Types of taps, Splices and Joints of Conductor

Rat tail joints are used to join conductors in outlet boxes or when fixture leads are connected
through conductors. The joints are made by skinning about 2 inches, the end of the conductor is to
be joined. Then twist the bare conductors about six times.

Western Union Short tie splice - To make the splice, the wires are first skinned for about 3
inches at the ends. They are then placed in crossed position about 1 inch from the insulation. Four
or five short turns are then wrapped on each side of the longest twist, and the free ends cut off and
squeezed down closed to the straight position of the wire so that they will not extend over the
surface of the short turns and permit the sharp to cut through the tape with the splice to be wrapped.

Western Union Long Tie Splice is used extensively for outside wiring and is quite similar to the
short tie splice. It is also being used for interior wiring. The difference is that a number of long twist
are made before wrapping the end turns. This is done so to withstand greater stress of pressure on
the wire. The wire for this splice are bared about 4 ½ inches. They are then placed in the form of an
X at a point midway between the insulation and the end of the base wire. Five or six long twists are
then made and each side those turns are wrapped.
Britannia Splice is used in interior wiring where solid wires of No. 6 AWG gauge or larger sizes are
to be joined and where large wire connectors or pliers are not at hand. The two wires are based for
about 4 inches in a No. 6 wire. About ½ inch of the extreme end of each beat to almost a right angle
to the straight portion of the conductor. A wrapping wire made of No. 18 bare wire copper is then cut
to about 6 ft. in length and prepared by cleaning and bending in half. The large conductors are then
laid together, one bent end pointing upward and the other downward. The center of the wrapping
wire is then brought to the center of the conductor, one half of which is wrapped in one direction and
other remaining half in the other as far as the best portion. The free ends are then forced through the
grooves from one ends to the other end of the other of the large single conductors. The best ends
are then cut off close to the joint.

Scarfed splice. It is used only on a large solid wire where there is an objection to the bulkiness of
the Western Union or Britannia splice. The wires are bared for about 3 inches when a No. 6 wire is
used. The bared wire is then filed to a wedge shape starting about ½ inch from the insulations. A
piece of No. 18 bare copper wire is cut to about 5 ft. in length and prepared by cleaning and bending
in half.The two file sides of the conductors are then laid together and wrapping wire wound around
them as similarly done in Britannia Splice. The wrapping is completed by winding about six and
seven turns of the free ends around the unfilled portion of the conductor.

Multiple wrapped cable splice is used more extensively on small strand wires and cables
because these stands are more pliable and may be wound together without much difficulty. Large
strands are rigid and require considerable time in making such a splice. To make the splice, the
ends of the conductors are skinned at the distance of about 6 inches. The strands are cleaned and
spread about apart. Next, the strands are cut about 3 inches from the insulation to right angle with
the conductor. The strands of both conductors are then laced together, one group of strands wounds
in the opposite direction. Care should be done that all strands in each group are wrapped
simultaneously and parallel to one another.
Plain tap or Tee Joints is used to a great extent joining a tap or other conductor to a through
conductor, as for example, a branch or main circuit. To make the joint, skin the tap wire about 2
inches and the main wire about 1 inch. Next, the wires are crossed intersecting about ¼ inch from
the insulation of the tap wire and the main wire. A hook or sharp bend is then made in the tap and
about five or six turns wound around the main wire. The joint is soldered and tape. Care must be
taken that the solder flows and sticks through all the crevices and that the tape covers all part of the
conductors, beginning and ending on the original insulation.

Knotted or loop, tap joint is very strong joint and will not untwist even enough strain is placed upon
it. It is occasionally used in practice, particularly for temporary lighting systems, where time is not
taken to solder joints. To make the join using No. 14 AWG wire, the tap wire is skinned about 3
inches and is then placed over the insulation of the tap and main wire. The tap wire is bent and
hooked over the main wire and brought forward and bent over itself. Lastly, the remaining portion is
wound into four or five short turns around the main wire.

