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A customer's box quote changed how I handle attic pulls

Guy said 'my last guy left the splices in the attic because he was scared of the heat' and it hit me that I've been doing the same for years. Now I bring a cooler up there with cold packs for the connectors, no more melted fittings on 95 degree days in Phoenix. Anyone else run into heat issues with compression fittings in summer?
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jade_singh
jade_singh11d ago
Wait, has anyone thought about what happens to that cooler when you're not the one doing the pull? I mean, the real issue isn't just the heat, it's that nobody talks about how long those splices sit up there before they get buried under more insulation. A connector can test fine at 3pm but by 8pm when the attic's been cooking all day, that plastic starts softening and the wires shift. I've started taking photos of the temp readings before I close up, and I'll actually wait 20 minutes after crimping to re-torque if it's brutal out. The cooler trick is smart, but you need to also check the connector's rated temp range, because some of the cheap ones are only rated to 90 degrees and Phoenix hits that by noon. Also, those cold packs can sweat and drip water right into the junction box if you're not careful, so I wrap mine in a towel first.
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