Most Common DIYer Electrical Mistake - Don't Let This Be You!
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- Опубликовано: 1 май 2024
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I have seen this type of failure in about half of the homes we have renovated over the past 2 years. This is an extremely common mistake and often one you will not know about until you start to have failures at your light fixtures or smart home light switches. I will show you 2 solutions for this issue and better prepare you for future home improvement projects.
Wago 221 Lever Nuts
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Testing Wago 221 (60 Amps) on Silver Cymbal Channel: • What Wire Connector is...
Chapters
0:00 Demonstration of Most Common Mistake
1:04 Proper Wire Nut Installation (Stranded and Solid Wire)
5:13 Our Favorite Tools For DIYers
5:55 My Prefered Wire Connector For DIYers
8:37 Example Of The Holding Strength of Wago 221 for Stranded Wire
9:58 Recap
DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission. 
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My dad worked as a mechanical engineer for Ideal Industries around 1970 and holds the patent for putting the spring inside of the wire nut. As a boy, we had hundreds of these wire nuts that were prototypes. We took a vacation that routed near Connecticut where there was a spring manufacturing plant that made the spring that used a wire that wasn't round but rather had edges to help "bite" the wire. I think of my dad every time I use a wire nut.
Wow, great story, now I might be thinking of your Dad when I twist a wire nut!
That's actually pretty awesome.
Was it Spirol Industry?
I designed a specialty tool which industrial engineer will do a realization factor. Basically a man hrs for manufacturing. This was in avionics at a defense contractor the employee that submittal his idea gets a percentage of realization factor in man hrs saved building the company owns and holds the patent cause you worked on it on company time. But like I said you would recieved a suggestion check. A 2.2illion dollar system that you can knock 1 hr off the realization factor on a contract to build 2000 units with 400 spares would get you like 4 grand. Plus defense contracts go out to the manufacturer and a 2nd company building to specsm so really tools can be used on future contracts but never will pay you any more cause again they hold the patent they can do use or sell to othe company's vendors whom ever.
We would never useechanical connection on...mil spec wiring. Only mechanical connection would be a pin going in a Bendix connector using a inspectedcalibrated crimp tool and the extractor insertion tool. I'd wire 200 or more wires in a 10" x. 2" square box and make a cable with a bedix connector on the pig tail of cable
.some had twisted pairs for sheilding
Most did not
I am new to your channel. You are an excellent presenter! Great communication skills with just the right speed pattern in your voice. You also seem to care about teaching your audience and not just rushing through the video to get it done and uploaded. Thank you!
One of the best, if not THE best DIY videos I've ever viewed. The clarity of this tutorial is absolutely perfect for my needs.
Was having trouble splicing the wires even when pushing the stranded wire up first. Yours is the first video recommending what looks like a much better alternative with the Wago 221. Thank you so much for this information. Don’t want to call an electrician for putting up a couple of wall sconces but also don’t want to risk my inexperience producing faulty work. Thanks again.
Glad to see you actually pointed out the real #1 mistake. Not pull testing every connection. Loose connections is probably the #2 cause when I get a call about a light not working. BTW the #1 cause, by an unquestionable lead... the lightbulb.
Great information. I’ve also notice from experience that if you push the stranded higher than the solid wire as to where the stranded catches first in the wire nut it will grab good and won’t come apart.
Yes. This is 100% accurate
So grateful for your video tutorials. A friend asked me to help her install several outdoor fixtures. Just before I went to her home, I had to check on Wago connectors and how quickly Amazon would deliver. Not fast enough so I searched your video to again learn which wire was to be extended when using a wire nut. Stranded wire - approximately 1/8" above the solid wire. I have said this to myself so many times in the last 12 hours that I will never forget! We got the lights hung before her husband got home and had a ball DIYing together. She is an inside crafty person and a terrific electrical assistant! No disrespect to men intended but as suspected, he didn't notice the new lights. Maybe today? Thanks, again! Have a blessed day.
To build on your way of stripping, at first try pulling the insulation only about 2/3 off the wire, then twist using this small piece of insulation. This will make a more perfect twist and also prevent finger oils from getting on the wire.
Great tip!
I've done it this way for many years. Great share.
Great tip!!!
I'll definitely start doing that. I've always washed my hands before twisting the wires, to keep whatever filth I have on my fingers off the wires.
