Tip of the Week January 16 - 22, 2011
Insulation Displacement Connectors (IDC’s)
The misunderstood Scotchlok ™
Ask most any mechanic about IDC’s (or Scotchlok™) connectors and you will likely hear “I don’t use those things!” Often used underneath or outside a vehicle, the IDC’s reputation is plagued by corrosion and failed connection concerns. The IDC is actually a very useful connector applied properly, especially when sealed using SpliSeal.
Let’s start with why people don’t like IDC’s. IDC’s are quick to install, making them perfect for quick installations of trailer wiring under vehicles or for taking an additional wire (wire-tap) from a conductor. Just align them over the wires to be connected, squeeze with a pair of pliers, flip the cover over and latch it, and you’re done.
The problem with the old style IDC’s (some newer models are filled with a sealant) is that they hold moisture and contaminants, which leads to failure of the connection and ultimately of the base conductor. This can leave you stranded on the side of the road with no lights. We even found IDC’s connecting the brake magnets on our car trailer to the trailer wiring harness! To make matters worse, once the corrosion has started it is often necessary to cut out a few inches of wire on each side of the failed connection to get to good (uncorroded) wire. This then requires two butt splices and a new piece of wire added into the circuit.
To remedy this situation SpliSeal now offers a mold that allows complete encapsulation of IDC wire-tap connectors. Now that these can be completely sealed, this quick and easy to use connector can be used even outside the vehicle without fear of connection failure.
But why, you ask, would we offer a product that competes directly with our own SpliSplit product? Here’s why:
The SpliSplit is an ideal take-out connector for side markers, cab lights, injector harnesses, anyplace you need to make multiple low-amperage take-outs along a conductor.
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SpliSplit load path travels through butt splice
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The difference between SpliSplit and the IDC connector is that the IDC does not break the base conductor, as is required with SpliSplit. This fact probably makes a properly sealed (read that SpliSealed) IDC a better electrical connection than the SpliSplit.
The base conductor stays intact from the start of the conductor to the end of the circuit with an IDC. This is not a problem in either case as long as the amperage draw is low, but having multiple connectors along the path of current travel could result in voltage drop over the length of the circuit.
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Base conductor travels uninterrupted from start to finish of circuit using Insulation Displacement connector. |
So next time you need to make a quick tie-in to a wiring harness, don’t be afraid to use an IDC – just make sure to seal it properly using SpliSeal!
Copyright Promerican Corporation 2011 |
