@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 Strangely enough it's pronounced Vah-Goh. Watched an efixx video interviewing some guys from Wago who said it's named after 2 guys who made the patent for it in the 50's.
@@djoakeydoakey1076correct, we were using Va-go products over 20 years ago on panels for industrial machines. Seems to have taken a long time for UK sparkies to accept them.
Also WAGO is a private company and has the patent on it, outlawing it so it becomes a monopoly and can change the prices whenever it wants its a terrible idea
Stranded wires in screw terminals used to be pretty much standard for a long time - until peopl enoticed that wasn't very reliable. Same for tinning the end of stranded wires. And some folks just don't get why they should not continue as they used to.
It's "Horses for Courses" Stranded wires in screw terminals are great for prototyping. You just have to be aware of the application and the suitability of the hardware you are choosing.
@@markawbolton prototyping is fine, nothing can be perfect in the prototype stage. Things are different when we're talking about connections transfering enough power to cause a fire hazard. So I'm inbetween twisting wires, soldering, screw terminals but also wagos for terporary connections.
@@ralfbaechle Well at the prototyping stage everything must be manipulable. But that said the sorts of things that require screw connections rarely are in contention. To build a machine that goes into service requires a whole differnt mindset. I am sure we both understand this.
I’ve been using terminal connector blocks for years with absolutely no issues, using bootlace ferrules with these types of connectors makes a perfect match too. It’s nice to see other products available though and I’m sure they will have their use.
Biggest issue is they’re not maintenance free, so have to be accessible when installed, where Wagos (when installed correctly) are, so don’t need to be accessible.
@@johnburns4017 maybe if you were tightening it, how did people survive without them before. Do screws become loose on MCB etc too? There is always a possibility that can happen, they work when you use them correctly as like any electrical connection
Your explanation of the ratings on the WAGO connector are wrong. The ones on the left (next to the "UL" logo) that say "450V/32A" are from the IEC and apply for both *Europe and the US.* That's why the same side also lists the wire size in both mm² and AWG (American Wire Gauge). The rating on the right side is from the JET (Japanese Electrical Safety and Environment Technology Labs) for the Japanese market. (However, note that even though the _connector_ is rated to 32A, the maximum wire size (14 AWG) is only rated to 15 amps for building wiring in the US, so this connector can only be used on up to 15 amp building circuits according to US code (otherwise the wires would be too big). However, if you are using it for other applications (for example open-air chassis wiring inside an enclosure) you could potentially take advantage of the full 32A of the connector in some situations.)
Actually the standard Wagos allow AWG12 wire with 20A and the higher powered Wagos allow AWG10 wire with 30A. The inline Wago shown in the video shows AWG14, but the website of Wago shows AWG12 in the specs.
@@ChristianWagner888 The other ones have always said 12 AWG, but I think the older inline connectors were only rated for 14 AWG originally (I have some that say the same thing), but it sounds like maybe newer ones will do up to 12...? Even if the website says 12, if the connector itself only says 14, I would not use it with larger than 14 AWG, personally. There's no guarantee the website isn't just a misprint or something.
Wait a sec, you want to teach somebody about connections, showing in your thumbnail phot that Wagos (perfectly safe and strong) are bad, and then showing NOT EVEN CONNECTED terminal block as "worse".
I agree with you, thumbnails like this is stupid and misinforming , and nobody looked that the wago had exposed cooper. It's not the first video I've watched with this type of thumbnail and i always give a thumb down for things like this.
Yep, clickbait ass thumbnail. Downvoted at 1:20, not going to finish, and told RUclips to hide channel/not recommend. It’s disrespectful wasting ppl’s time.
30A juntion boxes are designed for ring final circuits. They were commonly used and still are to extend cables. Each leg of a ring is desinged to pull at max of 27 Amps at fault. So a 30 Amp jnc box in situe is perfectly acceptable as long as it's accessible for inspection. We tend to use wago and ideal connectors in Maintenance free boxes so we don't have to worry about inspecting them.
In theory you could have a very long ring and sockets close to the CU maxed out, and probably exceeding 26A, or even 30A, on that short leg. Thanks for watching!
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759on a ring final circuit the sockets are fed from both sides so there won't be an issue with sockets being further away from the fuse box. Did you know that 2.5mm twin & earth cable is only rated for 26amps? A 30amp junction box will be more than adequate
How will the maximum fault current only be 27A when the circuit is protected by a 32A breaker? And this is only the working current not fault current rating which can be in the hundreds of amps momentarily.
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 to fully understand the UK ring final circuit you need to understand the application of diversity. This is usually beyond the understanding of your average DIY’er. If in doubt consult the qualified electrician.
Ring circuits will have two cables coming out the circuit breaker supplying the sockets so the 32 amps will be split between both cables that's how you are able to use 2.5 cable rated at 26amp as the electricity will take the path of least resistance meaning it will draw from the cable that's closest to that socket
I replaced a bunch of screw terminal junction boxes in my own home with Wago boxes. They were all at least 12 years old. Some of the older boxes had loose screws and even evidence of arcing where connectors were loose. The problems are; the connectors are brass with brass screws and these are relatively well self-lubricating metal on metal contacts and the copper single core wire is fairly soft and deformable, especially compared to the brass. Often these boxes are in lofts or roofspaces where temperatures fluctuate considerably (+/-15-30oC), cold in winter/at night and warm in the summer/day. The fluctuating temperature cycles over a number of years expand and contract the wire trapped by the screw, loosening the screws grip on the wire by a combination of compressing the wire more and loosening the well lubricated screw. Eventually the wire is barely held by the screw. Wires under any tension can be pulled out of the terminal altogether. What makes things worse is when someone has put 3, 4 or even 5 wires under one screw! Wago levers are a sprung fixing, so there is some give and positive pressure capturing the wires, in theory they should last indefinitely, however plastics do deteriorate with heat cycles and UV exposure so worth making them inspectable and checking them periodically.
@@alexU42k however that simply should never be the case most periodic inspections are every five years so in that case of screw terminal is simply not appropriate or fit for purpose
Life was so simple in the good old days. I’ve only watched two videos, enough to tell me to leave electrics to the experts. If you do not know how to analyse the work load then don’t play with the electrics. Especially now that insurance companies want proof of certification for the work done. Just installing the wrong cable is enough to void payout. Love the video. It shows the better options for a safer connection. Nothing is perfect. Everything degrades overtime.
@TheDiligentDIYer......... My mum's house still has the round brown and white junction boxes under the floorboards with no sign of breakage, overheating or anything untoward Should I get an electrician to have them all replaced due to the inability to deal with higher amps?
I had to do some house wiring in China a few years ago (for 2kW heaters and a kettle so I wanted to do it properly). Spent over an hour in the electrical shop trying to buy junction boxes/choccy bloc (no Wagos then). Much effort with a translator and pics was hopeless - they had consumer units and quite a lot of fancy stuff but no connectors at all, because in China in 2015 everyone apparently just twists wires together. Try to buy proper connectors and they think you are crazy. So I ended up having to make all the connections by wire-twisting. I did it carefully and it worked fine (at least for the 2 weeks we were there). Electrical standards across the world vary, it turns out.
e.g. that all these different clamps are for different uses, therefor can't be compared - that e.g the wago are in use for almost 50 years and well tested. Also regarding the sizes, they can't be overloaded by high Ampere fuses. They are restricted to a certain size of wire (1.5, 2,5 square-mm) and cables with these wires are already restricted in fuse size, normally 10-20A. If you ever dare to put a 32A-fuse into your light and outlet-circuits you gotta bigger problems than the clamps if you draw 32A.@@Showing_the_car_
For people who are nervous about the lack of connection area with Wagos you can find videos of them being tested under load - to destruction - and they actually take much higher loads than their ratings, so you can be confident that the contact area is fine. And unlike screw connectors the pressure is constant and can't slacken unless they're overloaded and heated to ignition point. Additionally - unlike twisting connections and screw connectors - Wagos don't bend or damage the copper in any way.
Yes, they are PA9 type 450v 2.5 connector blocks rated for 24A current. Most of the video is practically wago commercial (not that i don't like wagos), with rather little actual knowledge on the subject, starting on what the markings mean and what's the difference between both electrical systems and regulations in eu, uk, us etc.
The current rating of that screw terminal connector is going to be way higher than 5 or 6 amperes. I would say at least 15 amps. It is, after all, as larger as the screw terminals on a typical socket, which are rated for 32A. What is more, the conductive metal cross-sectional area is more than a Wago type. The danger is a poor connection, not the rating of the connector in that case unless you use it on something like a shower circuit. Cable ties in the Wago box are nothing to do with IP ratings, they are there to meet the requirement that it requires the use of tools to access the live conductive parts.
Struggling to understand how terminating stranded cable in screw connectors without a ferrule can be bad when there must be literally millions of UK 3-pin plugs in use at this very moment wired up in precisely this way.
A UK plug is designed to accept fine stranded cable. Curved sides that have no side space, smoothed screw end. Most connector blocks are not. Rough screw end that damaged the strands and space around the screw for the strands to float in.
Is it possible to just twist the stranded copper wire and insert them into a Wago connector. If not can you recommend what connector crimps to purchase.
I just bought some amazon ones, I’ve got a video on electrical tools that has the one i used linked. I wouldn’t recommend just putting the stranded in. Thanks for watching!
These Wago 221 connectors are indeed rated for solid, stranded and even fine stranded wire. So using a ferrule is not only pointless but also not recommended by Wago.
@@Kyouske_42 I found that I could pull out fine stranded wire with the Wagos in the locked position so if I had those ferrules I would have used them but I am not worried about them getting undone because nothing will be pulling on those wires after installation and after using cable clamps and staples.
@00:30 , The Rating is actually for Japan not US. The one on the left has the US (and Canada) rating, with clue being the cable size rating of, AWG (American Wire Gauge).