@@traines51 {(⁹
As a tradesman myself I have to say.... bravo!! I am a CNC specialist and I see a lot of things that diy'ers do that I want to correct them on. Not for the purpose of degrading them, but to share information that I have become very good at. That being said, I have a REALLY hard time grasping the knowledge of electrical. I can't remember how I found this video because I put it in my watch later list, but it's made me a subscriber and I look forward to watching the rest of your videos.
24 years machining and repair, 6 years ago i made the leap to electrical. Journeyman in 3 years, due to my attention to details and print comprehension, leadman already.
Great video as always. You make sure you are clear In how you explain things and always provide evidence to support your statements. Good to know I've been doing this right all along. I used to build test circuits in school and we would have to test them with more than just power on and off. Connectors had to get a tug test as well as an overload test to make sure they worked right and I learned early on that stranded goes first to get a better connection.
First of all, you should hire a professional electrician. Fixtures wires can be of any guage, as they are a listed product. No terminations on the branch circuit side of you home should be of less that 12awg. So the wires in the wall have to be a minimum of 12awg. They should be sized according to the load as per NEC 310.15 (b) 16 in the 75°c column. That being said, I take the solid wire and bend it into a zig zag shape. Then take linesman pliers and twist the stranded around the solid before twisting the wire nuts on.
@@joelpruitt5959 I've never once hired a "professional electrician" to do my job. My job is literally fixing homes for a living and I can't count the number of screw ups I've had to fix from "professionals" who did shotty work. That's why we call them vendors or contractors in my field because at least half the time they aren't professionals. I've seen so many "professionals" wire a gfci wrong that I have little faith in them. Not to say all electricians are bad, but all the local ones around me save a few most certainly are. Some plumbers are just as bad. Half of them don't even know how to transition from. Copper to plastics (pex, pvc, ect) and I've seen them install shark bites wrong. Those are like the simplest thing to install. But like I said, not all are bad at what they do. I know a few who could work blind folded in a dark room and still do flawless work. But those guys are few and far now days.
@@TheSlimCognito LMAO. Well bless your heart.
Those wago connectors are fantastic. Did my first diy job today and extended an outlet. These made it so easy
Thanks - that has always driven me nuts! I would pull on the wires and it would fall apart sometimes, work others. I never made the connection between the stranded being ahead of the solid.
Glad you mentioned "pre-twist" which is probably in the top 3 reasons for connector failure. For DIYers you are correct on the WAGO's they will save your from mistakes made by not having a good feel for the connection. Wagos are fine on federal jobs so they meet code requirements anywhere.
Thanks for the feedback John 👍
I always lead with stranded. Common sense. But pros make many stupid mistakes. That's why I became a diy person in the 1st place. And I can't tell you how many times I had my car so-called repaired by a professional mechanic and they messed it up worse than when I brought it in. So for the past 30 years I've been fixing my own cars. Anytime I can't fix it, believe me the pros are going to be like oh you got to get a new car this is totaled. In my experience Pros are pretty useless. Even when they do electrical work I have to watch them and then afterwards fixed their stupid mistakes but of course I don't tell them because I don't think they can handle the criticism. I just smile and even give them a tip and never call them again.
@@JourneyOnLife I agree and live by the adage "If you want something done right, do it yourself" with help from YT videos like this one of course.
Nice video. I've never been a fan of wire nuts, but I always twist and never had a failure. I grew up using a Buchanan crimper, but it is hard to find the sleeves for it. Wagos look slick but feel like the Shark Bite connector of electricity.
Great video.. I learned the hard way myself with splicing stranded to solid core wire and had to figure out myself to lead with the stranded wire higher than the solid core to get the nut to bite both wires and bond them securely. Good that you explained this thoroughly so everyone can understand what can go wrong will and to eliminate said variables
Great vid on wirenutting solid to stranded.
Regarding the Milwaukee knife, I used to use them all the time. It fits in the hand. What I do not like about them is the location of the blade release. Many times I would accidentally push the release button while cutting and the blade would come out. For that reason I quit using those knives. I now just use the Home Depot Rigid folding utility knives. They do not fit in the hand as well as the Milwaukee, but the blade release has no issue.
Yep already know these just wanted to add if you are concerned about the levers a single loop of electrical tape across them os all it takes to prevent them fully opening. I have used both methods and connections in this video. The newer connections are definitely nicer and easier but both work very well when used appropriately.
