Buying Guide to Heat Shrink Connectors
Heat shrink connectors are made of pliable material with adhesive on the interior that shrinks when warmed. During the heating process, the adhesive material adheres to wires or cables and creates a sealed perimeter. Heat shrink tubes are available on eBay.
Are all heat shrink connectors the same?No, not all heat shrink connectors/tubes are created the same or used for the same purpose. Those shopping for heat shrink connectors will need to choose from nine options including, fork, rings, hooks, spade, quick disconnects, and butt splices. The connectors are available in three sizes, which consist of the following:
- 22-10 AWG
- 16-14 AWG
- 12-10 AWG
Heat shrink tubing is used in electrical hard wiring projects. It's also an economical choice when bundling wires or protecting bare wires. Installation doesn't require the use of expensive tools or specific tools to heat and shrink the connectors. Any electrical tool that blows hot air is capable of shrinking a tube around the diameter of wires. Even household items such as hair dryers are effective in the shrinking process. The electrical equipment is most often used in the following applications:
- Marine
- Auto
- Motorcycle
- Science projects
- Home projects
Heat shrink connectors are ideal for use in electrical work and networking. The connectors are used to seal wiring and insulate the wire. The equipment is also used to splice terminations and protect the connections against harm from abrasions, chemicals, water, dust, oil, acid, extreme heat, providing barriers, and sealing out other environmental elements.
With complicated networking projects, heat shrink connectors can be used to easily color-code wiring and for harnessing wires together. Because heat shrink connectors are great insulators against many factors, the equipment is a great choice for cables and wires that will be located in high-risk areas.
Will all shrink tube connectors shrink the same way?Each heat shrink connector is created with a shrink ratio. A shrink ratio is an estimate of how small the tube will become when it shrinks compared to its original size. A connector's shrink ratio is printed on the exterior of the item. For instance, if a shrink tube has the ratio 6:1 printed on its exterior, the user can expect the tube to shrink to 1/6th of its size when heated. It is very important to understand how small the connector will get in comparison to the tubes or cables being covered so the proper size is chosen.