The twisting of solid core wire is not that bad as presented in this video, of course it have to be done correctly which it was not in this case. The right way is to strip about 10 cm of wire, twist the cores tightly together for 7-8 cm, cut the excess wire off, put a sleeve over the twisted part and bend it on the middle (this is to keep the sleeve from falling off and the wire from untwisting). When I first was introduce to this method outside my native country I was chocked "How can they use such a terrible method to connect wires ?", but it had been proven to me a few times that it, if executed correctly, gives a lower transition resistance than the resistance that actually is in the cable itself, second concern is long time stability, and I have seen decade old installment that are still showing no signs of bad connections. So far so good. So why do I almost always replace these connections to wago's when I see them ? Well first of all they take up a lot of space in a box, then it is a pain in time and work to do fault finding on a circuit that is made this way, and you may not have the needed wire length to redo the connection. There is different ways to evaluate "what is a good connection of wires ?", some think it is ease of use, other think time is money, others again think that low transition resistance is king, others look at the total cost, as long at you follow the local law/code/etc. any method is good enough if executed correctly. In this video there were a few methods (the once that the author do not like ?) that was executed very badly, that is not fair to the methods itself. I know that exaggeration promotes understanding, but in this case, where you, to a certain extent, compare different methods, then this exaggeration is not useful.
I agree. I've also seen decades old twisted joints that were still pristine. Problem is, the only good ones I've seen were done by a proper experienced spark. Every single one of DYI twists I've seen were horrible bodges. So, in that context, the video is absolutely correct.
A very well written comment, I agree with everything you’ve said. The twisting I did in the video was not good twisting, but the idea of the video was to illustrate the mistakes likely to be made. Thanks for watching!!
In the Philippines, "twist & tape" is the standard connection in almost all installations. They can be done well and they do last quite a long time, but I have seen many issues with them. Once the predominant 3M electrical tape was mostly replaced by no-name Chinese products, the tape could unravel within weeks in a hot attic. In the last rented house I found 40 year old twist & tape connections outside of junction boxes laying on highly flammable plywood ceilings. They had rewired the main panel about 10 years ago, but left much of the old wiring in place. Many outlets did not work, some had weird voltages. Lights suddenly stopped working. Then we found a 2000 Watt ground fault producing heat for weeks, but it did not trigger the circuit breaker. The owner had about one third of the house rewired to fix the fault, but left the existing dangerous connections outside of j-boxes in place. We installed a fire alarm and moved out as soon as possible. The electrician that did the partial rewire actually did a reasonably good job: the twist & tape connections looked solid and were protected by junction boxes, and the correctly sized wires were protected by solid PVC conduit.
@@BPo75 I wish I knew about them years ago when doing electronics. It's always been the part where my projects went a bit crappy, finding ways of joining copper wire to circuits with Chinese rubbish terminal blocks. I don't like soldering the wire ends because that introduces problems of it's own
I’m a ferrule convert, even where they’re not required by code. They take a second to apply, but save soooo much time down the line, not having to deal with wayward strands.
@@tookitogo Since I bought a big box of mixed sizes from Amazon, I'm finding they are very useful. Used loads all ready. Much better than just soldering bare wire to a PCB or Buck/Boost converter. I now solder a terminal block and connect to that for a better connecting without fear of oxidization.
Soldering is no longer acceptable under the latest BS7671 regs. The solder is brittle and can deteriorate when applied to cables. Solder is fine on circuit boards etc as the joint is (mechanically) fixed. Ferrules is the new accepted approach.
When you do it properly, it's the best way, if it's officially allowed by safety rules in your country, who knows, but it's safe when done properly. I am doing it all the time, but I recommend one upgrade if this mething, before you solder it together, wrap it around with another thin copper wire and then solder it, that's connection for whole life and it's proper copper to copper connection and even when tin will melt when thins will go in a wrong way, it will still connection. Also, soldering it together is only way how to do low profile connections when you need to connect to wires without increasing their diametr too much. People do it all the time, but electro-snobs believe that some Chinese crap from electro shop is better than DIY solution, but it's not and CE logo means nothing, I buy dangerous products all the time and they all have CE and other safety logos, it means nothing.
@@tomgallacher6493 That's why you have to wrap it around with another copper wire before you solder it and also, use proper toxic lead tin and screw EU. Lead free solder is terrible. As a citizen of EU, I really don't understand what they are doing, this eco-fight is hypocritical, I am real person who protects nature and I would ban many other things, but making electronics less realiable by using lead free solder just makes another garbage and it causes exact opossite than stupid EU officials were thinking. Instead of baning polystyren completely and other shits like that, they ban lead solder, such a nonsense.
It's ok to prevent people from doing dumb things that can actually hurt them when they attempt to work with potentially dangerous items/devices/installations. Anyhow, household electricity doesn't present that much of a danger IF some precautions are taken beforehand. For example, PLEASE, if you are going to work with electricity, WEAR SHOES, make sure the floor is DRY and SWITCH OFF THE BREAKERS so you don't get shocked. I'll have to say that in the Americas (maybe with the exception of Argentina and a few other countries), we commonly have 110V/60Hz, so a shock is not that dangerous unless many other things go wrong, but if in your country you have 220V electricity, be very careful as a shock is really bad and can actually kill you even if every other precaution is taken, so SWITCH OFF THE BREAKERS before doing anything. That being said, electricians have been twisting cables for decades with outstanding success, so calling it a dangerous, potentially fire-hazard way of connecting cable is a huge exaggeration. And that is because, even if the twisted cables get loose or uncovered, you would need another live cable, a ground or a neutral to provoke a short, and even then, if the breakers are correctly installed, the protection (short or temperature) will jump and all you will have is a part of your house without electricity until you fix the problem. This types of junctions are made for safety so electricians don't get shocked, for ease of use so you don't have to use pliers to twist cables, and for saving space as a very small junction box is much smaller than any other alternative. But other methods are still valid if you need to use them, and direct contact of twisted cables is much more efficient for transferring electricity from one cable to the other and all you need to worry about is the actual amperage the cable itself can handle. That's why nowadays electricians still twist cables but then also weld or solder them together.
That plastic white connector and black ones are being used since many years in all Electrical installations and also inside Electrical applications without any problems except that the screws get rusted after some period
I don’t agree with your fascination with wago connections. In my opinion as an electrician of 35 years the screw terminal is fat superior. The wago relies on a spring and springs weaken in time causing a weak connection which hears up further weakening the spring resulting in a burnt out connection. Use a screw connector block.
Only time will tell if Wagos have longevity, The trend is going toward spring connector joints including outlet sockets, it's only time before mcbs, rcbos etc will go that way.
@@mainlineelectronics5266 I doubt MCB's, RCBO's etc will ever have lever connections due to the range of sizes of cable that can be used on some circuits, a 32A breaker can be used with 2 or 3 x 2.5mm² or 2 x 4mm² cables through to a 10mm² cable and possibly even 16mm² you won't find a lever style connector that could cover that range of sizes
It's interesting how locale influences what we consider safe. In North America, almost all connections are done by twisting wires together (and covering with wire nuts.) When I heard about British ring mains, my first thought was, "why aren't there more fires there?" Of course, your plug has a fuse, to compensate. When licensed electricians make twisted connections here (Canada) the resistance of the connections are lower than for Wago connectors (not that I would hesitate to use Wagos.)
There is a difference between twisting and twisting. The way you doing it, showing us, is the wrong way but if you do it the right way it is very strong and makes an excellent connection. Twist solder around it and heat it up properly makes it even better. This is the best connection you can make, no other connector can beat this. By using shrink tubing properly it is also water tight and protected against corrossion. Rule #1 By everthing you do you need to know how to do it right.
@OntraadSpeldinnen: Totally agree with you, a good twisted and soldered connection makes a pretty perfect cable joint. A lot of people will try to tell you that a crimped connection is a bad connection, but in 48 years of using them I've so far never had one fail.
Not that tape a replacement for an enclosure or ever considered a permanent solution but if you use the correct tape for the job, it won't deteriorate as the correct tape if self-amalgamating adhesive tape, that is tape that is not held together by glue but the layers of tape will weld together and form a single solid. You won't be able to remove such a tape by pulling or just "unrolling" it, the only way to get rid of that tape is to cut it off. It's also perfectly waterproof and heat resistent and these are permanent properties. Such a tape even works under water and it's the only kind of tape you should ever use for temporary fixes that guarantees long lasting properties until a better fix is possible. It's also pressure resistent and an even fix water leaks on pressure pipes and that while there is pressure on the pipe and the water is currently leaking. And there are situations where you need a fix right now and a better fix isn't possible until two years later as it requires huge amounts of renovations which cannot be done over night.
As a DIYer I haven't switched to using boot lace ferrules but will for next job. Up to now when using screw down connectors with stranded I have been putting solder on exposed strands before insertion into the connector. Love Wago I recently fitting a Tado smart heating controller I had sort out the rats nest of connections the original house builder had left behind Wago connectors were the tops ❤
Last week I took a connector out of the circuit because it failed after 50 years. The screw had pressed on the copper and flattened the spot. The sparks caused a layer to form on the oxidation insulation. And this deposit had become conductive. This led to short circuits between two hot conductors. I now only use WAGO terminals. Installation is easy and the contact is secure. I change screw connectors for WAGOs.
Wow......... I had a 30amp block connector hidden behind an old cupboard that I fitted 48 years ago taped over with electrical tape! Renovated the whole kitchen last year and extended the ring with extra sockets and spurs but the connector block was as good as new. Now discarded as new 2.5mm didn't need joined up......... but nothing wrong with them, just that Wagos are the new slimline kid on the block.
I remember when I was young, and my dad didn't have a spare 3-pin plug anywhere to plug in an appliance, so he connected the live and the neutral cables straight into the plug socket...
when joining flex type cables a, as in hedge cutter, which I have cut through I would always solder the cables together carefully so that there is no chance of coming apart. I shall seek some of those Wago boxes. Thanks for this information.