K koo 999 o.o
an electrician showed me to wrap a few rounds of electrical tape around the wires than wrap the wire nut, it won't come apart. wagos are cool new technology haven't used them yet but will give a try on next diy project.
Pro tip. If you treat every electrical repair as if the power was still on you can’t go wrong. I’ve had people turn breakers on while I was working on circuits and have turned the wrong circuit off myself. No contact testers are great but again even when I know the power is off I handle wires carefully. You can get feedback voltage through neutrals from other circuits. When in doubt call an electrician. I’ve done many repairs where homeowners did the work wrong or they “had a guy” do it wrong for them. With 40 years experience as an electrician when I try and rush a job is when mistakes are made.
Simple solution use tag outs on the breaker 👌
I just flip the breaker and test the wires. My primary safety technique is doing only one job a day and doing it slowly. Since it's my own house and I am not being paid for it, I don't have to rush.
Like drilling a bore hole and feeling unnecessary resistance only to find out after looking on the other side of the stud, you are boring through a stapled 220 line...I've slowed down
😂😂😂 turn power on yeah that's actually not funny yes I been there to..120 volts don't feel that good between your fingers...
@@cappiece3786 Paper and Clip types are a no go around Retarded tenants that pull them, even locks get cut by the occasional entitled one. I lock-out Tag-out and work like it's live.
Great and comprehensive video! Thank you 😊 My new pieces have many, small AC bulbs. The WAGO makes it easy to attach all those different components to house ac. Also CONFIDENCE that all connections are tight and clean.
Thanks for this. Very good. When buying a wire stripper a few more dollars spent always pays off. And forget the strippers that come in a cheap kit. I've had problems stripping stranded wire when using very cheap wire strippers. With some strippers I learned to cut the wire in the correct gauge size but then insert the wire into the next larger gauge size to pull off the insulation. This tends to work when strands are being torn off with the insulation.
Great information! Thanks for making this very clear. I like the alternative to the wire nuts as well. 👍🏻
For sure 👍
Great video on stranded wire. Also the WAGO push down connector is perfect for me when I wire outlets with 12 gauge wire and sometimes split off another one or two wires for an exterior outlet or additional outlets on a side wall, etc. Then the 5 wire WAGO connector is perfect.
I really like the Wagos. I use them for my dc power systems and love how easy they are to use and how clean they make the wiring.
Bought these after watching your video. These are fantastic and left a lot of extra room in the box. What a great find…thank you.
I saw a head to head load test on several different electric connectors and the wago did the best. Even better than the wire nut. Cool.
Very good. Another wiring nut method that I use when putting stranded and solid wires together is tinning the stranded wire tip with solder before twisting conductors with the wire nut . I think the Wago 221 method should be ok for low current applications because the contact area between the connectors and the connector tabs is not enough. I particularly don't like snap-in connections when handling a high current.
Either it needs to be good for the full rated current of the circuit, or needs to not be used. Fortunately, it IS good for the full rated current, and your assertion that is is only "OK for low current applications" is complete BS.
Bravo. You are very professional. And an excellent demonstration. Camera. Sound. Description. speed. Script. All PERFECT.
Thank you!!! The WAGO connector was so wonderful!!! It made it so easy and too the guess work out of it. I'm a 73 year old female replacing a ceiling fixture myself. I tried it once using Marettes and it didn't work because they came apart when pushing the wires back up in the box. I'll never do it again with Marettes.
I'm 73 years old, and in my youth, wires were all solid not braided. One use to wrap the solid wires and cover them with electical tape. With the advent of wire nuts, one didn't have to wrap them, thus saving a bit of time. With the advent of braided wires, experienced professional electrians, always wraped with as you show, the braided being slightly ahead of the solid. But as you stated, the general DIY'ers, who were not trained. Just followed the wire nut manufactues guides.
You did solder them before you taped right?
I'm an electrician and i will tell you this much. Most wire strippers are made so that you MOST DEFINITELY will be trusting the tool at one point during the stripping of the wire. place the wire at an ANGLE to the opening for that size wire (listed as the AWG size on most wires). Once you close the blades of the wire stripper you SHOULD twist the tool, at least, until it is at a perpendicular angle to the wire. Then pulling the strippers at the cut and towards the short end of the wire. If the insulation doesn't come off easily then either the wire is old; damaged; or you used the wrong size opening on the strippers.
