ECN Electrical Forum
Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals

I've got a question for somebody who wires more 66 blocks than me. Do you consider it OK to put 2 24 gauge wires in one terminal? I usually punch them separate- punch the 1st wire, then lay in the 2nd and punch it.

I thought that I once read there was a limit to the number of wires you can put in a terminal...any ideas?

Mike

No, it is never OK to place more than one wire in a 66 block terminal. They have a "V" shaped throat, so once the first wire is pushed into it, another wire on top will not be held securely.

The only proper way is to loop a jumper between two rows of clips so that there are more termination points made available.

Don't forget you have a "no cut" end on your 66 blade. You can just leave one wire long, don't cut it and use it for your jumper to the next row of terminals. You usually skip every other one on telco. I have a whole string of pairs jumpered together on my phone block on the line side, then use the bridging clips to isolate the spurs out to each jack punched on the other side.

Mike,
That's not the way I'd do it.
As far as I'm aware them terminals are only designed for one solid wire.
One the same side of the coin, stranded wires (as used in patch leads) won't work either.

I was part of a building renovation a couple of years ago and the "phone tech" was there working on the Comms panel, I noticed he was pushing the wires into the 110 blocks with a terminal screwdiver, I asked him if he had a proper punch-down tool.
"Yeah, but it's out in the van, I'm in here".

Unreal.

Thank you everyone for the input! I hooked the phone lines into my blocks today, and sure enough, intermittent problems where I doubled up! I am using a "split" block, with my extensions on my left and phone line on the right, using bridge clips to enable a line to each extension. I doubled up on the right side, at the top of each block (There are 5 blocks total, about 25 4 pair extensions, and 4 phone lines going to each block). On Monday I will have to reconfigure these so that we are not doubled up. I will try to get some pictures of this.

Flat blade screwdriver in a 110 block!? Ugh, should be a lot of service calls in his future! Punchdown tools stay in the Phone/Data bag no matter what. You can do almost everything you need with a punch, 10-in-1 screwdriver, and cable scissors.

Hey, I've seen IT guys use credit cards for 110 blocks too. The smarter ones cut a notch in them to clear the contact. I'm not kidding!

I have a little tool that comes with a keystone block that I have used on 110s when I didn't have my Harris. It is basically just a piece of plastic with a slot cut in it. I can see a credit card working for a few punches.

I will remember the CC trick for guerrilla warfare LAN work. I have a non-impact punchdown tool that I bought in a pinch when nothing else was open...that things kills your hands after a few jacks.

I've been going 100% Fluke JackRapid though, what a labor saver. I use keystone patch panels so that I can use it on both ends. No sore hands/wrists after a day with that, and no jamming a 110 cutting edge through your palm