# Heat Shrink Butt Connectors?



## polar21 (Nov 5, 2007)

How do you guys apply heat to these types of connectors (little butane lighter?)? Is there a special tool to use so that the heat is evenly applied? I am replacing my livewell pumps in our 21' CC and bilge access is tight. Any advice is appreciated.


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

A hot hair dryer works wonders.


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

I use them everyday at work and i use a little butane lighter, you can get them at Radio Shack for $10 or so.


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## bcn31 (May 22, 2008)

The proper way is to use a heat gun but I just use a lighter to melt it. I do it all the time at work and had to do it recently for my boat as well. lol


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## Spanky45 (May 17, 2008)

Butane works fine but a heat gun or hot hair dryer works better (less chance of burning through the shrink tube). BTW I bought some heat shrink butt connectors from Ace Hardware that had solder in the center. When you heat them up the solder melts and the tubing shrinks around the wire for a great connection.


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## 60hertz (Oct 1, 2007)

Avoid soldering connections on a boat. The vibration rattles the solder apart which leads to a bad connection that tends to overheat and the connection will fail.


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## Spanky45 (May 17, 2008)

But 60hertz the solder is within the heat shrink so there is nothing to vibrate loose. The heat shrink tightens around the solder connection and wire. I would agree in most cases but not in this case.


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## John Becker (May 2, 2009)

> *60hertz (6/19/2009)*Avoid soldering connections on a boat. The vibration rattles the solder apart which leads to a bad connection that tends to overheat and the connection will fail.




I've always soldered every connection on my boats. Just seem to have more luck with solder holding than crimp or wire nuts being destroyed with salt water. Whatever works for ya, keep doing it!


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## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

A properly soldered connection will never fail. It just doesn't happen.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

> How do you guys apply heat to these types of connectors






This is the one I use. Bought it on Sale from Granger.


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## 69Viking (Oct 30, 2008)

Harbor Freight has a pretty decent Heat Gun for $10 and their prices on heat shrink and heat shrink butt connectors is better than anywhere I've seen. For $30 I bought the Gun, butt connectors and heat shrink. More heat shrink than I'll probably ever use! Gun works great too!


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## polar21 (Nov 5, 2007)

Sweet. I tried using the hair dryer method and apparently the wifes hair dryer doesnt get hot enough (I am not going to tell her that because then she would go out and buy another one). I am going to swing by harbor freight and see if they have one of those heat guns for cheap. Thanks for the heads up.


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## Pinksnappertrapper (Dec 7, 2007)

Be careful with all this heat in the bilge area. There could be gas/fumes in there so make sure you open the hatch and let air out for a little while before using lighter or heat. Just a thought.


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## RMS (Dec 9, 2008)

In my experience, heat guns in general apply significantly more heat than hair dryers. 

The times I have used hair dryers (when a heat gun was not available), the results were borderline.


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## X-Shark (Oct 3, 2007)

> Harbor Freight has a pretty decent Heat Gun for $10 and their prices on heat shrink




It's cheap heat shrink and has NO glue in it. Not designed for Marine use.


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## 60hertz (Oct 1, 2007)

> *John Becker (6/19/2009)*
> 
> 
> > *60hertz (6/19/2009)*Avoid soldering connections on a boat. The vibration rattles the solder apart which leads to a bad connection that tends to overheat and the connection will fail.
> ...


Yup. I guess whatever works for you is best. 

I just never trusta soldered connection on a boat, car, truck, or anything else that moves and has a lot of vibration.


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## choppedliver (Apr 4, 2009)

Depends. I make a tight connection with the wires looped together and extra twisted around , then Iapply solder as extra precaution, then i put heat shrink tubing on top of it. It aint goin anywhere.I agree a proper solder join is not going tofail,and if you do themlike I do, the solder could fall off and it would still be a good connection


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## SurfRidr (Apr 24, 2012)

@Jacky you resurrected a 12 year old thread but at least it's still relevant!


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## MaxP (Jan 31, 2008)

I'm getting the heat shrink crimper.


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

I use a heat gun way more than I thought. Heating up hoses to seat on or remove from seacocks, smoothing down rub rails, sealing the ends of nylon rope, etc.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Stay away from the ones with built in solder. They’re crap.


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## FoteeFy (Jan 27, 2021)

Used heat shrink my entire career. The standards in place for a while now are to use clear shrink so as to be able to inspect the crimp. Thomas & Betts Heat Gun or equivalent/like heat gun. Don't use them in areas where fire/smoke systems are in place and when doing so, disable the halon or equivalent during use.


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