Push fits

[Chri5]

HelaCon Easy
The range of push-in wire connectors are used for fast, easy and reliable connection and distribution of cable and conductors in electrical housing applications. They used within a typical range of housing voltage up to 450 volts. A huge variety of input poles allow a high flexibility in application depending of the number of conductors and available space. Diameters of up to 2,5mm² can conveniently be processed and allow the use of thicker conductors when a voltage drop occurs. The flexible fixing of the double spring of HelaCon Plus allows different conductor diameters in each entry without influencing the adjacent ones. The connectors can be used in all kinds of junction boxes either on-wall or flush mounted.

As kone was to telecoms and data, as plumbing push fits is to plumbers, will electrical connectors become push fit.

Will screw terminal products die and push fit become a standard coonector ?

HelaCon Plus
HelaCon Plus is a sophisticated push-in wire connector for professional cable connections in electrical housing applications. The newly developed double spring allows easy processing and will support installers especially in tricky situations like overhead work. This ensures proper fixing that can optically be checked through the transparent housings. Different colour codes provide a comfortable identification of the different connectors. A separate voltage test entry on the front guarantees safety during application, installation and maintenance.

Here' the main product PDF http://www.hellermanntyton.co.uk/documents/5000/HelaCon_Brochure_ENG_Jan2008.pdf

Would you or have you used them?

I've used them with certain light fittings have been supplied by them and I think there quite good.

Fantastic for over head working, converting ceiling roses to light fittings that can't retain the rose and end up on choc connectors. There's even dust / protection caps, so bye bye choc boxes, bye bye choc screw terminals

 

[luminaire]

How much do they cost?

 

[ericmark]

I used these back in 1980 when working in Algeria the Dutch company I worked for Nacap brought these in and they were common throughout the sites.
So considering they have been about for 28 years why should they become popular now?
Many German machines have push fit junction blocks but with stranded wires you need to open every one first with a terminal screw driver in the square hole and although quicker never seems to have caught on in UK.
Eric

 

[GaryMo]

I've used the Wago push fit connectors which are excellent.

http://www.wago.com/cps/rde/xchg/wago/style.xsl/eng_index.html

 

[tim west]

They are ok as long as you allow plenty of slack on the cables as when the connector needs changing inevitably it needs chopping off shortening the cable each time unless it has a release tab.

 

[GaryMo]

They are ok as long as you allow plenty of slack on the cables as when the connector needs changing inevitably it needs chopping off shortening the cable each time

Not if you use these Wago's

 

[rssteve]

i have had many trouble with poor test readings when using these, the sharp bit obviously does not bit the cable enough and you get a high resistant joint. It would also gte tricky if you had different size cables or stranded and solid wire etc so i don;t plan to use them.

 

[tim west]

They are ok as long as you allow plenty of slack on the cables as when the connector needs changing inevitably it needs chopping off shortening the cable each time

Not if you use these Wago's

beat me to it

 

[Cremeegg]

As I understand it the Hellermann ones have a test point as well which the ordinary Wago ones don't. Give H a ring and they will send you some to evaluate.

 

[mattylad]

As a designer of PCB's that need terminals for lighting & fire alarm cabling etc we would often try various different forms of connectors inc push fits etc.

We always came back to rising clamp terminal blocks as being the best.

 

[electronicsuk]

We always came back to rising clamp terminal blocks as being the best.

I've never understood why manufacturers keep using these, although you're probably the right person to ask!

Seems to me that once you've used them once, the clamp will never fully open again on its own. Usually you can get a small terminal driver in there to open them up again, although sometimes the designer insists on putting the terminals so close to the edge of the enclosure that this isn't possible.

The other issue I have is with the small 2 and 3 terminal rising clamp blocks that solder direct to the PCB. Probably cheap terminal block design rather than poor product design as a whole, but most of them don't have any further support to hold them to the PCB other than the solder joints. Even when tightened modestly, the whole assembly likes to rotate about.

 

[milliamp]

I have used Wago connections several times and find them a sound fixing. To date I have not had any high resistance joints or any other problems.
Has anyone used these as permanent joints, inaccessible for testing etc? (Reg 526.3) Could they be described as compression terminals ?

 

[GaryMo]

Has anyone used these as permanent joints, inaccessible for testing etc? (Reg 526.3) Could they be described as compression terminals ?

I don't see why not, assuming they're housed within an enclosure.
After all, it wouldn't be much different to Hagars maintenance free junction box, sold as suitable for inaccessible locations and complying with BS7671

Hagar maintenance free junction box

 

[RF Lighting]

I got sent a free sample of the hellerman ones, and they are OK, but I prefer the wago ones myself.

I notice hager have brought out a range of junction boxes with pushfit connectors, which they claim are maintainence free, and therefore are not required to be accessible.


GaryMo

 

[milliamp]

Thanks GaryMo, the Hagar write up indicates they should be ok.