Really helpful video. I'm just about to try Wago for the first time for some loft lights, having seen them recommended. I was a bit misled by your thumbnail though as it made it look like the Wago was a bad option, hence why I clicked to see why. I have seen some shocking (excuse pun) wiring in houses I've lived in. 70's and 80's builds seemingly had barely any regs so it seemed. I had mains wiring running diagonally behind my kitchen wall and a spaghetti junction of cables above my light fittings. These Wago's look good and am looking forward to trying them out! Thanks
Could I use Wagos to safely cap off wires? I have faceplates currently installed but they need to come off for plasterboard to go on. My plan was to isolate the wires in Wagos to make safe whilst the plasterboarding is done
The porcelain screw cap types of old don't deteriorate the cable current connection at all. Great for higher temperature and silicone cables in hot environments. All those plastic ones will all melt or deteriorate over time in a hot environment or in a high sun UV position.
Why would using a 30A Junction Box on a socket circuit be an issue? Assuming it's a ring-main, the cable is rated at 20A and essentially doubled, so the 32A breaker maximum current is (theoretically) split evenly two ways. You're using a 30A terminal on a 20A cable for a 20A maximum expected cable-load, so if 20A cable is okay, then why is a 30A terminal a problem? This logic would not apply to a 32A radial socket circuit, but these are not yet typical in existing installations. In practice, a typical B-curve 32A breaker (and even a BS1361 fuse) will allow a fair bit of overload for some time before breaking the circuit, so if you were actually sizing the cable and connectors in the hope that the breaker will always protect the circuit you would risk disappointment. Weirdly, standard practice in the UK seems to be to size the breaker above the cable capacity, but rely on good design and typical use to ensure that the capacity is not exceeded (for example, I might have a ring-main with 10 sockets split across 3 small rooms on it and could, in theory, connect 125A of electric heaters (3kW is about 13A @ 240V x 10 = 130A, but it would not be normal to use as much as one 3kW heater per room).
Personally I have never had any issues using wago connectors with their designated boxes as they are really simple and safe to use on most applications. I just don’t favour the screw type connectors (I.e chockblocks and JBs) as it’s very easy for those kind of connections to work their way loose over time with current and heat, whereas wagos and push connectors tend to stay springed in place. Generally speaking, any screw termination has to be tightened up sufficiently but not overdone so it crushes the copper too much.
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 The modern wago connection system is definitely very neat. But, just to consider the statistical probabilities that screw type connections are in some way bad - I'd guess that 99.99% of connections in UK domestic installations were made using screw connections. And I don't believe there are masses of dangerous problems arising in those millions of properties with hundreds of connections! Yes, of course, there will be examples of problems (possibly disastrous) that arose through mis-use of screw connections. But, as I said, there's a much larger population size for those problems to be encountered from.. Plus, the problem cause being mis-use rather than inherent deficiency in design concept. It would be interesting to know if there are any real-world stats available counting prevalence of issues arising in the two types of installation i.e. wago-type v. screw-type, and the number of installation sites, to make a scientific verdict possible.
I have bene using screw blocks [choc blocks] for 30 years and have not had ONE single issue, except one day a wire broeke off as the wire was too thin. - I use everywhere - from 240V AC to 12 V DC, and for all types of Signal wires. It works well and if done properly, will last a long time. The ratings on those choc blocks are high and I have yet to see and appliance that will melt them.
Agree. With screw blocks [choc blocks] you see and control what you are doing. With all these new inventions you see nothing and God knows what's inside. Plug and pray...and hope you will be able to sue the manufacturer if something goes wrong 🤠
I'm rewiring my garage and just ordered a variety of Wago connectors. I've never used them before, but I'm sick of twisting wires together and using wire nuts. I've heard that Wagos are actually rated by wire size not amperage. In the USA the biggest they accept is 12 gauge wire which has a max rating of 20 amps. I don't know the EU wire sizes but I'm wondering if the max EU wire size it can accept also has a max capacity of 32 amps?
02:48 you said "that is a connector not rated for a socket circuit"....it's a "PA 29" connector (it's written on the side of it), which means it can handle from 0.5 to 4 mm cable, and 24Amp 450V.... So I don't know what YOU need for a socket circuit, but for me this connector is twice above what's necessary for a socket circuit....HTH
Think you've got them the wrong way round. The clamping power of the standard connecting block is way over that of the Wago , you have no control over it unlike the connector block. Just as long as they are used inside an enclosure, they are perfectly fine, which goes for all connection methods
The difference is that the springs being made of spring steel maintain a constant clamping pressure indefinitely. With a screw clamp the pressure reduces as the ductile copper wire relaxes over time. It's also impossible to overtighten a Wago.
STRANDED WIRE? You showed crimping stranded wires with terminators before inerting into Wago, but Wago say that they "safely connect solid, stranded and fine-stranded conductors". Would you say that is safe?
After seeing quite a lot of Canadian/US electricians use wire nuts, they don't seem any better than twisting the cables together. Any one have any if wire nuts are any good?
Yes you could use wagos to relocate a consumer unit, but typically electricians use DIN rail connectors in special enclosures. Consumer unit relocation isn’t a DIY job though, you need a qualified professional. Thanks for watching!
how do you spell wehgo? do they need a ferrule or can you use bare stranded wire, for non wall current. 8:30 can i solder the tips instead of ferrule for non wall current?
I can't find a solution for my issue. I'm replacing my old smoke detectors, and they were wired. Can I just cut the ends, leaving no exposed copper, heat shrink sleeves on each, and push them back inside the ceiling? Would that be safe enough? PS the wires are live.
Don't use ferrule and WAGO as show 8:41. The WAGO need the soft coppet to get a good grip. Also you don't need ferrule for termination standed wires in screw terminalse. Just lay the wires double and screw into the excess copper.
My grandpa was a DIY-er and the wired up a shed with flexcore wires twisted together 😳 After his passing, I re-wired the whole shed. God bless his soul, but I was terrified of the things I saw.
Sorry for your loss, but I bet ya grandpa didn’t get electrocuted in his shed. You need to worry on what killed him. Bit like saying your scared of heights when in fact it’s the ground that kills you. 🤪🤣😂✌🏻
Presumably you mean a 20ah car battery? The connectors i showed here are for AC 230v, i think you need to look at something designed for a car battery. Thanks for watching
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 I am on about 48v20am e bike battery can i use a 30amp connecter to connect the motor to the controller the motor is 1000w thanks for your reply
here we just use wire nuts which act to hold the wires together against each other tightly twisted so would have the rating of the wire that is being joined since the current goes from wire to wire.
I think it is max 4mm for the standard wagos, they do a larger size though. I don’t know how much current solar panels output, so you’ll need to make sure any connections are appropriately rated. Thanks for watching!
I was looking at my training documents from the seventies where we had chock blocks, twist connectors and fabric insulating tape. It does mention twisting the earth and didn't require sleeving!! the term CPC hadn't been discovered then!!
I wonder if _CPC_ became the preferred term after a meme went around the Internet showing a Russian _„Widowmaker“_ type shower with the green wire running into a plastic cup full of soil, which had - Predictably - Been labelled (In Cyrillic)... ... *„Earth“* 🤣
Great video for basic DIYERs , but if you do a follow up, please note that if using a chocbox then the cables entries should be secured using the providing cable clamp to make sure the cable is secured from undue tugging to stress and the cables do not pull out of the connector block which also hooks onto one of the pegs in the lid to ensure that the connector block is secure inside the enclosure
@ lenaisx .. I do the same. Both screws make the connection and therefore give twice the clamping area for mechanical strength and twice the clamped surface area for electrical conductivity.
6 - twisted flex: common in Saudi, and for quite hefty loads too, seen in public spaces such as for shop front signage. Last one, flex into a block, is essentially how a wires in a plug are connected (but with flex sheath grip too).
@2:40 Insert both cables into the chocolate stick from one side. Strip enough insulation to allow the copper be gripped by both screws, but don't have copper beyond the terminal. This way, the connector isn't carrying all the circuit current to make the connection. I've recently fitted downlights and replaced the 'wagos' which came with them, because just the slightest tug on the cable caused it to pull out of the terminal....also, wago types carry all the current on the connecting metal....might not be a great idea. I was taught to twist solid copper conductors together, before putting them in a teminal....that's now frowned upon, as it stresses the copper which will produce a weak or broken connection.
Wow how did we ever connect anything safely before Wagos? Junction boxes when correctly installed are perfectly safe period. Check your electricity meter main tail connections when you get chance and tell me what you see? Shock horror screw terminals carefully designed to safely carry 100A plus!
I clearly say in the video the issue is people using screw terminals when not rated appropriately. Obviously terminals rated for 100a on a domestic incomer are not a problem. Thank you for watching.
Fair point, but as others have said on here, it has been common UK wiring practice to use the 30A junction box to break into a ring final circuit to feed a single spur for example. The alternative is to spur off the back of a socket on the ring. The junction box you show at 2 mins in has adequately sized terminals for the job. Other than that I agree with your remarks completely and will no doubt use Wago connectors at some stage in the near future 👍.
It’s a quirk of the regs: once cable tied you then need a tool to access it (eg scissors). the need for a tool adds an extra step/layer of (access) protection.
It's really interesting to see how different places do residential wiring. Here in the US, as you probably know, most household branch circuits for the past 50+ years are 15 or 20A, 120V, with 14 or 12 gauge solid wire, or about 1.6 or 2.0mm. All splices have to be done in a UL listed enclosure, with a UL listed device, and be accessible. On solid wire, installed properly, UL listed wire nuts are fine, and probably 95% percent of US homes are wired that way. But I agree wagos are a bit better. The push in types are frowned upon here, because some products were on the market..and still are...that have proven to be not reliable and have some hazards. So many electricians avoid them as shoddy. It takes a long time to shake a bad reputation.
