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Speaker Wires+Heat Shrink Tubing as Solar Wires?

Windnsalsa

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Mar 25, 2021
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Hi, I already have a roll of never used audio wires [10 awg stereo wires oxygen free copper, USA, JSC Wire & Cable #2225]. What do people think about using these wires enclosed with heat shrink tube in the section exposed outside of minivan? Dangerous? I would think the tubing is the same material as that is on PV wires and would hate to spend $ if I can safely use with some quality wires that I already have. Tube example :

 
If it's true 10 awg then the copper should be fine, but the jacket won't last long in the elements even with heat shrink.
 
You could try it.
But if it was intended for indoor use (as speakers normally are) then the insulation could break down with the sun's UV rays.
 
The wire itself is fine, you'd want to use UV resistance heat shrink though, or a UV resistant wire sheath otherwise it won't last long.
 
Adding to what BlueFox said above, not all heat shrink tubing is UV resistant. Some is, some isn't. The glue lined heat shrink tubing I used for my project is not UV resistant. I didn't buy it for exterior use. I did however use some on the roof to keep the two PV wires together. I'll let you know how that works out.
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Hi, I already have a roll of never used audio wires [10 awg stereo wires oxygen free copper, USA, JSC Wire & Cable #2225]. What do people think about using these wires enclosed with heat shrink tube in the section exposed outside of minivan? Dangerous? I would think the tubing is the same material as that is on PV wires and would hate to spend $ if I can safely use with some quality wires that I already have. Tube example :

If that wire was intended for car audio it just may be uv resistant. I had a f*** ton of scosche 12awg black car audio speaker wire years ago, more durable than anything this side of welding cable.
 
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Adding to what BlueFox said above, not all heat shrink tubing is UV resistant. Some is, some isn't. The glue lined heat shrink tubing I used for my project is not UV resistant. I didn't buy it for exterior use. I did however use some on the roof to keep the two PV wires together. I'll let you know how that works out.
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Love that glue filled stuff for repair and spliced areas. Wouldnt want to use it for jacketing a long run, would turn into an inflexible snake to tame.
If you can find it surplus there is no better wire protection on the planet like the high temp fiberglass stuff they use on jet and rocket engines. Silicone or silicone resin coated. I scored a big roll of it about 20 years ago for $15. The 2awg 22' run for the rear batteries in my van is covered in it, almost impossible to cut or burn. Looks like snake skin.
 
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Might be a temporary solution that gets you through a couple years while you figure out your next move.
 
Love that glue filled stuff for repair and spliced areas. Wouldnt want to use it for jacketing a long run, would turn into an inflexible snake to tame.
If you can find it surplus there is no better wire protection on the planet like the high temp fiberglass stuff they use on jet and rocket engines. Silicone or silicone resin coated. I scored a big roll of it about 20 years ago for $15. The 2awg 22' run for the rear batteries in my van is covered in it, almost impossible to cut or burn. Looks like snake skin.

It does indeed make a flexible cable less flexible. I've learned to keep the section on the heavy lugs (2/0, etc) long enough to cover what needs to be covered, but short enough to retain flexibility.
 
Just put it into some kind of uv resistant conduit.
that's the whole point of this thread. Like what that is valid, cheap, and slim so that routing the conduit enclosing wires fit around a closed door/hinged window?

From the comments, it seems I will be buying solar wires. There are so many sellers [amazon, ebay] selling CCA wires. These USA made speaker wires are copper, that I already have a roll of.
 
that's the whole point of this thread. Like what that is valid, cheap, and slim so that routing the conduit enclosing wires fit around a closed door/hinged window?

From the comments, it seems I will be buying solar wires. There are so many sellers [amazon, ebay] selling CCA wires. These USA made speaker wires are copper, that I already have a roll of.
Is there anything special about solar wires?
 
I don’t even run speaker wire outdoors for speakers.. too many problems with jacket degradation, moisture wicking/corrosion and it doesn’t pull well. My experience with it is not recent as I switched a long time ago. I wonder what the temp rating is? Of course I could have just bought cheap stuff way back when ....
 
I think speaker wire for PV is a terrible idea. The speaker wire I looked at was low voltage use, sometimes 24 volts and less, intended for audio use,and said if used for electric work to only use for low amperage uses like a string of LED lights. Aside UV considerations, there’s probably a lot more than an amp or two that will be flowing and coming from the panels also more volts than this wire is rated for.

That being said, speaker wire was the go to primary wiring inside a lot of the third world buildings I went to, so entire counties used it without burning down too many buildings.
 
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