel on insulated terminals because it is a single crimp not a double.

The nice thing about it is that it does 8ga to 22ga.

8ga to 22ga Crimper (LINK)

TR-50 Manufacturers Site (LINK)

Image courtesy NSPA Inc.

 

[sail361]

I am adding my 2 cents worth for what it's worth, In the electrical field, it's NOT allowed to parallel any size wire smaller than 1/0 guage. That is a fairly large wire in relation to a #10 awg. If it was practical or safe, most of the wiring on your boat would be made up of smaller sizes paralleled. It is a matter of load carrying capacity, the short circuit rating, and length of the wire. Parallel wires are supposed to be exactly the same length. If one wire is longer, it will not carry the same load as the shorter length,
which in turn, results in uneven temperature on the wires. The larger 1/0 size can handle the load difference a whole lot better than # 10. which is why it's not allowed.
Hope this clears up why you don't see a bunch of small paralleled wires on your ship

 

[Maine Sail]

RAD..

Rad those types of fittings would not meet the current ABYC standards. ABYC is not mandatory on your own boat but many individual boaters like to do repairs to meet ABYC because many surveyors now reference it, or parts of it they know, and many insurance companies require some repairs to be up to snuff before insurance is issued.

From ABYC E-11:
"11.16.3.1. Wiring connections shall be designed
and installed to make mechanical and electrical joints
without damage to the conductors."

Screw type terminals can make mince meat of multi-strand UL 1426 marine wire because the wire strands are so fine. With home or industrial stranded 8ga wire there are far fewer strands, which are far thicker, and resist breaking and snapping under the twisting of the screw.

From ABYC E-11:
"11.16.3.2. Metals used for the terminal studs,
nuts, and washers shall be corrosion resistant and
galvanically compatible with the conductor and
terminal lug. Aluminum and unplated steel shall not
be used for studs, nuts, and washers."

I don't know about the ones you pictured but I have seen this type of terminal in aluminum before. Marine grade terminals are generally tinned copper.

From ABYC E-11:
"11.16.3.5. Connections may be made using a setscrew
pressure type conductor connector, providing a
means is used to prevent the set-screw from bearing
directly on the conductor strands."

The small Ancor multi-terminal strips in plastic would be a good example of isolation from the screw clamping directly onto the wire as there is a strip of metal between the screw head and the wire to prevent fracturing of the wire.I am not saying those wouldn't work, they will probably pass current fine, but would not be the best choice for the boater who wants to keep his elecrical system as close to industry standards as possible.

 

[RAD]

Its a good day if I learn something new

 

[natotm]

Crimping tip

In a pinch, if you take off the plastic on 8ga crimp fittings you can get a good crimp with a 10ga crimper. Plan your crimp with shrink tubing where needed.