(Stranded wire is not "braided".) (What is "electical tape"?) A house built in 1948 used ceramic wire nuts, on tin-plated solid copper wire, with insulation that is now crumbling. (Have you looked into knob-and-spool wiring?)
The wrong1489 is so good fuxk the right ==1217B
@@qazmatron hi depending where you are your insurance company may require that you stop using the " knob and Tube" wiring even to the point of having it removed. Which is a shame because for its time it worked well. And yes to stop using can mean rewiring the entire house but since the insulation is as you say crumbling . Yes you got a problem and you will need a professional electrician (who hopefully has dealt with this before) and yes time is a concern. Sorry let me know if I can help more
You might find this interesting. In the (rented) trailer I live in, about a quarter of the outlets have ground connections that aren't grounded. And I wasn't able to locate the ground wires for those circuits in the breaker box. I plan to install some breakers with GFCIs, or get the land-lord to do it. I also found one outlet with reversed wires, which I fixed. Now, for the BIGGY! I almost SHAT, when I found one circuit that used the bare ground wire as the HOT! It was in Romex cable, so it didn't short out, but really! So I fixed that one. What sort of "ning-com-poops" did the wiring? Was it ever inspected?
The Ideal 11 in 1 (yellow + black handle) has a wire nut twister in the handle + many bits and nutdrivers for electrical work.. Very handy if you need to do more than a couple wire nuts. For strippers, I like the basic Klein ones with yellow handles, for the $$ can't go wrong. For pliers I'm a Knipix guy now, really good stuff! - But if I was going to put together a quick tool list for electrical, I'd consider some Tsunoda pliers, made in Japan, killer tools and great prices on Amazon. I bought their duckbill pliers and wow, very nice pliers.
This is an excellent instructional video. I've been using wire nuts for years without problems, except for getting a sore wrist from twisting them. I appreciate the demonstration and recommendation on the Wago connectors. The next time I have a lot of connections to make I'll give them a try.
Thanks for the feedback Larry, enjoy the WAGO connectors 👍
You are absolutely correct on buying the Wago connector instead of the traditional. I bought some wire nuts that I used about 1/4 of the cheap plastic container the it developed cracks and collecting dust. I would rather pay more and probably save money in the long run. Well made video. Thank you for sharing
Thanks Hassan, I agree for us DIYers Wago lever nuts are hard to beat 👍
I've seen wirenuts last literal decades. You must've bought some seriously cheap ones. Let me guess, were they commercial electric brand?
@@TheMinecraftACMan No! What I am trying to say is that homeowners don’t need a 1000 wire nuts. They are still good but the holding container cracked and will never use the rest in my lifetime. They are not cheap. I bought them from the Home Depot.
@@hassanbazzi3545 Oh, you mean like the number you buy, gotcha. You can get like a small bag of them I think. Not 100% sure cause I buy them in bulk for work, lol.
@@TheMinecraftACMan I hear you. I am just a simple homeowner. I think for a person like me the Wago nuts are ideal
electrical apprentice here. one of the task i have the hardest time with is bonding stranded copper to solid copper on fixtures and ceiling fans etc. this was great my man!! 👍🏽
I'm an experienced electrician and I recommend to bend the solid just a bit around 30⁰ on the tip about 1/8 in lenght so you can put your stranded wire then the wire nut and you'll see the difference...
@@MrSeth166 thanks buddy👍🏽 i’ll remember these methods for sure!
@@MrSeth166❤❤❤
Just found your channel and subscribed, it's exactly what I needed to help with my home DIY projects. Thank you!
2 minutes in and I learned about the different numbers on the stripper for the first time. Great video! Saving to my favorites.
Yeah been using Wagos for ever, very popular back home in the UK. When a electrician came to my job he noticed wagos and asked about them he really liked the dinrail mount clips, he had never seen them before. They really clean up a control box and make testing, fault finding or replacement so much easier. US Inspectors are a little unsure of them and ask to see specific details. Great video
The same principle of using levers in Wago is also used in light-fixtures, as manufacturers moves away from screw-connectors. They're so much easier. You want to disconnect, just push in the lever and pull out the wire. The spring will keep it in place when you release the lever.
Works great for small diameter, like up to maybe 4mm², haven't seen anything that can handle more than 2.5mm² so far though.