While i do enjoy the WAGO connectors, in terms of quality of the connection, the screw ones are the best, but are also used wrong by everybody. Come with the wires so that both screws catch each wire, 2 points of mechanical connection is the safest way to do it. Might not look as pretty as WAGO but for sure they are more secure, remember that a wire will get hot at the weakest connection point, 2 screws on each wire is better than any other clamping method.
@@Pugjamin derivation clamps inside electrical panels have screws... 2 of them. The job of an electrician is to tighten these and then after a week to do another inspection and check again the screws. It is the same drill for the circuit breakers. Nothing is fool proof, somebody has to do his job right!
This is not technical right in some parts. I have never had an issue with screw terminal connectors and in my experience they are better than Wago. The connector blocks rating is mainly centred around the cable sizes the terminal would accept, i.e. 32A would be for 2No 2.5 or 2No 4mm cables and not the current carrying capacity.
I would never use those plastic connectors with a srew. I have seen ones that had plastic decomposed and turn into dust as I touched and squeezed them. Probably sat there for ages.
I once stayed in a flat where they charged a premium price for a property that was basically one huge fire hazard. One day the landlord accidentally let it slip that he just got his cousin to do all the wiring instead of an actual electrician, and it showed - one day my shower switch caught fire. When I opened it up, the copper was so bare that you couldn't even call it sleeving, it was more like a t-shirt for wires.
I don't think any of the ones shown are legal for permanent installations in houses in Denmark. Especially if the fire insurance is to cover a possible fire.
I know almost nothing about electric stuff. I know how to install an outlet and switches but I prefer to let an electrician do it cause I don't feel comfortable doing that. I have never made an error cause I'm very careful, though. If I had to choose a connector I would choose the Wago. The rating and lenght of the "strip" (bare copper) is printed on the connector and it's easy to use.
The 30 A junction boxes _can_ be used on a 32A final ring circuit, but not a 32A radial. In fact a 20A junction can be used on a ring. A ring splits the current.
Rings don’t split the current evenly, you could in theory have a large ring with a socket close to the CU, pulling a large current, exceeding the 20a. Thanks for watching
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 2.5mm cable takes approx' 26A max. One socket near the CU drawing max current draws 13A. Two is 26A, the max current rating of the cable. That is 81% of the protection device which is 32A. So, not all that 26A will be drawn from one leg, L1, of the ring. For example, about 20% will be drawn from L2 which means just under 21 amps is drawn from L1. So the 26A max limit of the cable is not reached. It would need three sockets very near the CU to exceed the 26A max draw of the cable. The warmer the L1 leg of the cable the resistance rises, so more current will be drawn via the L2 leg automatically. Also if the first and second sockets are drawing 26A L1 will create resistance from the current draw of those two sockets, meaning current will come via L2 to the third socket. By the time there is any danger the 32A breaker would have tripped. An imbalance, can happen in a ring but it is a *very rare* event to the point it will cause a fire. But if maximum current drawing appliances are bunched near the CU creating concern, just fit the ring with sockets round robin, first socket on L1, second on L2, third on L1, etc. Or from the CU have 4mm cable to the first few heavy current drawing sockets, with 2.5mm for the rest. Take note of the professionals.
All electrical connectors have evolved for speed of install. I wouldn’t say they have improved mechanically or electrically. I still don’t fully trust wago style connectors, I guess time will tell. Certified nylon screw connectors will have the voltage and current rating moulded into the nylon with the data usually displayed at the end of the connector adjacent to the terminal screw. The voltage and current rating will be stamped onto alternate terminals respectively.
chocolates you need to put wire trought both screws from boths sides. Then that connection is superior to everything but pressed/welded joint. Wago is quick and easy to use, but it has poor pull resistance and of course 32A during that type of connector is for short burst only, for long term load, your limit is more like those 20A for "america". When I am connecting cables in wall, i am using electrical wreath inside electric box. It has perfect pull protection, ideal cooling spaces, it can be easily redone even after years and wiring is easy to understand even if you forgot it or lost schematics. Only drawback, that they are relatively dangerous to work under load.
Wago is very nice. However, for the DIY'r, I still prefer the old fashioned wire nut. They are not idiot proof like the wago, but they are cheap and you don't need to have a case with 12 different styles on hand.
Damn didn't have any idea that these have ratings. But the point could be that i'm in the Netherlands. Voltage is always 220 to 230, and ampage is limited. Bit i used Wagos(non lever) in my shed where i renewed all electronics myself. It could handle my dad's 3500 watt angle grinder with ease. So maybe these are more consistent and stable in europe?
Also i believe those extension boxes are illegal here. At least, most opt to replace the entire cable before going to those, or put a box in the middle Also i believe that connecting ANY cables without a bigger box is illegal as well. So all boxes for connecting cables have multiple ports, have very specific certrificates and are a bit larger.
the US are lower rated on the wago becasue they put the electric cables direclty in to the wall including clamps connectors and branchpoints and whatnot and the walls are in best case wood with insulation between worstcase literal paper....so absoluitly no heat allowed...while in europe they MUST be put into a dedicated box by regulation....
The Wago's are an amazing invention, safe and simple for domestic electrics.
Absolutely! Thanks for watching!
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 Strangely enough it's pronounced Vah-Goh. Watched an efixx video interviewing some guys from Wago who said it's named after 2 guys who made the patent for it in the 50's.
@@djoakeydoakey1076correct, we were using Va-go products over 20 years ago on panels for industrial machines. Seems to have taken a long time for UK sparkies to accept them.
Also WAGO is a private company and has the patent on it, outlawing it so it becomes a monopoly and can change the prices whenever it wants its a terrible idea
@@MrFiver1111Ideal has recently made a competitor, so there is competition, so if the price is too high, they will lose marketshare.
I bought that exact same ferrule set last year - I've been guilty of using stranded wires in screw connectors in the past... I have changed my ways 😀
Glad to hear it! Thanks for watching!
Stranded wires in screw terminals used to be pretty much standard for a long time - until peopl enoticed that wasn't very reliable. Same for tinning the end of stranded wires. And some folks just don't get why they should not continue as they used to.
It's "Horses for Courses" Stranded wires in screw terminals are great for prototyping. You just have to be aware of the application and the suitability of the hardware you are choosing.
@@markawbolton prototyping is fine, nothing can be perfect in the prototype stage. Things are different when we're talking about connections transfering enough power to cause a fire hazard. So I'm inbetween twisting wires, soldering, screw terminals but also wagos for terporary connections.
@@ralfbaechle Well at the prototyping stage everything must be manipulable. But that said the sorts of things that require screw connections rarely are in contention.
To build a machine that goes into service requires a whole differnt mindset. I am sure we both understand this.
I’ve been using terminal connector blocks for years with absolutely no issues, using bootlace ferrules with these types of connectors makes a perfect match too. It’s nice to see other products available though and I’m sure they will have their use.
Thanks for watching!
same, if people know how to use them then they are fine. I think all the new sparks only know Wago and think that is the only thing to use.
Biggest issue is they’re not maintenance free, so have to be accessible when installed, where Wagos (when installed correctly) are, so don’t need to be accessible.
@@gainmaster1
Screws can work loose. Wagos do not work loose.
@@johnburns4017 maybe if you were tightening it, how did people survive without them before. Do screws become loose on MCB etc too? There is always a possibility that can happen, they work when you use them correctly as like any electrical connection
Your explanation of the ratings on the WAGO connector are wrong. The ones on the left (next to the "UL" logo) that say "450V/32A" are from the IEC and apply for both *Europe and the US.* That's why the same side also lists the wire size in both mm² and AWG (American Wire Gauge). The rating on the right side is from the JET (Japanese Electrical Safety and Environment Technology Labs) for the Japanese market.
(However, note that even though the _connector_ is rated to 32A, the maximum wire size (14 AWG) is only rated to 15 amps for building wiring in the US, so this connector can only be used on up to 15 amp building circuits according to US code (otherwise the wires would be too big). However, if you are using it for other applications (for example open-air chassis wiring inside an enclosure) you could potentially take advantage of the full 32A of the connector in some situations.)
Thank you for your detailed explanation, you’re absolutely right! Thanks for watching!
They also make a 6mm^2 (12awg) version of the Wagos with the same ratings.
Actually the standard Wagos allow AWG12 wire with 20A and the higher powered Wagos allow AWG10 wire with 30A.
The inline Wago shown in the video shows AWG14, but the website of Wago shows AWG12 in the specs.
@@ChristianWagner888 Sorry you're correct, I managed to get the two standards mixed up even after reading the comment above explaining them.
@@ChristianWagner888 The other ones have always said 12 AWG, but I think the older inline connectors were only rated for 14 AWG originally (I have some that say the same thing), but it sounds like maybe newer ones will do up to 12...?
Even if the website says 12, if the connector itself only says 14, I would not use it with larger than 14 AWG, personally. There's no guarantee the website isn't just a misprint or something.
Wait a sec, you want to teach somebody about connections, showing in your thumbnail phot that Wagos (perfectly safe and strong) are bad, and then showing NOT EVEN CONNECTED terminal block as "worse".
A terminal block not connected is still worse than a wago haha. The wago in thumbnail shows exposed copper, that is why it isn’t okay.
I agree with you, thumbnails like this is stupid and misinforming , and nobody looked that the wago had exposed cooper.
It's not the first video I've watched with this type of thumbnail and i always give a thumb down for things like this.
Confused the fuck out of me
Yep, clickbait ass thumbnail. Downvoted at 1:20, not going to finish, and told RUclips to hide channel/not recommend. It’s disrespectful wasting ppl’s time.
