How To Wire A 3-Wire Deadman Handle

HOW TO WIRE A 3-WIRE DEADMAN HANDLE

Equipment needed: Philips screw driver, razor knife, wire strippers.

STEP 1:  DISASSEMBLY OF THE 3 PRONG TWISTLOK

You’ll need a 3 Prong Twistlok for electric deadman lines.
https://www.blastone.com/product/twistlok-connector/

• Disassemble the backing by removing the screws and pulling the two pieces apart.
• Feed the deadman line through the bottom of the opening you just removed the crimp from.

STEP 2:  EXPOSING THE CONDUCTOR WIRES

• Use your razor knife to score the line, about two inches from the end. Make sure you don’t press hard enough to penetrate any of the inner conductors.
• After scoring the line, grab the outer protective cover with your wire strippers and pull off so as to expose the inner (smaller conductor) wires.
• Your 3 wires should be identified as:
  • Green wire = ground wire
  • White wire = neutral wire
  • Black wire = hot wire
• Use your wire strippers to strip about .5-75 inches of the insulation off each of the three wires.

STEP 3: ATTACHING THE WIRE TO THE TWISTLOK PLUG

• Secure tighten each of the 3 wires (conductors) to their corresponding plug terminals
  • Green wire – connects to green screw terminal
  • Black wire – connects to gold/bronze screw terminal
  • White wire – connects to silver screw terminal
• Ensure no exposed wires (stripped of the insulation coating) are showing outside the terminal. When you tighten you don’t want any of the aluminum conductors sticking out of the bottom of that plug.

STEP 4: REASSEMBLING THE 3 PRONG TWISTLOK

• Move the base of the Twistlok and align it with the terminal plug so all 3 screws are poking up.
• NOTE: Sometimes you’ll notice the 3 wires can be seen extending out of the base of the Twistlok.  Because you securely tightened the wires to the terminal, you can simply twist with the grade of the wire and get those exposed wires to sink into the plug further.
• Now set the top of the plug accordingly aligned with the screws.
• NOTE: It only takes about a full turn to bury the screws all the way into the plug, so if you’re using a drill be careful.  You don’t want to overset and bog them into the plug.  You want to make sure that if you ever need to replace it you can get those screws back out easily.
• Now slide up the weatherproofing donut to fit appropriately in the base of the plug.
• Your remaining two pieces should be the top crimp pieces that stabilize and center the deadman line. Slide the bottom crimp piece onto its notch, making sure the weatherproof puck stays in place.  Then set the top crimp piece into place and slowly start to tighten one of the screws, but not all the way.  Make sure the 3-Wire is in the middle of the crimp stabilizers and tighten the second screw all the way. Then return to first screw again and completely tighten it.

REWIRING/REPAIRING A DEADMAN LINE IN THE FIELD

• Inspect the entire length of the lead and make sure there are no scores, no splits, no cuts, and no copper conductors exposed anywhere along the line. This is where the electric energy can escape.
• Once the line has been deemed