Can I use welding cable from PVs to Charge controller?

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System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in General Solar Power Topics #1
Can I use heavy duty welding cable from my PVs to the charge controller?
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,439 admin
    #2
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    Re: Can I use welding cable from PVs to Charge controller?

    You can--but some issues...

    Make sure you fuse the positive lead to the battery (always a good idea). Also, welding cables with their very fine strand wire are difficult to get solid connections with standard binding screws/hardware.

    I would not go out of my way to use welding cables--unless there was a lot of cable flexing involved (not a good idea to mount a charge controller where there would be a lot of movement/cable flexing anyway)... I would use standard NEC rated cable instead.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • blackswan555
    blackswan555 Solar Expert Posts: 246 ✭✭
    #3
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    Re: Can I use welding cable from PVs to Charge controller?

    I solder on the fine "stranded" wire, either into a lug or if it is a crimp, tin the wire lightly.

    Have a good one
    Tim
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  • bluetick
    bluetick Registered Users Posts: 19 ✭
    #4
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    Re: Can I use welding cable from PVs to Charge controller?

    I was repairing welder cable conections just the other day, the new connections had a quarter arc pad that fit into the screw connections. To gather the fine strands and spread the clamping load.

    If you had a loose connection with solder the heat build up could soften the solder.

    I think making a quarter arc pad from soft copper or steel tubing would be better in a screw type clamp.
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  • peterako
    peterako Solar Expert Posts: 144 ✭✭
    #5
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    Re: Can I use welding cable from PVs to Charge controller?

    Make sure that the cable is acid proof. If not the gassing from the battery or any spil will eat the plastic/rubber and you can have nice fire works.

    greetings from Greece
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
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    Re: Can I use welding cable from PVs to Charge controller?
    Leroy Baptiste wrote: »
    Can I use heavy duty welding cable from my PVs to the charge controller?

    Sorry, but I just have to ask: why would you?

    Welding cable: AWG #4, #2, #1 (et cetera) capable of handling hundreds of Amps of current.

    Just what have you got for an array and how far is it to the charge controller? Or am I missing something?
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