@@ArmanRafique in that case you could not properly inspect joints visually
30A juntion boxes are designed for ring final circuits. They were commonly used and still are to extend cables. Each leg of a ring is desinged to pull at max of 27 Amps at fault. So a 30 Amp jnc box in situe is perfectly acceptable as long as it's accessible for inspection. We tend to use wago and ideal connectors in Maintenance free boxes so we don't have to worry about inspecting them.
In theory you could have a very long ring and sockets close to the CU maxed out, and probably exceeding 26A, or even 30A, on that short leg. Thanks for watching!
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759on a ring final circuit the sockets are fed from both sides so there won't be an issue with sockets being further away from the fuse box. Did you know that 2.5mm twin & earth cable is only rated for 26amps? A 30amp junction box will be more than adequate
How will the maximum fault current only be 27A when the circuit is protected by a 32A breaker? And this is only the working current not fault current rating which can be in the hundreds of amps momentarily.
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 to fully understand the UK ring final circuit you need to understand the application of diversity. This is usually beyond the understanding of your average DIY’er. If in doubt consult the qualified electrician.
Ring circuits will have two cables coming out the circuit breaker supplying the sockets so the 32 amps will be split between both cables that's how you are able to use 2.5 cable rated at 26amp as the electricity will take the path of least resistance meaning it will draw from the cable that's closest to that socket
I replaced a bunch of screw terminal junction boxes in my own home with Wago boxes. They were all at least 12 years old. Some of the older boxes had loose screws and even evidence of arcing where connectors were loose. The problems are; the connectors are brass with brass screws and these are relatively well self-lubricating metal on metal contacts and the copper single core wire is fairly soft and deformable, especially compared to the brass. Often these boxes are in lofts or roofspaces where temperatures fluctuate considerably (+/-15-30oC), cold in winter/at night and warm in the summer/day. The fluctuating temperature cycles over a number of years expand and contract the wire trapped by the screw, loosening the screws grip on the wire by a combination of compressing the wire more and loosening the well lubricated screw. Eventually the wire is barely held by the screw. Wires under any tension can be pulled out of the terminal altogether. What makes things worse is when someone has put 3, 4 or even 5 wires under one screw! Wago levers are a sprung fixing, so there is some give and positive pressure capturing the wires, in theory they should last indefinitely, however plastics do deteriorate with heat cycles and UV exposure so worth making them inspectable and checking them periodically.
Good points, thanks for watching!
Good rule that screws should be tightened once a year, especially high loaded
@@alexU42k however that simply should never be the case most periodic inspections are every five years so in that case of screw terminal is simply not appropriate or fit for purpose
Life was so simple in the good old days. I’ve only watched two videos, enough to tell me to leave electrics to the experts. If you do not know how to analyse the work load then don’t play with the electrics. Especially now that insurance companies want proof of certification for the work done. Just installing the wrong cable is enough to void payout. Love the video. It shows the better options for a safer connection. Nothing is perfect. Everything degrades overtime.
@ you said even installing the wrong cable like it’s a simple mistake quite often that can be a deadly mistake
Haha. Apparently it's a miracle no house I've ever lived in has burnt down.
Thanks for watching!
@TheDiligentDIYer.........
My mum's house still has the round brown and white junction boxes under the floorboards with no sign of breakage, overheating or anything untoward
Should I get an electrician to have them all replaced due to the inability to deal with higher amps?
There are people looking for you though.....
Do you ferrule all wires before wiring a plug?
Only stranded cores, solid don’t need it. Thanks for watching!
a plug? HAHA
I had to do some house wiring in China a few years ago (for 2kW heaters and a kettle so I wanted to do it properly). Spent over an hour in the electrical shop trying to buy junction boxes/choccy bloc (no Wagos then). Much effort with a translator and pics was hopeless - they had consumer units and quite a lot of fancy stuff but no connectors at all, because in China in 2015 everyone apparently just twists wires together. Try to buy proper connectors and they think you are crazy. So I ended up having to make all the connections by wire-twisting. I did it carefully and it worked fine (at least for the 2 weeks we were there). Electrical standards across the world vary, it turns out.
Electrician here, please keep doing what you guys do. It keeps guys like me employed!
Thanks for watching
Well said, retired colleague here,
still shaking head.
@@AFLOVEable So, what are your issues with the info he presented?
e.g. that all these different clamps are for different uses, therefor can't be compared - that e.g the wago are in use for almost 50 years and well tested. Also regarding the sizes, they can't be overloaded by high Ampere fuses. They are restricted to a certain size of wire (1.5, 2,5 square-mm) and cables with these wires are already restricted in fuse size, normally 10-20A.
If you ever dare to put a 32A-fuse into your light and outlet-circuits you gotta bigger problems than the clamps if you draw 32A.@@Showing_the_car_
@@Showing_the_car_usual crap, great with words but never add anything of substance or value
Very informative. I like the idea of putting those ends one stranded, and using them in a Wago.
Yeah the ferrules are great, thanks for watching!
For people who are nervous about the lack of connection area with Wagos you can find videos of them being tested under load - to destruction - and they actually take much higher loads than their ratings, so you can be confident that the contact area is fine. And unlike screw connectors the pressure is constant and can't slacken unless they're overloaded and heated to ignition point. Additionally - unlike twisting connections and screw connectors - Wagos don't bend or damage the copper in any way.
Great point, thank you! Thanks for watching!
Local DIY shop opened my eyes about the Wago connectors ... Loved it ... Thanks for the info great video
In the closeup at 4:03 some kind of rating marking is clearly visible on the screw connector.
Yes, they are PA9 type 450v 2.5 connector blocks rated for 24A current. Most of the video is practically wago commercial (not that i don't like wagos), with rather little actual knowledge on the subject, starting on what the markings mean and what's the difference between both electrical systems and regulations in eu, uk, us etc.
Thanks for watching!
The current rating of that screw terminal connector is going to be way higher than 5 or 6 amperes. I would say at least 15 amps. It is, after all, as larger as the screw terminals on a typical socket, which are rated for 32A. What is more, the conductive metal cross-sectional area is more than a Wago type. The danger is a poor connection, not the rating of the connector in that case unless you use it on something like a shower circuit.
Cable ties in the Wago box are nothing to do with IP ratings, they are there to meet the requirement that it requires the use of tools to access the live conductive parts.
Interesting to know, thank you. Thanks for watching!
WAGO in my opinion is the route to take. Very capable and a safer design. Good for 32A too.
Yep agreed! Thanks for watching!
Struggling to understand how terminating stranded cable in screw connectors without a ferrule can be bad when there must be literally millions of UK 3-pin plugs in use at this very moment wired up in precisely this way.
A UK plug is designed to accept fine stranded cable. Curved sides that have no side space, smoothed screw end. Most connector blocks are not. Rough screw end that damaged the strands and space around the screw for the strands to float in.
Is it possible to just twist the stranded copper wire and insert them into a Wago connector. If not can you recommend what connector crimps to purchase.
I just bought some amazon ones, I’ve got a video on electrical tools that has the one i used linked. I wouldn’t recommend just putting the stranded in. Thanks for watching!
These Wago 221 connectors are indeed rated for solid, stranded and even fine stranded wire. So using a ferrule is not only pointless but also not recommended by Wago.
Main rule is to never twist! Always use a suitable connector, and put it in an enclosure.
@@Kyouske_42 I found that I could pull out fine stranded wire with the Wagos in the locked position so if I had those ferrules I would have used them but I am not worried about them getting undone because nothing will be pulling on those wires after installation and after using cable clamps and staples.
@00:30 , The Rating is actually for Japan not US.
The one on the left has the US (and Canada) rating, with clue being the cable size rating of, AWG (American Wire Gauge).
The twisting of solid core wire is not that bad as presented in this video, of course it have to be done correctly which it was not in this case. The right way is to strip about 10 cm of wire, twist the cores tightly together for 7-8 cm, cut the excess wire off, put a sleeve over the twisted part and bend it on the middle (this is to keep the sleeve from falling off and the wire from untwisting).
When I first was introduce to this method outside my native country I was chocked "How can they use such a terrible method to connect wires ?", but it had been proven to me a few times that it, if executed correctly, gives a lower transition resistance than the resistance that actually is in the cable itself, second concern is long time stability, and I have seen decade old installment that are still showing no signs of bad connections. So far so good.
So why do I almost always replace these connections to wago's when I see them ? Well first of all they take up a lot of space in a box, then it is a pain in time and work to do fault finding on a circuit that is made this way, and you may not have the needed wire length to redo the connection.
There is different ways to evaluate "what is a good connection of wires ?", some think it is ease of use, other think time is money, others again think that low transition resistance is king, others look at the total cost, as long at you follow the local law/code/etc. any method is good enough if executed correctly. In this video there were a few methods (the once that the author do not like ?) that was executed very badly, that is not fair to the methods itself. I know that exaggeration promotes understanding, but in this case, where you, to a certain extent, compare different methods, then this exaggeration is not useful.
I agree. I've also seen decades old twisted joints that were still pristine. Problem is, the only good ones I've seen were done by a proper experienced spark. Every single one of DYI twists I've seen were horrible bodges. So, in that context, the video is absolutely correct.
A very well written comment, I agree with everything you’ve said. The twisting I did in the video was not good twisting, but the idea of the video was to illustrate the mistakes likely to be made. Thanks for watching!!
In the Philippines, "twist & tape" is the standard connection in almost all installations. They can be done well and they do last quite a long time, but I have seen many issues with them. Once the predominant 3M electrical tape was mostly replaced by no-name Chinese products, the tape could unravel within weeks in a hot attic.
In the last rented house I found 40 year old twist & tape connections outside of junction boxes laying on highly flammable plywood ceilings. They had rewired the main panel about 10 years ago, but left much of the old wiring in place. Many outlets did not work, some had weird voltages. Lights suddenly stopped working. Then we found a 2000 Watt ground fault producing heat for weeks, but it did not trigger the circuit breaker. The owner had about one third of the house rewired to fix the fault, but left the existing dangerous connections outside of j-boxes in place. We installed a fire alarm and moved out as soon as possible.
