10

Could you please tell me the name of the red wire connector/terminal shown in the picture?

enter image description here

chicks
  • 183
  • 3
  • 8
Alex
  • 109
  • 3
  • 2
    To clarify - you've removed the twin-screw "chocolate block" joiner as pictured on the other wires, and found this underneath both screws, right ? – Criggie Aug 31 '21 at 03:11
  • 1
    That's a ferrule – slebetman Aug 31 '21 at 08:02
  • Are you supposed to use these things as splices/tees, by any electrical code in the world? I could see a bad, arcy chain reaction starting in case any one wire is ripped out of that crimp... – rackandboneman Sep 01 '21 at 01:02
  • @rackandboneman If it's the correct size and has been properly crimped, good luck pulling out a wire. (Not that that one looks properly crimped.) – Sneftel Sep 01 '21 at 09:25
  • @Sneftel I was specific to the situation of stuffing enough stranded leads into one ferrule that some of them might actually just be press-fit between other wires.... – rackandboneman Sep 02 '21 at 00:47

2 Answers2

33

That's an insulated bootlace crimp ferrule.

enter image description here

  • Insultated so that there is no touch danger when fully inserted into the terminal block. The insulation covers the funnel which guides the strands into the tubular section.
  • Bootlace because it's similar to those used to stop boot laces from fraying.
  • Crimp because a crimping tool is used to clinch the wires.
  • Ferrule /ˈfɛruːl,ˈfɛr(ə)l/ noun a ring or cap, typically a metal one, which strengthens the end of a handle, stick, or tube and prevents it from splitting or wearing.

The colour should indicate the gauge wire it matches.

Image source: Google image search random image.

Transistor
  • 168,990
  • 12
  • 186
  • 385
  • 5
    Just a note: while the color indicates a wire gauge, there are multiple conflicting coloring schemes. – Pelle Aug 31 '21 at 08:06
  • @Pelle, note my use of the word "should". It was deliberate! d:^) – Transistor Aug 31 '21 at 08:09
  • Also sometimes called 'cable shoes' (mostly online) because of some confusion with the Dutch translation. I've seen them on Ali Express under that name as well. – Zimano Aug 31 '21 at 08:22
  • 1
    It's a bootlace ferrule that has been *very* poorly crimped with (by the looks of it) side-cutters. – SiHa Aug 31 '21 at 12:55
  • 2
    @SiHa I actually don't think so. Given the four evenly spaced dents and apparently square cross-section, it was likely crimped by a cheap four-jaw crimper similar to [this one](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimp_(joining)#/media/File:Crimp_Tool_For_Bootlace_Ferrules.jpg). It's deformed because it used to be screwed down (likely in that terminal block). – TooTea Aug 31 '21 at 14:52
  • @TooTea Maybe. If you look closely, though, you can see that the dents are fatter at one end than the other (just like the marks a side-cutter would make) Not worth arguing about though :) – SiHa Aug 31 '21 at 15:05
2

It's a wire ferrule.

'An electric wire ferrule (sometimes electric end terminal) is a metal tube crimped over stranded wire to secure the strands within a screw terminal. Electrical insulation may be included to protect any exposed portion of the wire not completely inside the screw terminal post. Stranded wire is preferred for most electrical applications because it is more reliable than solid wire. It is more flexible and durable because repeated bending will not cause it to break. Stranded wire can be more difficult to terminate, because the individual strands tend to separate after insulation is removed. By placing the end of the stranded wire in a ferrule, the strands stay together'.

Courtesy - Wikipedia.

vu2nan
  • 15,929
  • 1
  • 14
  • 42