At least in the company I work for we use spring loaded stuff only for the control circuit, everything power related is screwed in place firmly.
I would like to expand on your warning about the dangers of loose connections. Arcing is a symptom of a loose connection. A short is a zero resistance, high amperage fault which will trip a properly functioning over-current protection device. The real danger with a loose connection is the increased resistance which produces heat; enough to cause a fire. This is coming from a licensed electrician, electrical inspector and retired city fire department fire investigator who has investigated a multitude of electrical fires which resulted from a loose connection. Good information and explanation; especially liked display of the proper screwdrivers. Klein also sells the combination tip screwdriver bit.
From your experience what would you recommend in these "Wago's"?
I've seen multiple of these that comes in light fixtures and I had emergency calls because lights went out when I go and find on these "Wago's" with overheating marks on the wires caused by high resistance...
I wouldn't recommend these "Wago's", me personally don't use them on my own work and if they come in the fixtures I cut them out and use wire nuts...
@@MrSeth166 I'm not an electrician but a contractor, and MY experience with the WAGO's is that after a while my AFCI outlets start tripping. When I take the WAGO's out and twist the wires together instead, the problem disappears.
I have asked EVERY electrician I have come in contact with, and as a contractor that is a lot more than the average DIY'er, and NONE will use much less recommend a WAGO and like you cut them off whenever they are working around them.
Yet in Europe I've heard they use them more than a twist........ go figure.
My boyfriend is an electrician, he was so impressed when I used the wire nut properly! Thanks!
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I have 1 hand and have installed probably over 100 fixtures for myself and friends and wire nuts are a pain in the butt for me because I have to get everything lined up in vice grips and put the wing nut in the drill and stop the drill after tight but before it spins the vice grips and twists the insulated part together and risk over heating. Using the drill will make a 2 handed persons life MUCH easier also because it will allow you to get good firm consistent pressure and then even twist rate but I recommend holding the insulated side of the wire with a pair of pliers
Thank you for this! I do a lot of my own electrical work - ok; I do almost all of my own electrical work. I've got a lot of experience with wire nuts, professionally in the two-way radio business, and amateurly in home electrical, but these look so much more reliable and easy I am going to give them a try, and if my experience matches yours, they'll be my new go to on my new house build.
Thanks for the information, just ordered the pocket set. I have wired for decades and can easily see that they are superior, especially in small volume boxes! I also use a scissor like stripper by Klein, but it only has two different scales, only for solid.
They are an inferior product. Wagos belong in cereal boxes.
Great video!
When stripping wire, I usually use the thumb of my hand that's holding the wire as a kind of fulcrum against the stripper to help push the stripper off the wire.
Dang. If only I’d known about this from the first time I struggled with a solid wire/stranded wire connection putting up a ceiling fan. In 1985. I now have a conscience which is nagging me to return to every place I lived and places where friends lived that I installed various fans, sconces, ceiling fixtures and chandeliers over the ensuing years. That number (as well as I can remember) is about 85 installations. I thought I had learned everything I needed to know when I found my first Vaco stripper. Thanks for the update.
Your tips were spot on for me a DIYer (I just hung 6 lights including a chandelier by myself):
▪️ I hate stripping wire - didn't have the correct equipment. Once I simply cut the end of the wire off and stripped it, everything was so much easier. *Stripping the wire and just starting over with clean fresh wire is the thing to do.* It saves so much time.
▪️ I can't wait to use the Wago 221s in the future, but I went to two stores that had the Wago 221's in stock on the web site, but unfortunately when I got there, there were not any. Instead I got the Ideal brand similar connector, but I can tell you, they do not work the same and I would not use them again. Ideal worked well with solid wires, but I had a hard time getting the stranded wires inserted and the stranded wires kept coming out; therefore, I had to revert back to using wire nuts on two ceiling lights I installed. Also, I got the three wire connectors, because I knew some junction boxes had same colored 3 wires connected through a wire nut.
One benefit I found with the Wago 221 style wire connectors is that because I was installing multiple lights, I removed all of the existing lights at the same time because the circuit was already off and then I put the Wago style wire connectors on the exposed wires coming from the junction boxes. This made mounting the lights at least feel faster and easier because I only had to insert the light's wires into the wire connector that was already in place and waiting on the light. This kept my hands free since I did all of this by myself.
▪️ Having the stranded wire sticking out further than the solid wire and then using the wire nut as you recommended is the only way to go. The wire nuts gripped the stranded and survived a pull test.