The electrician that did the partial rewire actually did a reasonably good job: the twist & tape connections looked solid and were protected by junction boxes, and the correctly sized wires were protected by solid PVC conduit.
Twist and into a choc block is the bare minimum
@@ChristianWagner888 if you just had wire nuts it would solve the tape issue and very easy to do and cheap probably less than the 3m tape.
I've never seen the ferrules before. The times I've needed these! Pretty much used everything else in this video. Thanks for the info.
Glad it was helpful!
Ferrules are a bless here at trade school, where things gets connected and disconnected hundreds of times, all the time :)
@@BPo75 I wish I knew about them years ago when doing electronics. It's always been the part where my projects went a bit crappy, finding ways of joining copper wire to circuits with Chinese rubbish terminal blocks. I don't like soldering the wire ends because that introduces problems of it's own
I’m a ferrule convert, even where they’re not required by code. They take a second to apply, but save soooo much time down the line, not having to deal with wayward strands.
@@tookitogo Since I bought a big box of mixed sizes from Amazon, I'm finding they are very useful. Used loads all ready. Much better than just soldering bare wire to a PCB or Buck/Boost converter. I now solder a terminal block and connect to that for a better connecting without fear of oxidization.
Thank you, i have always used "choc box" connectors, but i have just ordered the Wago type you mentioned to give a try!
Hope you enjoy them!
Well that's a win for the undisclosed covert sponsor then right?
All depends on the load. Wago for light circuits but I'm with screw down connecter strip. It's not what you got, its how you use it.. :)
Hahaha very true, thanks for watching!
No it doesn’t, Wagos can be used for any circuit up to 32a, so are perfectly acceptable for lighting, ring and radial.
@@Pugjamin Here ovens are on a 32A circuit. Would wagos be used ?
Never seen a maintenance free connector for 4mm2 conductors.
WAGO lever connectors accept stranded wire no probs. But you want to twist it slightly so that lever grips all of them
is twisting and then soldering the cable a suitable way to make a connection? are you allowed to soldier inline wire connections infact?
I’m not sure, but i wouldn’t recommend doing either, there are much better and easier options available. Thanks for watching!
Soldering is no longer acceptable under the latest BS7671 regs. The solder is brittle and can deteriorate when applied to cables. Solder is fine on circuit boards etc as the joint is (mechanically) fixed. Ferrules is the new accepted approach.
When you do it properly, it's the best way, if it's officially allowed by safety rules in your country, who knows, but it's safe when done properly. I am doing it all the time, but I recommend one upgrade if this mething, before you solder it together, wrap it around with another thin copper wire and then solder it, that's connection for whole life and it's proper copper to copper connection and even when tin will melt when thins will go in a wrong way, it will still connection. Also, soldering it together is only way how to do low profile connections when you need to connect to wires without increasing their diametr too much. People do it all the time, but electro-snobs believe that some Chinese crap from electro shop is better than DIY solution, but it's not and CE logo means nothing, I buy dangerous products all the time and they all have CE and other safety logos, it means nothing.
@@tomgallacher6493 That's why you have to wrap it around with another copper wire before you solder it and also, use proper toxic lead tin and screw EU. Lead free solder is terrible. As a citizen of EU, I really don't understand what they are doing, this eco-fight is hypocritical, I am real person who protects nature and I would ban many other things, but making electronics less realiable by using lead free solder just makes another garbage and it causes exact opossite than stupid EU officials were thinking. Instead of baning polystyren completely and other shits like that, they ban lead solder, such a nonsense.
It's ok to prevent people from doing dumb things that can actually hurt them when they attempt to work with potentially dangerous items/devices/installations. Anyhow, household electricity doesn't present that much of a danger IF some precautions are taken beforehand. For example, PLEASE, if you are going to work with electricity, WEAR SHOES, make sure the floor is DRY and SWITCH OFF THE BREAKERS so you don't get shocked. I'll have to say that in the Americas (maybe with the exception of Argentina and a few other countries), we commonly have 110V/60Hz, so a shock is not that dangerous unless many other things go wrong, but if in your country you have 220V electricity, be very careful as a shock is really bad and can actually kill you even if every other precaution is taken, so SWITCH OFF THE BREAKERS before doing anything.
That being said, electricians have been twisting cables for decades with outstanding success, so calling it a dangerous, potentially fire-hazard way of connecting cable is a huge exaggeration. And that is because, even if the twisted cables get loose or uncovered, you would need another live cable, a ground or a neutral to provoke a short, and even then, if the breakers are correctly installed, the protection (short or temperature) will jump and all you will have is a part of your house without electricity until you fix the problem.
This types of junctions are made for safety so electricians don't get shocked, for ease of use so you don't have to use pliers to twist cables, and for saving space as a very small junction box is much smaller than any other alternative. But other methods are still valid if you need to use them, and direct contact of twisted cables is much more efficient for transferring electricity from one cable to the other and all you need to worry about is the actual amperage the cable itself can handle. That's why nowadays electricians still twist cables but then also weld or solder them together.
Thanks for watching!
That plastic white connector and black ones are being used since many years in all Electrical installations and also inside Electrical applications without any problems except that the screws get rusted after some period
I have just started using Wago's. Thanks for this video.
I don’t agree with your fascination with wago connections. In my opinion as an electrician of 35 years the screw terminal is fat superior. The wago relies on a spring and springs weaken in time causing a weak connection which hears up further weakening the spring resulting in a burnt out connection. Use a screw connector block.
Thanks for sharing your opinion
Interesting thoughts but I don't agree.
Only time will tell if Wagos have longevity, The trend is going toward spring connector joints including outlet sockets, it's only time before mcbs, rcbos etc will go that way.
@@mainlineelectronics5266 I doubt MCB's, RCBO's etc will ever have lever connections due to the range of sizes of cable that can be used on some circuits, a 32A breaker can be used with 2 or 3 x 2.5mm² or 2 x 4mm² cables through to a 10mm² cable and possibly even 16mm² you won't find a lever style connector that could cover that range of sizes
It's interesting how locale influences what we consider safe. In North America, almost all connections are done by twisting wires together (and covering with wire nuts.) When I heard about British ring mains, my first thought was, "why aren't there more fires there?" Of course, your plug has a fuse, to compensate.
When licensed electricians make twisted connections here (Canada) the resistance of the connections are lower than for Wago connectors (not that I would hesitate to use Wagos.)
Good points, thanks for watching!
There is a difference between twisting and twisting. The way you doing it, showing us, is the wrong way but if you do it the right way it is very strong and makes an excellent connection. Twist solder around it and heat it up properly makes it even better. This is the best connection you can make, no other connector can beat this. By using shrink tubing properly it is also water tight and protected against corrossion. Rule #1 By everthing you do you need to know how to do it right.
@OntraadSpeldinnen:
Totally agree with you, a good twisted and soldered connection makes a pretty perfect cable joint.
A lot of people will try to tell you that a crimped connection is a bad connection, but in 48 years of using them I've so far never had one fail.
Not that tape a replacement for an enclosure or ever considered a permanent solution but if you use the correct tape for the job, it won't deteriorate as the correct tape if self-amalgamating adhesive tape, that is tape that is not held together by glue but the layers of tape will weld together and form a single solid. You won't be able to remove such a tape by pulling or just "unrolling" it, the only way to get rid of that tape is to cut it off. It's also perfectly waterproof and heat resistent and these are permanent properties. Such a tape even works under water and it's the only kind of tape you should ever use for temporary fixes that guarantees long lasting properties until a better fix is possible. It's also pressure resistent and an even fix water leaks on pressure pipes and that while there is pressure on the pipe and the water is currently leaking. And there are situations where you need a fix right now and a better fix isn't possible until two years later as it requires huge amounts of renovations which cannot be done over night.
Thanks for watching!
As a DIYer I haven't switched to using boot lace ferrules but will
for next job. Up to now when using screw down connectors with stranded I have been putting solder on exposed strands before insertion into the connector.
Love Wago I recently fitting a Tado smart heating controller I had sort out the rats nest of connections the original house builder had left behind Wago connectors were the tops ❤
Last week I took a connector out of the circuit because it failed after 50 years. The screw had pressed on the copper and flattened the spot. The sparks caused a layer to form on the oxidation insulation. And this deposit had become conductive. This led to short circuits between two hot conductors.
I now only use WAGO terminals. Installation is easy and the contact is secure.
I change screw connectors for WAGOs.
Thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!
Wow.........
I had a 30amp block connector hidden behind an old cupboard that I fitted 48 years ago taped over with electrical tape! Renovated the whole kitchen last year and extended the ring with extra sockets and spurs but the connector block was as good as new.
Now discarded as new 2.5mm didn't need joined up......... but nothing wrong with them, just that Wagos are the new slimline kid on the block.
I remember when I was young, and my dad didn't have a spare 3-pin plug anywhere to plug in an appliance, so he connected the live and the neutral cables straight into the plug socket...
Thanks for watching!
when joining flex type cables a, as in hedge cutter, which I have cut through I would always solder the cables together carefully so that there is no chance of coming apart. I shall seek some of those Wago boxes. Thanks for this information.
Thanks for watching!
Really helpful video. I'm just about to try Wago for the first time for some loft lights, having seen them recommended. I was a bit misled by your thumbnail though as it made it look like the Wago was a bad option, hence why I clicked to see why. I have seen some shocking (excuse pun) wiring in houses I've lived in. 70's and 80's builds seemingly had barely any regs so it seemed. I had mains wiring running diagonally behind my kitchen wall and a spaghetti junction of cables above my light fittings. These Wago's look good and am looking forward to trying them out! Thanks
Thanks for watching!
