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Wire Nuts vs. Lugs: Benefits of a Good Electrical Connection
When installing or connecting motor leads we at Horner do not recommended the use of “wire nuts” on anything that will see 10 amps or more. Or another way to look at it is, we do not recommended them for use on motors larger than 3 HP at 230V, or 5 HP at 460V . Ambient temperatures also need to also be considered before using a plastic based wire nut. The plastic may soften and fail if the temperatures are too high. “Lugs” that are properly crimped to the lead cable, or soldered to the cable are the best connections to make for standard low voltage connections such as 230/460V. When these lugs then being properly positioned and bolted together, and then electrically insulated with the proper tapes, they will provide a good, long lasting connection and will save you in unexpected down time and failure. The benefits of a good electrical connection far outweighs the time savings of using the wire nuts on the initial installation.
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