In order to relocate the receptacle to a range I have inserted a new junction box, then ran a new 3/4" conduit from there to the new location, with the new conductors. Everything in the house is metal boxes and EMT.

The existing 3 #6 conductors is a 45' run back to the panel. Then the new JB, then another 18" or so to the relocated box.

Question is what is the best way to splice the three #6 conductors in the junction box?

I bought some big wire nuts rated for two #6s, and have used them. However I read that wire nuts for big wires like this is not secure enough? Is this true? I tried putting on some tape but as I thought about it more I am not sure tape would help much if it ever come loose.

Then I read that split bolts make better connections? However those are hard and messy to work with and have to use special vulcanized tape to insulate?

I know there are some fancy insulated connectors. I looked those up online and those are expensive! The cheapest one I found was over $30 and I need three so it will be over $100 with shipping!

Then I saw this product at a big box store, an Ideal Thermo Shrink Splice Kit. You can splice up to four conductors at once, and it can go up to #6 conductors. Then you heat shrink over it. It is rated to be buried but for my application it will be tucked in a 4X4 metal box. Is this a viable and better option? Or stay with the simple big wire nuts?

 

That thermo shrink will never fit in a standard J-box.

I always use big blue wirenuts for splicing #6 wire and never had an issue.

 

Definetly a better option than wire nuts,are the conductors you are extending in a cable or pipe,if they are individual conductors that connector should work,if they AL. Use Noalox or something similar.
One other thing ,if you are only moving it 18" why not get a longer range cord?
Just Curious
Geo

 

It has nothing to do with the length of the chord, but the junction box has to be located at the "recessed" portion on the back of the range if I want to push the range all the way against the wall.

 

Regular large blue or grey wire nuts are fine. Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be.

 

Use the blue wirenuts. Like Tolyn said, the splice kits won't fit in a 4 inch box.

 

OK big wire nuts it is. Do I need to tape the nuts tight after I spliced them?

 

Tape just makes a mess. There is no need if the wire nuts are installed correctly.

 

OK I changed my game plan a little bit. Instead of inserting a new JB then run new conductors from there to the range receptacle, I noticed the existing range hood JB up higher is very close to where the 3/4" range conduit is. So I cut the range conduit up higher and piped it to the 4x4 range hood JB and make the splice there. From there I piped to the relocated range receptacle.

By doing this I also gained more "lengths" of the old #6 conductors. That allows me to go back to the panel, where one of the hot #6 conductors wasn't able to reach the breakers, so they put in a splice. Now by using the higher up range hood JB, I was able to pull back another 30" of conductors into the panel, thus eliminated the unnecessary splice in the panel.

 

I watched the guys from the utility company do a 3 way splice with some largish wires low voltage distribution wires (probably a #8 or #6 or so) at a rental property of mine yesterday. They used a copper split bolt, cranked it down and covered it with some kind of liquid rubber.

I was impressed by how neat it looked compared to the usual electrical tape mess I end up with.