Solar Panel Junction Box Upgrade With Dinkle DIN Rail Terminal Block
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- To avoid a solar fire hazard I upgraded my solar panel junction box/ combiner box, replacing the wire nut connections with Dinkle DIN Rail Terminal Block connectors. Dinkle DK6N Terminal Block: amzn.to/3sife8v
Find More information for this project and others on my website: projectswithdave.com
Dinkle DK4N DIN Rail Terminal Block Assy: amzn.to/3yDa5J2
Dinkle DK6N DIN Rail Terminal Block: amzn.to/3sife8v
Dinkle DK6N DIN Rail Block Kit #3: amzn.to/3E7FvZq
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Amazon non UL Junction Box: amzn.to/3Ee15v3
UL Listed 12x12x6 Junction Box: amzn.to/30Djh3A
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This video is for information purposes only, and does not constitute professional advice. Solar systems can and do involve dangerous electrical connections. If you do not have experience with electrical wiring, please seek professional support.
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Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:22 Dinkle Connector Test
04:48 Dinkle DIN Rail options
07:57 Junction Box Assembly
10:10 Junction Box Install 
Хобби
Find More information for this project and others on my website: projectswithdave.com
I'm not hooking to the grid, I didn't see a video that addresses it 😕
Dinkel terminal blocks are awesome. Give it a day or so and go retorque them and you will never have an issue.
Ok, thanks.
I have used the DK system for years at factory for building everything from a junction box to a complex control box to run glass cutting and coating machines
nice to see you have addressed the issues and done it properly. this type of connection is common in Europe
Thanks again Dave. Important safety info.
awesome video. If I ever go ground mount I'll have to pick some of those terminal DIN rail things
Using the block of wood was a great tip thanks
great video, i like that you are giving updates and taking us along in the process. anyone doing this kind of DIY will run into choices and you give great info not only what to to but how to work thru the process.
Thanks! I don't claim to be a solar expert, just learning as I go and I'm happy to share my insights with all of you so you can do your system even better than mine. : )
Great video Dave! Recently installed a roof mount solar system. Your videos were very helpful. Ended up running the PV wires through the junction box and conduit to the inverter without a splice. Figured it was a better/safer option without a splice. Like you, I did use a grounding bar for the ground wires. Much better option than wire nuts.
That's great! I'm glad my project served as a useful reference.
Just discovered this channel. Love it!
Awesome! Thank you!
Me too!
Wire nuts installed correctly work good have to twist up the wire then install the nut over it. I like these terminal blocks just orders some I want to go from solar wire to 10 THHN
Wire nuts can work fine, but the more I use the terminal blocks, the more I like them. I'm always changing things and it makes changes much easier and the box is so much more organized.
Wire nuts are a fine way to connect wires. It's a people skill thing. People screw up terminal strips as well. I've been doing commercial service work for 25 years now, and the relatively few problems along this line I've seen have been poor installation and/or application. Any time you use wire nuts in a place where moisture is a possibility, point them up like a castle so they don't collect water like a bucket. Never tape them. Any time you see tape on a wire nut, be careful because they are probably loose. Those silicone filled ones are actually hard to tighten well. Still a good idea for underground boxes, that's about all I'll use them for. In your application, regular ones will be fine. Drill a tiny hole 1\8"-ish somewhere in the bottom of your box to allow drainage. Also, I didn't see an expansion coupling on your PVC pipes. Maybe I'm missing it. If not, that'll tear out the bottom of most any box in a few years. Also living in Ohio, can confirm. PVC expands a great deal.
Your testing was problematic as well. You pulled on the DIN rail wires straight the way they went in. You pulled the wire nut at a 90° angle. I'll admit the DIN rail offers better inspection, most of the time. Many smaller terminal blocks have enough plastic you can't see the actual wire in the clamp. When tightening a wire nut, you can grab the nut with one hand and try to pull the wires straight out. That would have uncovered the near failure you had.
Please don't get the wrong idea here, I really enjoy your content and it looks like you do very good work. I appreciate everything I'm learning from you. Thank you.
I learned something today! Thanks for your detailed feedback and recommendations. I agree, wire nuts are not all bad. I used them in every outlet in my house. However, there are some other options these days that require less skill to get good results like lever lock nuts from Wago for instance ( amzn.to/3XtD5xR ). The reason I pulled the wire nut at a 90° angle, is because that is a possible condition for it to be exposed to. You are right about the expansion coupling. I didn't install one. Why didn't I know that was a thing ( www.homedepot.com/p/Carlon-1-in-Schedule-40-and-80-PVC-Expansion-Coupling-Standard-Fitting-E945F-CAR/100124876 ). The box did crack which seemed obvious after the fact, so I made a slip mount for the box. Thanks!
Nicely done! I would have used wire nuts too, now I'll go DIN rail if I ever pull the trigger and build a system. 600 watts on a cloudy day is impressive.
Thanks!
Or use WAGO 221 serie (221-612 as example)
What everyone screws up with wire nuts is thinking the wires get screwed together with the nut. The wires are supposed to be twisted together first, then the wire nut is added. Wire nuts are still trash that hasn't made it to the landfill yet IMO.
Wago type connectors and DIN rail connectors are both good alternatives to wire nuts. Wire nuts can work fine, but it is much easier for them to be used incorrectly.