It's funny how when you do things the right way, the right way is much easier.
Thanks for the great video
Never knew i was doing the wire nut connection wrong. Thank you.
You bet 👍
Wonderful presentation. I am a two time homeowner who does all my own electrical work. I have always dreaded installing light fixtures due to the challenge of connected the solid building wire to the stranded leads on the fixture. I am a perfectionist and early on I practiced over and over with scrap wire until I felt confident that I had the hang of making a good connection. Over the years, I also have tinned the bared ends of the stranded leads before twisting them with the solid wire. When the push-in connectors appeared on the market I had mixed feelings about them but went ahead and have used them in smaller light fixtures in my home. I always tinned the stranded wires before pushing them in. The latest connectors I used to install several motion sensor lights are made by Ideal and have a brass barrel and a set screw. You slip the bared ends of the wires in and tighten the set screw. Then you screw the plastic cap of the connection.
They are reusable and are well made.
Honestly if you don't have wagos, tinning stranded wire is probably the best way to go.
I don't understand this comment section. I mean I've hung literally thousands of lights/fans. I've been stoned. Ive been buzzed. Ive done it standing on hand rails. In the dark. I've taped an extension ladder to a step ladder Ive hung off the sides of houses and hung lights. In the rain. In crawlspaces with crickets and webs and shit.
I've used wire nuts every time. They always work.
Why do you all make shit so hard 😅
I've been using wagos for a couple years now and absolutely love them.
Excellent Presentation!
I am a DIYer, and I do almost of the electrical work in our home with a few exceptions. It's pretty cool that I too discovered these WAGO Electrical connectors about a year ago, and I have been using them almost exclusively. I love the excellent design of these WAGO connectors, and I, too discovered the huge cost difference between them, and wire nuts.
Thank you again for your excellent advice and presentation!
But DIY labor + Wago is still far less expensive than electrical apprentice + wirenut.
@@dalepres1 DIY'er here - I prefer wirenuts to sharkbite connectors as they have larger contact area between conductors. Wire nut done properly are very secure and take less space inside electrical box.
@@springer-qb4dv That's great if you know how to do wirenuts properly, though. As this video shows, it's easy to get it wrong and very many DIYers, even who think they know how to do them, do them wrong and they come apart - not suggesting you're in this category; I'm just saying that, for many, these WAGO devices make DIY safer and more reliable.
@@dalepres1 I hope everyone can see - they are the upgraded version from the blue plastic "snap clamps" that dam near every boat/garden trailer repair was made with in the last 30 yrs. lol jmho
when the electrical probs were intermittant they came to us. it was solder & heat shrink tubing back then, but i totally get why this has caught on. I did low V fixes then but i can see how this catches on. still - its a blade connection.
When I was taught 45years ago, I was to pre-twist connections until there was a good mechanical bond, and they would not easily pull apart without a nut, then add the nut. Now I use ferrules whenever possible and then the push in connectors. Ill be adding some of these Wagu to my stock
A perfectly installed wing nut is slightly superior to a WAGO, mostly because of cost. Drive by a builder-grade new neighborhood, and just guess at how many of the tens of thousands of wire nuts there are installed perfectly? The genius of a WAGO is it takes some of the human error out of the equation, which makes it valuable to homeowners, DIYers, and contractors with lazy employees. Blessings!
@@PatrickKQ4HBD "just guess at how many of the tens of thousands of wire nuts there are installed perfectly?"
None? I'd bet they all look like hammered dogshit and have taken twice as long to terminate.
To many crappy electrician’s are now using push in style Wago’s
Leaving massive shiners or exposed conductor’s passed the connector.
For this reason I cannot stand wago’s
The lever type aren’t to bad though.
Bit the push in style suck “for the next guy”
When I come to a job and have to fix your fuck ups that’s when it becomes a problem.
@@didlydane420 lol literally blaming poor workmanship on the tools.
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Didn't know these were available as I'd only seen them come with a light fixture. Thanks for the tip, bought a sampler pack and should solve a 4-gang box I was dreading using wire nuts in.
Appreciate your showing the proper way to connect solid & wire strand.
Superbly described both from a communication and technical perspective. You are tops of youtube on this! Love the demo of Wago level nut strength. For general DIY's, totally agree on recommending lever nuts. The skill required to properly wirenut with extreme high consistency is significantly more than generally appreciated.
