OK to terminate Plugmold Strip like this?

[I Love Grits]

Hardwiring some plugmold strips underneath the cabinets in the kitchen. This is my first time working with them.There's not much room in the housing for much of anything. I'm using the pressure type connectors for the hookup.

My question is: on the ends of the strip past the last outlet, rather than trying to cram 3 wirenuts in there to terminate into, can I just shorten the wire and leave it inside the outlet?

See the pics below for a better understanding.

• Here's with the case trimmed, and the amount of space to the left of the outlet to work with.

• This is what one of the outlet's looks like split open.

• It's a little hard to see, but the wire passes current through a cut in the insulation that's caused from pressing into the terminal. There's no mechanical fastener, and I'm honestly surprised at how little wire is in contact with the terminal.

• A close up of the cut insulation and the amount of wire that is in contact with the terminals.

• Is there a reason why I can't just cut the wire short of the end of the housing, and "terminate" there like this? The housing is plastic, there's no other contacts other than where the wire is cut.

I want to do thing properly, so if there's a reason why its not OK to terminate like this, I'm all ears.

Thanks for any help.

 

[teamo]

I was a little confused by your terminology. To terminate something in electrical usually means to attach to a lug, terminal, screw, etc. I think you are asking if it is okay to just cut those wire short because you are at the end of the plug mold and you are not joining it up/continuing on to any other plug mold strips correct? That should be fine the way you have it. It is encased inside of the plastic and doesn't appear that the wires can come into contact with each other or with the metal shell. You could put some tape over the ends if you want but either way it looks okay.

 

[Richard Cranium]

What I did was to cut one wire short and the other one longer and use a small wire nut on the blk wire and another one on the white wire. And leave the green on shortest.
blk should be your hot wire.
white should be common
green should be ground.

 

[Dagny]

That's how I've done it for years.

 

[I Love Grits]

I was a little confused by your terminology. To terminate something in electrical usually means to attach to a lug, terminal, screw, etc. I think you are asking if it is okay to just cut those wire short because you are at the end of the plug mold and you are not joining it up/continuing on to any other plug mold strips correct? That should be fine the way you have it. It is encased inside of the plastic and doesn't appear that the wires can come into contact with each other or with the metal shell. You could put some tape over the ends if you want but either way it looks okay.

Yeah I wasn't sure if that was the appropriate word to use. You're assumption of what I was asking is correct. Thanks for the input! I feel better about it now.

 

[Dustball]

You could heat-shrink the ends to alleviate any concern.

 

[myredracer]

I would expect that the raceway should be connected to ground via that green wire to meet code. These installation instructions show a ground strap. http://www.powercabling.com/content/nema.html I would have extended the ground wire past the last receptacle to the ground strap.

As a side note, the IDC termination method on those receptacles is similar to a SCD (self contained receptacle) used in RVs and mobile homes. These have two IDC connectors per wire though for a 15 amp rated receptacle. I don't think I'd be wanting drawing much current on these, at least for long periods.

 

[alfredeneuman]

I've installed loads of Plugmold. It's a pain in the behind to work with, and I hated it.
I just cut the wires off flush with the last receptacle. No tape or wirenuts needed
I haven't ever had a problem.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I thought I posted in this thread, but it apparently got lost. Plugmold is ****, plain and simple. I had a strip on the front and back of my workbench for years, but I had connection problems and the contacts lost their tension on the most used positions. After looking at how they made the connections to the wire, I finally removed them and put them in the scrapmetal, and installed boxes with good quality receptacles, on each of the legs of the workbench. I used handy boxes with brackets welded to them, installed nicely. I hate handy boxes and generally tell people to stay away from them, but there is only one, hot, one neutral and one ground going into the box, so while packed kinda tight, its legal and given the intended use, works OK.

Charles

 

[grounded-b]

Removing those wires from their "Insulation Displacement Connectors" and re-installing them back in the exact same place will cause problems down the road. Basically, the U notch on the receptacle cuts thru the insulation & digs into the copper wire. When you pull them and re-install in the same notch, the copper is already nicked, and the IDC connection won't have the same grip on the copper.

 

[I Love Grits]

As a side note, the IDC termination method on those receptacles is similar to a SCD (self contained receptacle) used in RVs and mobile homes. These have two IDC connectors per wire though for a 15 amp rated receptacle. I don't think I'd be wanting drawing much current on these, at least for long periods.

I share that same concern. Thanks for the input.

I've installed loads of Plugmold. It's a pain in the behind to work with, and I hated it.
I just cut the wires off flush with the last receptacle. No tape or wirenuts needed
I haven't ever had a problem.

Thanks for the feedback. That's what I'll do in order to avoid disturbing the IDC as mentioned by grounded-.

I thought I posted in this thread, but it apparently got lost. Plugmold is ****, plain and simple. I had a strip on the front and back of my workbench for years, but I had connection problems and the contacts lost their tension on the most used positions. After looking at how they made the connections to the wire, I finally removed them and put them in the scrapmetal, and installed boxes with good quality receptacles, on each of the legs of the workbench. I used handy boxes with brackets welded to them, installed nicely. I hate handy boxes and generally tell people to stay away from them, but there is only one, hot, one neutral and one ground going into the box, so while packed kinda tight, its legal and given the intended use, works OK.

Charles

These are going underneath an upper kitchen cabinet. I agree with you that the construction is less than impressive. But don't have much choice for this particular application.

Removing those wires from their "Insulation Displacement Connectors" and re-installing them back in the exact same place will cause problems down the road. Basically, the U notch on the receptacle cuts thru the insulation & digs into the copper wire. When you pull them and re-install in the same notch, the copper is already nicked, and the IDC connection won't have the same grip on the copper.

Good info. Thanks for the heads up. I'll plan on cutting the wires at the end of the outlets and not disturbing the IDCs.

 

[Norcal]

If they are being used under a kitchen cabinet, they need to tamper resistant. Do not want the "little darlings" to hurt themselves.

 

[rburke65]

The " little darlings" will only fool with them once....

 

[Norcal]

The " little darlings" will only fool with them once....

Agreed. . But still a code requirement.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Agreed. . But still a code requirement.

And Walker (wiremold and plugmold's parent company) still doesn't have TP on any of their products.

 

[I Love Grits]

If they are being used under a kitchen cabinet, they need to tamper resistant. Do not want the "little darlings" to hurt themselves.

Got the TR ones - really the only ones any stores around here carry anymore. I don't care for the TR plugs and how much force it takes to plug something in, but what you gonna do...

And Walker (wiremold and plugmold's parent company) still doesn't have TP on any of their products.

Not sure when they started making them, but TR plug mold is all the brick and mortar stores around here carry.

http://www.legrand.us/wiremold/at-home/surge-protection-and-power-strips/pmktr-tamper-resistant-plugmold.aspx#.Vmn24korKUk

 

[Norcal]

And Walker (wiremold and plugmold's parent company) still doesn't have TP on any of their products.

Actually Walker was bought by Wiremold and Legrand is their owner, Walkers version is more user friendly then genuine Plugmold, IMO.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Got the TR ones - really the only ones any stores around here carry anymore.
Not sure when they started making them, but TR plug mold is all the brick and mortar stores around here carry.

I stand corrected!
: :tard:

 

[Zippercat]

If they are being used under a kitchen cabinet, they need to tamper resistant. Do not want the "little darlings" to hurt themselves.

If you've got little darlings crawling on the countertops getting into outlets is probably not the only risk.