Is it good practice to ferrel connect & use wagon together ? Thank you
Could I use Wagos to safely cap off wires? I have faceplates currently installed but they need to come off for plasterboard to go on. My plan was to isolate the wires in Wagos to make safe whilst the plasterboarding is done
That’s your judgment really, thanks for watching!
The porcelain screw cap types of old don't deteriorate the cable current connection at all. Great for higher temperature and silicone cables in hot environments. All those plastic ones will all melt or deteriorate over time in a hot environment or in a high sun UV position.
Why would using a 30A Junction Box on a socket circuit be an issue? Assuming it's a ring-main, the cable is rated at 20A and essentially doubled, so the 32A breaker maximum current is (theoretically) split evenly two ways. You're using a 30A terminal on a 20A cable for a 20A maximum expected cable-load, so if 20A cable is okay, then why is a 30A terminal a problem?
This logic would not apply to a 32A radial socket circuit, but these are not yet typical in existing installations.
In practice, a typical B-curve 32A breaker (and even a BS1361 fuse) will allow a fair bit of overload for some time before breaking the circuit, so if you were actually sizing the cable and connectors in the hope that the breaker will always protect the circuit you would risk disappointment.
Weirdly, standard practice in the UK seems to be to size the breaker above the cable capacity, but rely on good design and typical use to ensure that the capacity is not exceeded (for example, I might have a ring-main with 10 sockets split across 3 small rooms on it and could, in theory, connect 125A of electric heaters (3kW is about 13A @ 240V x 10 = 130A, but it would not be normal to use as much as one 3kW heater per room).
Personally I have never had any issues using wago connectors with their designated boxes as they are really simple and safe to use on most applications. I just don’t favour the screw type connectors (I.e chockblocks and JBs) as it’s very easy for those kind of connections to work their way loose over time with current and heat, whereas wagos and push connectors tend to stay springed in place. Generally speaking, any screw termination has to be tightened up sufficiently but not overdone so it crushes the copper too much.
Yep agreed, wagos are best and the screw terminal types best avoided where possible. Thanks for watching!
Are screw terminals in 3 pin plugs safe? Can you buy wago pushfit type 3 pin plugs?
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 The modern wago connection system is definitely very neat. But, just to consider the statistical probabilities that screw type connections are in some way bad - I'd guess that 99.99% of connections in UK domestic installations were made using screw connections. And I don't believe there are masses of dangerous problems arising in those millions of properties with hundreds of connections! Yes, of course, there will be examples of problems (possibly disastrous) that arose through mis-use of screw connections. But, as I said, there's a much larger population size for those problems to be encountered from.. Plus, the problem cause being mis-use rather than inherent deficiency in design concept. It would be interesting to know if there are any real-world stats available counting prevalence of issues arising in the two types of installation i.e. wago-type v. screw-type, and the number of installation sites, to make a scientific verdict possible.
I have bene using screw blocks [choc blocks] for 30 years and have not had ONE single issue, except one day a wire broeke off as the wire was too thin. - I use everywhere - from 240V AC to 12 V DC, and for all types of Signal wires. It works well and if done properly, will last a long time. The ratings on those choc blocks are high and I have yet to see and appliance that will melt them.
Thanks for watching!
So I was going to comment earlier - choc blocks, from where I come from, I think used to come from the fact they were chocolate-brown.
Agree. With screw blocks [choc blocks] you see and control what you are doing. With all these new inventions you see nothing and God knows what's inside. Plug and pray...and hope you will be able to sue the manufacturer if something goes wrong 🤠
I'm rewiring my garage and just ordered a variety of Wago connectors. I've never used them before, but I'm sick of twisting wires together and using wire nuts. I've heard that Wagos are actually rated by wire size not amperage. In the USA the biggest they accept is 12 gauge wire which has a max rating of 20 amps. I don't know the EU wire sizes but I'm wondering if the max EU wire size it can accept also has a max capacity of 32 amps?
Sorry I’m not sure, best to check the manufacturer guidelines. Thanks for watching!
any idea on how i can extend 4 AWG wire without using busbar?
That’s a large cable! Anything that size likely needs a qualified professional to do the work
02:48 you said "that is a connector not rated for a socket circuit"....it's a "PA 29" connector (it's written on the side of it), which means it can handle from 0.5 to 4 mm cable, and 24Amp 450V.... So I don't know what YOU need for a socket circuit, but for me this connector is twice above what's necessary for a socket circuit....HTH
Thanks for watching!
Think you've got them the wrong way round. The clamping power of the standard connecting block is way over that of the Wago , you have no control over it unlike the connector block. Just as long as they are used inside an enclosure, they are perfectly fine, which goes for all connection methods
Thanks for watching!
I agree - the Wago is a spring clamp, with a relatively poor connection. A screw-down block has a much better connection across many more strands.
@@SimonWad I just like to add that the spring's main function is to press the wires against the bussbar inside the Wago-connector.
The difference is that the springs being made of spring steel maintain a constant clamping pressure indefinitely. With a screw clamp the pressure reduces as the ductile copper wire relaxes over time. It's also impossible to overtighten a Wago.
Ah, good point - I hadn't considered this. @@petehiggins33
STRANDED WIRE?
You showed crimping stranded wires with terminators before inerting into Wago, but Wago say that they "safely connect solid, stranded and fine-stranded conductors". Would you say that is safe?
Wago are wrong haha. Thanks for watching John!
After seeing quite a lot of Canadian/US electricians use wire nuts, they don't seem any better than twisting the cables together. Any one have any if wire nuts are any good?
I’ve only heard bad things about wire nuts. Thanks for watching!
Can these be used to extend wires to reposition a consumer unit ?
Yes you could use wagos to relocate a consumer unit, but typically electricians use DIN rail connectors in special enclosures. Consumer unit relocation isn’t a DIY job though, you need a qualified professional. Thanks for watching!
Can you explain why is twisting dangerous? My house has twisted wires and they still last 30 years later
Thanks for watching!
how do you spell wehgo? do they need a ferrule or can you use bare stranded wire, for non wall current.
8:30 can i solder the tips instead of ferrule for non wall current?
You could solder, but more effort than it is worth. Thanks for watching!
The plastic bit on the end of my laces broke of and i used a crimp to make a new one after 3 months its still holding
Thanks for watching!
Can anyone tell me if 'Wire Nuts' are still allowed in the UK?
I’ve not seen one used before, but not sure on the legality. Thanks for watching!
I can't find a solution for my issue.
I'm replacing my old smoke detectors, and they were wired. Can I just cut the ends, leaving no exposed copper, heat shrink sleeves on each, and push them back inside the ceiling? Would that be safe enough?
PS the wires are live.
I would just replace the old ones with wired smokes, much better than relying on batteries, and cheaper than wireless interlink. Thanks for watching!
Don't use ferrule and WAGO as show 8:41. The WAGO need the soft coppet to get a good grip. Also you don't need ferrule for termination standed wires in screw terminalse. Just lay the wires double and screw into the excess copper.
2 03 Then how come modern socket outlets are rated 30 amp and not 32 amp ? As most commonly on a 32 amp ring circuit.
Thanks for watching!
Got to love it titled " for joining cables" and not a single cable in the picture lol😂😂😂
Hahaha very good point, thanks for watching!
My grandpa was a DIY-er and the wired up a shed with flexcore wires twisted together 😳 After his passing, I re-wired the whole shed. God bless his soul, but I was terrified of the things I saw.
Well i guess at least it didn’t burn down first! Thanks for watching!
Sorry for your loss, but I bet ya grandpa didn’t get electrocuted in his shed. You need to worry on what killed him. Bit like saying your scared of heights when in fact it’s the ground that kills you. 🤪🤣😂✌🏻
can i use a 20amp battery with a 30amp connecter
Presumably you mean a 20ah car battery? The connectors i showed here are for AC 230v, i think you need to look at something designed for a car battery. Thanks for watching
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 I am on about 48v20am e bike battery can i use a 30amp connecter to connect the motor to the controller the motor is 1000w thanks for your reply
here we just use wire nuts which act to hold the wires together against each other tightly twisted so would have the rating of the wire that is being joined since the current goes from wire to wire.
Yeah I’ve seen wire nuts before, not a big fan personally, but I know popular in the US. Thanks for watching!
Can one use the WAGOs for 4/6mm solar cable? Tx
I think it is max 4mm for the standard wagos, they do a larger size though. I don’t know how much current solar panels output, so you’ll need to make sure any connections are appropriately rated. Thanks for watching!
I was looking at my training documents from the seventies where we had chock blocks, twist connectors and fabric insulating tape. It does mention twisting the earth and didn't require sleeving!! the term CPC hadn't been discovered then!!
Interesting to hear, thanks for sharing and thanks for watching!
I wonder if _CPC_ became the preferred term after a meme went around the Internet showing a Russian _„Widowmaker“_ type shower with the green wire running into a plastic cup full of soil, which had - Predictably - Been labelled (In Cyrillic)...
... *„Earth“* 🤣
How do you connect cables together then?
Using an appropriate connector. Thanks for watching Grant!
Great video for basic DIYERs , but if you do a follow up, please note that if using a chocbox then the cables entries should be secured using the providing cable clamp to make sure the cable is secured from undue tugging to stress and the cables do not pull out of the connector block which also hooks onto one of the pegs in the lid to ensure that the connector block is secure inside the enclosure
Very kind of you to say so, and good points! Thanks for watching!
Choc blocks are in thousands of houses in the uk and have been fine for 20 odd years
I use screw connectors more out of habit, but always in the connection the two wires overlap, they are pressed by both screws.
Thanks for watching!
@ lenaisx .. I do the same. Both screws make the connection and therefore give twice the clamping area for mechanical strength and twice the clamped surface area for electrical conductivity.
6 - twisted flex: common in Saudi, and for quite hefty loads too, seen in public spaces such as for shop front signage. Last one, flex into a block, is essentially how a wires in a plug are connected (but with flex sheath grip too).