You are a great salesman! Bought the WAGO starter kit.
For fifty years I've been doing it wrong by matching the stranded to the solid. Now we're halfway through renovating our house so this video is timely!
Never too old to learn!
@@crazysquirrel9425 When you cease breathing, then it’s too late.
That's not the wrong way to do it. WAGO connectors are so that people that don't know how to do it don't fuck it up.
DIYer. Thank you for the video. I did know to pull on the wires to test the connection, but never knew about the technique you showed with shorting the solid wire just a little when using that wing nut. Thanks again
I just started using the Wagos. When your doing larger jobs it's a time saver. A little more money but they are awesome to use. I've used wire nuts for 40yrs.
I've used something similar to the Wago's before called an Alumiconn connector. Basically the same principle, but they use a set screw to tighten down the wire instead of a lever. They work great for when your house is wired with aluminum, but the wire you're connecting to is copper. However, I might give the Wago's a try after seeing how much easier they are to use 👍
Wagos are great for mixed strand/solid connections. I still can't bring myself to use them when pigtailing receptacles or single phase motors, but in small wire big wire applications, they are a must. Their ratings are not a joke either.
I've used Alumiconn and Polaris insuli-tap connectors in industrial applications for years.. nothing quite as good as that for when used on very high amperage applications. Motors pulling hundreds of amps etc.
As a 15 year commercial electrical foreman you did a wonderful job showing how wagos are properly used. One thing on your technique in stripping wire. It’s a 3 step process. Close the stripper fully to cut the shielding completely, release the pressure to roughly 80-90%, THEN pull the shielding off. If you keep it completely closed it will scrape along the copper and make it hard to strip. I keep wagos on the truck because sometimes you come behind DIY’S that have done a bad job and left short connections in a box and you can’t twist the connections properly.
Great info Juan - when you apprentice to a journeyman, or better, a master, you watch them make very short work of tasks that can confound you. There have to be tens of millions of techniques and tips that aren't being passed on to this generation for a wide variety of reasons. Thanks for the comment. 🙂
Wow - thank you for your videos! I never understood why wire strippers had numbers on each side. Thank you for making the electrical less mysterious.
As someone that builds\modifies his guitars constantly I think I'm going to start using these Wago connectors. 👍 Much cleaner than a big glob of solder that I'm struggling to keep together lol.
For that kind of job I would prefer to use screw terminal blocks. The Wagos will probably last for decades but the smaller contact area might be more prone to vibration. Soldering is fine too, you just need a bigger iron and maybe some small metal clamps to hold everything in place.
Excellent video. I always felt more comfortable pre-twisting my stranded around my solid. I make sure the stranded protrudes 1/8" or so past the solid, so I know it will be the first thing grabbed and properly wound around by the wire nut. Just me.
Ditto on Wagos. Over-the-top excellent. I would would caution DIYers to avoid cheap imitations that are not UL tested and approved, as are Wagos. The few dollars you save are not worth risking your home or family. I've actually never been able to a UL knockoff.
Here in Australia, the "Twist nuts" are not allowed (as far as I know), we use "bp1's and bp2's" , Clipsal 563B screw cable connectors. Wires twisted together, then put into the connector and the side screw screwed in. The "bp2"s" have 2 side screws used for earth wires.
DIYers are illegal in Australia too.
I am cringing watching this and reading the comments.
@@greggilmour3482 You cant replace a light fixture yourself in Australia?
I discovered the wago connectors a couple years ago They are amazing and can be used outdoor also
I started using Wago connectors about a year ago. They’re awesome.
Kudos to you. I have never looked at my wire strippers and noticed that one side said stranded and the other said solid. So I have learned something today. I thank you for that! I was good with the rest already.
Same!
I use WAGO connectors all the time. When hanging light fixtures, they allow me to do a lot of the connections prior to lifting a heavy light and then fumbling with one hand. They cost a little more than nuts, but for the average homeowner, they make wiring life much easier and foolproof.
Where can I buy those are the in the USA
Great explanation. And it is also nice to know my pull test when wiring light fixtures with wire nuts is correct.
