Different Electrical Wire Splices and Joints
1. Rat tail joints – it is used to join conductors in outlet boxes or when fixture leads are connected
to through conductors. The joints is made by skinning about 2 inches, the ends of the conductor
to be joined.
2. Western Union Short –tie splice- the most widely used or joint in interior wiring to extend the
length of wire from one point to another. To make the splice, the wire are first skinned for about
3 inches at the ends.
3. Western Union long-tie Splice- used extensively for outside wiring and is quite similar to the
short tie splice, being used for interior wiring. The difference is that a number of long twist are
made before wrapping the end turns. The wires for this splice are bared about 4 ½ inches.
4. Duplex Wire Splice- it is used only in conduit systems wherein duplex wires are used. This wire
have two conductors with insulators. To make the splice, the wires are first skinned, one being
bared about 3 inches and the other 5 inches.
5. Britannia splice- it is used in both interior and exterior wiring where solid of No. 6 AWG gauge or
larger sizes are to be joined and where large wire connectors or pliers are not at hand.
6. Scarfed splice – used only on large solid wires 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.
7. Ordinary wrapped cable splice- it is used for joining through conductors which is composed of a
group of wires (stranded) instead of a solid conductor of a drawn metal. This method is followed
because it is impossible to join a large cable or stranded wire and with the forms of a Western
Union Splice.
8. Multiple wrapped cable splice- it is used more extensively on a small stranded wires and cables
because these strands are more pliable and may be wound together without much difficulty.
9. Plain Tap, or Tee Joints- it is used to a great extent for 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.
10. Small Aerial Tap Joint – it is used mostly on outside work, or in locations where wires are
subjected to considerable movement.
11. Knotted, or loop, Tap Joint- it is a very strong joint and will not untwist even though a strain is
placed upon it.
12. Wrapped Tap, or Tee Joint- it is used on large solid conductors where it is difficult to wrap the
heavy tap wire around the main wire. When the No. 6 AWG wire is used, both the main and the
tap wire are skinned about 4 inches.
13. Ordinary Cable Tap, or Tee Joint- it is used where large stranded wires or cables are tapped to a
through conductor. To make the joint, the main strands should be scraped thoroughly with a
knife blade or sandpaper.
14. Split Cable Tap, or Tee Joint- it is used where stranded cables or wires 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 to soldering.
15. The Ordinary Cross joint
16. Double – Wrapped Cross-Joint
17. Terminating Fixture Joint- it is used when fixture leads are joined to the end run of a branch or
tap conductor. No. 14 AWG wire is skinned for a distance of about 1 inch, and the fixture wire is
No. 18 AWG, is skinned about 3 inches.
18. The Through Fixture Joint- it is used where fixture are connected to branch wires at an
intermediate point.
19. The Mc Intire Sleeve- The McIntire sleeve is used for splicing copper or steel telephone and
telegraph line wires.
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