The flex should have ferrules over the cores in the screw terminals though
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 there's no space in a regulated 13 amp plus.
There are LOTS of things that are common in Saudi, that are very much not ok.
@2:40 Insert both cables into the chocolate stick from one side. Strip enough insulation to allow the copper be gripped by both screws, but don't have copper beyond the terminal. This way, the connector isn't carrying all the circuit current to make the connection.
I've recently fitted downlights and replaced the 'wagos' which came with them, because just the slightest tug on the cable caused it to pull out of the terminal....also, wago types carry all the current on the connecting metal....might not be a great idea. I was taught to twist solid copper conductors together, before putting them in a teminal....that's now frowned upon, as it stresses the copper which will produce a weak or broken connection.
Thanks for watching!
Wow how did we ever connect anything safely before Wagos? Junction boxes when correctly installed are perfectly safe period. Check your electricity meter main tail connections when you get chance and tell me what you see? Shock horror screw terminals carefully designed to safely carry 100A plus!
I clearly say in the video the issue is people using screw terminals when not rated appropriately. Obviously terminals rated for 100a on a domestic incomer are not a problem. Thank you for watching.
Fair point, but as others have said on here, it has been common UK wiring practice to use the 30A junction box to break into a ring final circuit to feed a single spur for example. The alternative is to spur off the back of a socket on the ring. The junction box you show at 2 mins in has adequately sized terminals for the job. Other than that I agree with your remarks completely and will no doubt use Wago connectors at some stage in the near future 👍.
I guess you’re right, using a junction rated for 30a on a 32a mcb isn’t likely to be a big issue. Thanks, the wagos are great!
i was looking for this video the other day and now i've found it! Thanks for posting l! Going TS now to collect my wagos and casing! 😊
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!
What's with using cable ties to make the wago box maintenance free? Once clicked down, they aren't going to open.
I agree it is strange, but it is written in the instructions. Can’t say I’ve ever bothered with it though. Thanks for watching!
It’s a quirk of the regs: once cable tied you then need a tool to access it (eg scissors). the need for a tool adds an extra step/layer of (access) protection.
It's really interesting to see how different places do residential wiring. Here in the US, as you probably know, most household branch circuits for the past 50+ years are 15 or 20A, 120V, with 14 or 12 gauge solid wire, or about 1.6 or 2.0mm. All splices have to be done in a UL listed enclosure, with a UL listed device, and be accessible. On solid wire, installed properly, UL listed wire nuts are fine, and probably 95% percent of US homes are wired that way. But I agree wagos are a bit better. The push in types are frowned upon here, because some products were on the market..and still are...that have proven to be not reliable and have some hazards. So many electricians avoid them as shoddy. It takes a long time to shake a bad reputation.
Thanks for watching!
While i do enjoy the WAGO connectors, in terms of quality of the connection, the screw ones are the best, but are also used wrong by everybody. Come with the wires so that both screws catch each wire, 2 points of mechanical connection is the safest way to do it.
Might not look as pretty as WAGO but for sure they are more secure, remember that a wire will get hot at the weakest connection point, 2 screws on each wire is better than any other clamping method.
More secure until the screw backs out. How often are you going back to check the screws on previous installations?
@@Pugjamin derivation clamps inside electrical panels have screws... 2 of them.
The job of an electrician is to tighten these and then after a week to do another inspection and check again the screws.
It is the same drill for the circuit breakers. Nothing is fool proof, somebody has to do his job right!
Thanks for watching!
We know traditional junction boxes last for many decades. What's the evidence for longevity of the clamp type connectors?
Fair point, but they are German, so I’ll take some assurance from that. Thanks for watching!
This is not technical right in some parts. I have never had an issue with screw terminal connectors and in my experience they are better than Wago. The connector blocks rating is mainly centred around the cable sizes the terminal would accept, i.e. 32A would be for 2No 2.5 or 2No 4mm cables and not the current carrying capacity.
I would never use those plastic connectors with a srew. I have seen ones that had plastic decomposed and turn into dust as I touched and squeezed them. Probably sat there for ages.
a 30 amp junction is ok on a ring - 2.5mm T&E is rated to max 27amps clipped. Think about it.
I’ve got another video on socket mistakes covering rings and cable ratings. Thanks for watching!
I enjoy your posts 👍 keep on doing them my friend
Thank you, very appreciated!
I once stayed in a flat where they charged a premium price for a property that was basically one huge fire hazard. One day the landlord accidentally let it slip that he just got his cousin to do all the wiring instead of an actual electrician, and it showed - one day my shower switch caught fire. When I opened it up, the copper was so bare that you couldn't even call it sleeving, it was more like a t-shirt for wires.
That’s terrible! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the explanation man :) cheers!!
Thanks for watching!
I don't think any of the ones shown are legal for permanent installations in houses in Denmark.
Especially if the fire insurance is to cover a possible fire.
Thanks for watching!
Wago are plastic. How long before it degrades and becomes brittle. The old brass type can last decades - can that be said for plastic ?
Yes, modern plastics last decades
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759 How long have these plastics been used ?
the 6 biggest mistakes are not using Wago connectors hand-orange-covering-eyesHe forgot to tell us about the sponsor 🤨who could it have been ☝👆
I wish i was sponsored hahaha
keep at it they will come@@TheDiligentDIYer1759
Electricity and DIY should never be in the same sentence. Don’t risk it ! If you have no choice TURN THE POWER OFF at the mains .
Thanks for watching!
I know almost nothing about electric stuff. I know how to install an outlet and switches but I prefer to let an electrician do it cause I don't feel comfortable doing that. I have never made an error cause I'm very careful, though. If I had to choose a connector I would choose the Wago. The rating and lenght of the "strip" (bare copper) is printed on the connector and it's easy to use.
Thanks for watching!
Nice overview - thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent, thank you !
Thanks for watching!
Thank you very much sir.
Most welcome!
I have limited experience myself, but it amazes me that anyone making these connections think they have any business working with electricity.
Thanks for watching
here's a tip for you, you're supposed to twist the copper wire in a hook, clockwise, before you insert it into a terminal block.
Thanks for watching!
The 30 A junction boxes _can_ be used on a 32A final ring circuit, but not a 32A radial. In fact a 20A junction can be used on a ring. A ring splits the current.
Rings don’t split the current evenly, you could in theory have a large ring with a socket close to the CU, pulling a large current, exceeding the 20a. Thanks for watching
@@TheDiligentDIYer1759
2.5mm cable takes approx' 26A max. One socket near the CU drawing max current draws 13A. Two is 26A, the max current rating of the cable. That is 81% of the protection device which is 32A.
So, not all that 26A will be drawn from one leg, L1, of the ring. For example, about 20% will be drawn from L2 which means just under 21 amps is drawn from L1. So the 26A max limit of the cable is not reached. It would need three sockets very near the CU to exceed the 26A max draw of the cable.
The warmer the L1 leg of the cable the resistance rises, so more current will be drawn via the L2 leg automatically. Also if the first and second sockets are drawing 26A L1 will create resistance from the current draw of those two sockets, meaning current will come via L2 to the third socket. By the time there is any danger the 32A breaker would have tripped.
An imbalance, can happen in a ring but it is a *very rare* event to the point it will cause a fire. But if maximum current drawing appliances are bunched near the CU creating concern, just fit the ring with sockets round robin, first socket on L1, second on L2, third on L1, etc. Or from the CU have 4mm cable to the first few heavy current drawing sockets, with 2.5mm for the rest.
Take note of the professionals.
All electrical connectors have evolved for speed of install. I wouldn’t say they have improved mechanically or electrically. I still don’t fully trust wago style connectors, I guess time will tell. Certified nylon screw connectors will have the voltage and current rating moulded into the nylon with the data usually displayed at the end of the connector adjacent to the terminal screw. The voltage and current rating will be stamped onto alternate terminals respectively.
Interesting, Thanks for watching!
chocolates you need to put wire trought both screws from boths sides. Then that connection is superior to everything but pressed/welded joint.
Wago is quick and easy to use, but it has poor pull resistance and of course 32A during that type of connector is for short burst only, for long term load, your limit is more like those 20A for "america".
When I am connecting cables in wall, i am using electrical wreath inside electric box. It has perfect pull protection, ideal cooling spaces, it can be easily redone even after years and wiring is easy to understand even if you forgot it or lost schematics. Only drawback, that they are relatively dangerous to work under load.
A ring circuit cannot have over 30 A on any wire. The 2.5 mm² wires are not rated for 30 A.
Yes thanks
I like soldering wires, of course this is not always practical, but the connection is really tight.
Good point, thanks for watching!
Wago is very nice. However, for the DIY'r, I still prefer the old fashioned wire nut. They are not idiot proof like the wago, but they are cheap and you don't need to have a case with 12 different styles on hand.
Thanks for watching!
Damn didn't have any idea that these have ratings. But the point could be that i'm in the Netherlands. Voltage is always 220 to 230, and ampage is limited. Bit i used Wagos(non lever) in my shed where i renewed all electronics myself. It could handle my dad's 3500 watt angle grinder with ease. So maybe these are more consistent and stable in europe?
Also i believe those extension boxes are illegal here. At least, most opt to replace the entire cable before going to those, or put a box in the middle
Also i believe that connecting ANY cables without a bigger box is illegal as well. So all boxes for connecting cables have multiple ports, have very specific certrificates and are a bit larger.
Interesting to know, thanks for watching!
the US are lower rated on the wago becasue they put the electric cables direclty in to the wall including clamps connectors and branchpoints and whatnot and the walls are in best case wood with insulation between worstcase literal paper....so absoluitly no heat allowed...while in europe they MUST be put into a dedicated box by regulation....
Thanks for watching!
In the US, junction boxes are required almost everywhere. No junctions without a junction box, and all junction boxes must be exposed.