110 wiring light switch without wire nuts?

[MedSailor]

I'm about to wire up a 110 switch, that allows me to turn on and off my new water heater and my battery charger. According to the diagrams they want me to use a wire nut for the white wires. Aren't wire nuts taboo on boats?

What's the option for wiring 3 110V wires together without a wire nut?

Thanks!

Medsailor

[btrayfors]

Wire nuts on a boat are a NO-NO.

Probably best bet is to use a small terminal strip.

You sure you want to turn your water heater OFF and ON at the same time as the battery charger? Shouldn't they be on separate breakers?

[MedSailor]

Originally Posted by btrayfors

Wire nuts on a boat are a NO-NO.

Probably best bet is to use a small terminal strip.

??? Inside a switch box? There isn't room. Outside would mean it is and exposed 110v strip.

Originally Posted by btrayfors

You sure you want to turn your water heater OFF and ON at the same time as the battery charger? Shouldn't they be on separate breakers?

I have one breaker run to a double switch (that I'm about to install). The switch allows me to turn on either the battery charger, water heater, or neither. I don't want them on separate breakers as that will necessitate another 50ft wire run and they can happily share a 15A circuit.

Medsailor

[DwayneSpeer]

Use the wire nut. The objection to them is future corrosion but if you seal them with liquid electrical tape you won't have a problem for a long time as long as they aren't put under strain.

[scottyt]

you can get a double pole double throw switch. one side being hots the other being nuetrals. you could say make up the water heater and down the charger, you would have no wire nuts. incoming wires to the switch, out going to switch, no wirenuts

[MedSailor]

Originally Posted by scottyt

you can get a double pole double throw switch. one side being hots the other being nuetrals. you could say make up the water heater and down the charger, you would have no wire nuts. incoming wires to the switch, out going to switch, no wirenuts

Now that's a creative idea. The only problem is that I normally will want both the heater and battery charger.

I found these:
DRYCONN INTERIOR/EXTERIOR WATERPROOF WIRE CONNECTORS 62110 KING SAFETY

Waterproof wire nuts. Should do the trick, though I still would rather not use wire nuts. If I use the waterproof ones combined with strain relief clamps on the box, they should be okay.

Thanks for the ideas.
MedSailor

[scottyt]

okay go get a double pole switch, they sell em for about 12 bucks at home depot. if its stranded wire use crimp on fork or ring connectors.

this type of switch is used for shut offs for well pumps, small 220 v equipment. it will shut off both side, use one for hot one for neutral

by the way the double pole double throw switch can be used for a transfer switch if you have a genny or inverter as they come in 30 amp ratings. just hook the boat side to the common and the shore power out let to one side and the inverter to the other

[mitiempo]

The wire should be stranded - solid core is not smart on a boat. Wire nuts work best on solid core though. I doubt that a 15 amp breaker will work if both are on together as the water heater might draw most of 15 amps itself. I'd put them on separate breakers.

[MedSailor]

Originally Posted by mitiempo

The wire should be stranded - solid core is not smart on a boat. Wire nuts work best on solid core though. I doubt that a 15 amp breaker will work if both are on together as the water heater might draw most of 15 amps itself. I'd put them on separate breakers.

Thanks for the tips. I only use double jacketed, tinned, stranded wire for my 110 volt stuff ($$$). As for the breaker, I already have miles of wire running around and I don't expect the two devices will trip it. The 40amp battery charger would only draw 3A or so. A combination of lazyness (I hate running wire) and cost move me to try it with the 15A breaker first. If I find it is tripping, I'll replace the breaker with a 20A one.



Even though I've found a solution with the water resistant wire-nuts, it still leaves me wondering, how does the rest of the world wire up a standard 110v light switch. Do they use wire nuts for the white wires, or something else....

MedSailor

[GaryHLucas]

I spent my first career as an electrician. What most people don't know is that a good quality wire nut (Ideal) is actually a spring loaded wiring device. The conical spring sits in a oval cone shaped cavity that allows the spring to expand slightly. When properly installed, closed end up, they almost never go bad. I've seen 30 year old connections outside on a light pole that are just fine, even though the insulation is falling off the wire! The spring also means they resist vibration quite well. There is of course a lot of junk on the market.

Gary H. Lucas