Awesome clean install! Thanks for all your informative videos!!! Very great instructor! I don’t even have solar panels. 😂😂
Thanks! 👍
Wire nuts were never designed as a connector, only as an insulator. When trouble shooting sagging voltages in older homes it has most often come done to wire nuts that heated up and the plastic melted off exposing the wire coil and deforming it. Since I found the first one, I have, if possible, soldered all connections or use crimped or screwed terminals. Network00
Thanks for the info
No problem 👍
Nicely done. You could put your own "mounting" board in the back of a UL listed box. Also I would have mounted that after wiring everything together. This would have allowed you to position it optimally in your project box.
But LOVE your content. Keep up the good work!
I didn't like my old UL listed box so I thought I would try something different, but I agree, mounting a board in a UL listed box is the correct solution. Thanks for your thoughtful feedback!
Cool
morning Dave / i am going to install solar on my lot in va. . where did you do yours ? we get snow and latey higher accumulations, just starting this process and would like to see you install and your every intune with the solar systems. love your pod
Thanks! I'm located in central Ohio, we get snow (see this video on snow: ruclips.net/video/vY3PufzPUnI/видео.html ). You can see the full install here: ruclips.net/video/_xA6qOwnYbM/видео.html
@@ProjectsWithDave thanks dave, we are from Poland , Ohio , i have been also looking at solar flexible panels , what do you think about these?
You forgot to leave a link, but, either way, I haven't evaluated any flexible panels you could check out Will Prowse channel, he has done some comparisons on that like this video: ruclips.net/video/PBUat-Drilw/видео.html
Re-torque the screws after 6mos or a year.
Thank you Dave for this particular video, it is very informative. Dinkle DIN Rail Terminal Block is an excellent product, is it also safe to use on roof install?
I used it in this roof install: ruclips.net/video/VkqUvd4c1-U/видео.html
You can jump straight to the chapter on DC Junction Box.
DIN rail mounts have been used in the USA in the manufacturing industry for their equipment electrical cabinets for a long time. The connections can fail. You will need to periodically check the screws and wires for looseness.
As far as wirenuts vs DIN rail, for your application it really won't matter. It is a cleaner installation and will make for easier maintenance and expansion.
Wire nuts the issue with them coming loose is from if you was to connect dissimilar wires together. Expansion and contraction is different rates. That pushes the wire nut off. Usually you would see that with aluminum wire to copper wire connection.
Since your so concerned about wire nuts now, you should now be going through your entire house to eliminate the hundreds of wire nuts in there now.
There are wire nuts in my house, however most of them are protected with arc fault breakers that will trip if there is a faulty connection. For future connections I have started using wago connectors. I'm not saying wirenuts are no good, when properly applied, they work fine, it's just more likely they will be used incorrectly.
Code requires a certain size box per wire size and amount for guidance on box size. Just FYI.
Din rail with terminal blocks are definitely a more tidy way for terminations. However, every commercial/industrial building uses wire nuts in construction. Lateral force is never a concern in a junction box. Heating and cooling is what causes connections to fail. Source: am an Electrician. I would also use a large JB with din rail and termination blocks doing an array just to make it easier for service/expansion. Minimal extra cost for making your work prettier.
Thanks for the Input! I understand the lateral load on the wire nut isn't what it was designed for, but it helps give an illustration of the physical strength of the connectors. I think especially for the average DIY installer, the individual conductor connections provided by the DIN rail setup is a more robust solution.
Just curious??? Why no local PV isolation disconnect at the array?
Many installers do install a disconnect at the ground mount location for convenience, and you should always check your local codes, but I found it unnecessary. I have a disconnect at the inverter and I can control the voltage of the panels to 1V/Panel with the optimizers. It would just be extra cost for me.
HOWdy P-W-E-D,
Wire NUTTY & Combiner Box solutions
COOP
...
What the torque specs for these? 2N?
Some have specific amount needed. It's usually more than homeplayrs are used to and less than gorillas can put out. There are screwdrivers to get the torque in specs. Costs some money, but nice to know nothing is loose and you don't use too much force.
Each size has a different specified torque. You shouldn't have a problem making them tighter though. When I was evaluating them, I couldn't strip the threads even when tightening with all my strength.
why is it called DIN..Deutsche Industrie Norm. German Industry Standard. It is THE accepted Standard in Europe. The American standards and electrical equipment are PRE GLACIAL PERIOD technology. German and EU in General (!!!) are using modern equipment, If you know a little bit about about ground fault circuit protection, for your info The EU standard for as long as I can remember is a CURRENT FAULT protection principle, while the US is still adhering to the VOLTAGE FAULT protection principle that was abolished in Europe AGES AGO, as it is inferior. Wire nuts were NEVER USED in the EU countries, I only came across them in the USA. Wire nuts give the electrician a wide flexibility of using them Correctly or BADLY, you just cannot see on the outside how the connection inside is made! Plus the degree and impact of CORROSION inside the wire nut cannot be estimated by the looks of it. Are the wires twisted, sleeved, and crimped before putting the wire nut over the junction or not? Such a wide range of potential problems! All nicely covered up by the wire nut. With the DIN connection the ONLY WAY you can F..CK things up is if you forget to tighten the screw. Otherwise, the connection is always uniformly solid. Pulling on the wire is not exactly an exhaustive test of the overall quality of a wire connection but even there the DIN solution is superior.
You're right, pulling on the wire is far from a complete comparison of the two types of connections. But, as you mentioned above, although a wire nut can be a good connection, there are a host of reasons not to use them.
To much " Below" other than that great video :-)
Thanks for watching!
Where are your gloves.
I wore them out... : )