Wrapped Tap, Tee Joint is used on large solid conductors where is difficult to wrap the heavy tap
wire around the main wire. When a No. 6 AGW wire is used, both the main wire and the tap wire are
skinned about 4 inches. The tap wire is bent into an L shape about ½ inches from the insulation so
that it will rest along the side of the main wire. A wrapping wire is then prepared using size No. 18
bare conductors terminating beyond the bent of tap wire and up to the installation of the main
conductor.
Ordinary Cable Tap or Tee Joint is used where large stranded wire or cables are tapped to a
through conductor. To make the joint, the main strands should be scraped through with a knife blade
or sandpaper. The tap wire of similar wire size cable should be skinned about 6 inches distance and
the strands separated or fanned each strands of the tap into the shape. The main cable is placed
into this V-shaped space and forced down to within 1 inch from the insulation of the tap conductor.
One group of tap wires is then wound around the main conductor, each strands should be placed
parallel to the other, and all wrapped at the same time and in one direction. The other group is
wound in similar manner but in opposite directions.

Split Cable Tap or Tee Joint is used where stranded cables or wire are tapped to a through
conductor. This joint is stronger than the ordinary cable tap and will not unwrap even though a strain
is placed upon it prior soldering. To make this joint, the main wire is skinned a distance of 5 inches
No. 14 American Wire Gauge (AWG) wire size is used and the strands thoroughly scraped as for the
ordinary cable tap. The strands are next divided in half by forcing the screw driver through the center
of the bared portion of the main wire. The tap wire is prepared by skinning it about 6 inches, scraping
each strand until thoroughly cleaned and fanning out the strands so that they can be pushed around
the space in the main wire. A space about 1 ½ inch should be left between the main wire and the
insulation of the tap wire. In completing the joint, one group is wound around the main conductor, in
one direction; and the second group is wound in the opposite direction.

The Through Fixture Joint is used where fixtures are connected to branch wires at an
intermediate point. In making this joint, the end of one conductor is skinned about 2 inches and the
other about 4 inches. At a point ¼ inches away from the insulation of the longer wire, three or four
long twists are made similar to the rat-tail joint. The long bared portion of the long wire is bent over
parallel with the free ends. Both free ends are then place alongside each other wrapped together
around the straight bared portion.
 Watts Consumption of Appliances

Appliance Minimum Maximum

100W light bulb (Incandescent) 100W 100W

25" colour TV 150W 150W

3" belt sander 1000W 1000W

60W light bulb (Incandescent) 60W 60W

9" disc sander 1200W 1200W

Ceiling Fan 25W 75W

Clock radio 1W 2W

Clothes Dryer 1000W 4000W

Coffee Maker 800W 1400W

Cordless Drill Charger 70W 150W

Desktop Computer 100W 450W

Dishwasher 1200W 1500W

Electric Blanket 200W 200W

Electric Heater Fan 2000W 3000W

Electric Kettle 1200W 3000W

Electric Mower 1500W 1500W

Electric Shaver 15W 20W

Appliance Minimum Maximum

Food Blender 300W 400W

Fridge / Freezer 150W 400W

Game Console 120W 200W

Hair Blow dryer 1800W 2500W

Home Air Conditioner 1000W 4000W

Home Internet Router 5W 15W

Hot Water Immersion Heater 3000W 3000W

Inkjet Printer 20W 30W

Inverter Air conditioner 1300W 1800W

Iron 1000W 1000W

Laptop Computer 50W 100W

Lawnmower 1000W 1400W

LED Light Bulb 7W 10W

Microwave 600W 1700W

Oven 2150W 2150W

Power Shower 7500W 10500W

Rice Cooker 200W 250W

Scanner 10W 18W

Appliance Minimum Maximum

Smart Phone Charger 4W 7W

Strimmer 300W 500W

Submersible Water Pump 400W 400W

Table Fan 10W 25W

Tablet Charger 10W 15W

Tablet Computer 5W 10W

Toaster 800W 1800W

TV (19" colour) 40W 100W

Vacuum Cleaner 200W 700W

Washing Machine 500W 500W

Water Dispenser 100W 100W

Water Feature 35W 35W

Water Filter and Cooler 70W 100W

 Electrical fixtures
Mandatory Standard
Standard 4.6

Every building must be designed and constructed in such a way that electric lighting points and
socket outlets are provided to ensure the health, safety and convenience of occupants and
visitors.

Limitation:

This standard applies only to domestic buildings where a supply of electricity is available.

Introduction
Visual perception increases with the level of light falling on the surface of an object. It is
important to avoid hazardous situations that may be created by the nature of the lighting itself
including insufficient light sources, glare, gloom and shadows.

