HPWC Self Install: Terminal block not gripping the wires? WTF?

[RogWilco]

Has anyone else encountered this issue when installing their HPWC? When connecting the two hots to the terminal block inside the charger, the screws don't hold the ends in place. I"m tightening them all the way, and the two wires remain loose and unsecured. I'm referring to step 4, on page 20 of the installation manual.

I'm using the top-entry bracket, so I'm using the wires with the ferrules crimped on the ends (that came in the box with the charger). So everything I'm working with came from the box. I have pushed them in 100% and the screw terminals still don't seem to grip anything. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[Runt8]

Your picture seems to be broken, but a fairly common installation mistake is putting the wires behind the terminal block, not between the two metal plates.

 

[RogWilco]

Your picture seems to be broken, but a fairly common installation mistake is putting the wires behind the terminal block, not between the two metal plates.

Interesting, this sounds like it would cause the exact problem I'm having.

I think they're in the correct place (the two square holes underneath, with the sloped sides that would guide a wire towards the opening). Is it that I'm missing the actual block openings enclosed in that green plastic casing? Those ferrules are pretty large, making it hard to imagine that being the case, but it certainly would explain my problem.

 

[Runt8]

I wish I could be more help - I didn't run into this problem when I installed mine so I didn't really pay any extra attention to that step. But I have seen several people post the same problem and it was always that they had missed the correct location for the wire.

 

[RogWilco]

No worries, this is actually a really good lead I can check out when I get home tonight. Odds are good this is exactly what my problem is. Thanks for the help!

 

[Ejl80]

Yes. It doesn’t work like a normal terminal block. There is a lower end that gets pulled up by the screw. It doesn’t screw down onto the wire like all the other terminals I’ve used. Unscrew it. Make sure the lower plate is down. Put in wires. Tighten to torque spec. It’s super easy, barely an inconvenience.

 

[Shizzrock]

It took a couple of tries for me, you need to unscrew them all the way and push the screws in

 

[voip-ninja]

I had a hell of a time getting my 6 gauge wires to clamp in the terminal blocks. Probably spent over an hour on that part of it.

If you are entering from the back conduit entry you have the wires twisted and you can’t see or feel squat.

I believe what was happening in my case is I wasn’t screwing the terminals out far enough and when I would push the wires in it would push the clamp out of the way.

I finally opened the blocks as far as I could without backing them out completely and got one in and then eventually the other.

I thought it was a royal PITA and the hardest part of the installation.

Someone in a thread over on the dedicated sub-forum for this stuff reported their electrician cursed a storm about the same installation step so at least I know I’m not the only one.

 

[bigroccrek]

I had to get an inspection mirror to look up under the terminal block to see where the wires actually went in