During daylight, lighting levels within a building are generally much less than those outdoors. In
lobby areas, transitional lighting will assist the eye in adjusting quickly between exterior and
interior lighting conditions. Careful design of lighting can also play an important part in
emergency situations, to ensure the safe and effective evacuation of people in an emergency.

Section 2 (Fire) includes guidance on escape route lighting and emergency lighting, whilst
Section 6 (Energy) covers energy efficient design of lighting.

Aside from the specific issues noted above and in guidance to this standard, general guidance
on lighting in buildings remains outwith the scope of the Technical Handbook. There are,
however numerous publications offering guidance on use of lighting in buildings for safety and
amenity, including those listed below:

Code for Lighting – CIBSE (2002)

Building Sight - Royal National Institute for the Blind (1995).

The provision of an entryphone system to a communal entrance will enhance both the amenity
and the security of occupants within a building.

Today, with ever more electrical appliances being used in homes, an adequate provision of
power points reduces the possibility of both overloading of individual sockets, risking fire, and
the creation of trip hazards from use of extension cabling.

Conversions - in the case of conversions, as specified in regulation 4, the building as converted

shall meet the requirement of this standard (regulation 12, schedule 6).

Lighting
A dwelling should have an electric lighting system providing at least one lighting point to every
circulation space, kitchen, bathroom, toilet and other space having a floor area of 2m2 or more.

Any lighting point serving a stair should have controlling switches at, or in the immediate vicinity
of, the stair landing on each storey.
 Lighting in common areas of domestic buildings
In communal areas and particularly on stairs and ramps within a building, the possibility of slips,
trips and falls and of collision with obstacles should be minimised. Lighting conditions play an
important part in this.

Common areas should have artificial lighting capable of providing a uniform lighting level, at
floor level, of not less than 100 lux on stair flights and landings and 50 lux elsewhere within
circulation areas. Lighting should not present sources of glare and should avoid creation of
areas of strong shadow that may cause confusion or miss-step. A means of automatic control
should be provided to ensure that lighting is operable during the hours of darkness.

Door entry systems

Entry to buildings containing flats or maisonettes is controlled to maintain the security of a
private space and to prevent vandalism. Similarly, the principal entrance to a sheltered housing
complex may have an access control system for the general security and safety of residents.

A common entrance door, intended as a principal means of access to a building, should have a
door entry system installed. This should comprise of a remote door release and intercom at the
point of entry and a call unit within each dwelling served by that entrance.

Any unit at a common entrance should be positioned between 900mm and 1.2m above floor
level. It should include an inductive coupler compatible with the ‘T’ setting on a personal hearing
aid, together with a visual indicator that a call made has been received. Controls should contrast
visually with surrounding surfaces and any numeric keypad should follow the 12-button
telephone convention, with an embossed locater to the central ‘5’ digit.

Socket outlets
Current lifestyle places a greater demand on electrical installations, with the increase in use of
electrical appliances. Connection of multiple appliances into a socket outlet through an adapter
can lead to overheating and the risk of fire. Similarly, use of extension leads can create a trip
hazard.

To reduce these risks, a dwelling should be provided with at least the following number of 13A
socket outlets:

4 within each apartment, and

6 within the kitchen, at least 3 of which should be situated above worktop level in addition to any
outlets provided for floor-standing white goods or built-in appliances, and

an additional 4 anywhere in the dwelling, including at least 1 within each circulation area on a
level or storey.

Sockets may be installed as single or double outlets, to give the recommended number of
outlets in each space.

Electrical fixtures - outlets and controls of electrical fixtures and systems should be
positioned at least 350mm from any internal corner, projecting wall or similar obstruction and,
unless the need for a higher location can be demonstrated, not more than 1.2m above floor
 level. This would include fixtures such as sockets, switches, fire alarm call points and timer
controls or programmers. Within this height range:

light switches should be positioned at a height of between 900mm and 1.1m above floor level

standard switched or unswitched socket outlets and outlets for other services such as telephone
or television should be positioned at least 400mm above floor level. Above an obstruction, such
as a worktop, fixtures should be at least 150mm above the projecting surface

Where sockets are concealed, such as to the rear of white goods in a kitchen, separate
switching should be provided in an accessible position, to allow appliances to be isolated.