Wow I really appreciate this advice I'm sure I've had times where I've had the same situation that you're talking about where I might not have gotten the bite that I wanted to get with the wires it's a nice simple fix
The first method is good but lacks one step that most electricians don’t know. Before you put the two wires together you twist the stranded wire counter clockwise. This means that when you tighten the wire nut clockwise it’s not unraveling the stranded. This is also true for wire nutting two stranded wires. If you twist both wires this way, by hand you can twist the wires and it will be the neatest stranded wire connection. Trim your wires a little long so after you twist them you can cut the end off a little for a clean tip. I have used stranded for many commercial jobs and have never had to look for shorts when this method is used.
If you are facing the bare copper end on, then you must wrap the wires clockwise as this is what you will do with the wire nut in order to tighten it. If you wrap the wires counter clockwise then turning the nut on clockwise will unravel your wires.
@@haroldkline4898 no I’m saying that before you twist the two wires together you twist each individual wire counter clockwise. Then you twist the two wires together clockwise. You’ll notice when you twist the two wires together how much neater the splice will be. Trust me I was an electrician for almost 40 years. I learned how to do this from a navy master chief. I was in the Seabees. Try it if you have some scrap wire laying around. Plus the joint is much stronger. I learned that when I was eighteen and used it to impress electricians that had decades more time in the trade than me.
@@haroldkline4898 ps this is if your facing the wire with the end facing you. The individual wires counter clockwise before you twist the two together and twisting the two wires together clockwise
@@haroldkline4898 sorry I was talking about two stranded wires. The way I was taught to take stranded to solid is just as you said. Still if you strip your stranded long and twist it clockwise with your wire pliers then cut the end to the extra length to go past the solid it will have less of a tendency to unravel and short. Sorry. I certainly wasn’t trying to attack the competency of the video. Compared to most videos I’ve seen this one gives more knowledge of the problems associated with using stranded wire. This is a guy who actually worked hands on with his subject matter. He’s shows that he’s not a guy who just worked at Home Depot in the electrical aisle
You covered this very well! Kudos to you mentioning the Pull Test! Just a couple of extra quick tips; Tool Wise, since 1973, if Klein made it, I bought it. Period. I still have original Klein tools in my pouch and I retired in 2015. Also, the largest issue with solid copper I found is that it is smooth. The flexible wire just slides right off. I used to knurl up the solid wire a little with my plier jaws so the flexible wire has something to grab onto. This offered me a superior mechanical bond. I also bear down hard when I twist wire nuts and I never had a failure. Not one! I see too many newbies who don't use enough torque on wire nuts. Crank Em' Down! Cheers!
Cheers !
He also used a wire nut that was too big for the application ( 2 #14 solid wire minimum on the one he had). That’s usually the cause of most problems.
@@huejanus5505 - Excellent point Hue! That's also one of the benefits to really cranking down on the wire nut. If it's the wrong size, it will just slip!
@@huejanus5505 - Also a very good reason that WAGO should be required for any non solid to solid wire bonds.
My dad was a Master electrician for nearly 40 years, and always swore by his pouch full of Klein tools!
I think the WiFi switch I installed a few months ago is all right, but doubt is creeping in. I'll redo the job tomorrow just to be absolutely certain. Thanks for shaking my confidence...seriously...thanks.
I knew about the Wago connectors; but I did learn something. The wire nut tip taught me - thanks!
Better to rotate/wiggle the wire strippers to cut the insulation all the way around to fully cut the insulation at the gap, then pull it off. I always twist tight the stranded wire around the solid with pliers, leaving a little stranded wire sticking forward to insure the wire-nut grabs it. I used the 5-hole Wago lever connectors in under-dash wiring my classic cars, such as to distribute IGN and ACC sources. They began in industrial wiring, but became more affordable after spreading to home wiring.
Auto strippers
Great video, especially since you took the time to specify wire stripping for stranded & solid..
The details you provide and the simple to the point format are perfect for DIY.
Cool gunna give these a try! Might cost little more but looks way easier to use especially when doing ceiling fans with limited space wire upside down!
Love those new connectors, wish they were around when I was doing home repairs. They started coming available about the time I retired.
That's excellent! Thank you for posting. ( It would help if you showed the PACKAGING that those lever connectors come in. )
I had to sign a waiver that stated whatever you designed belonged to the company. I designed HUNDREDS of tools, jigs, work stands, lifting rigs for crane operations, test equipment, procedures, safety application tools and procedures, etc. for over 35 years. I got 3 awards in that time. The main thing, I made a positive change to the world! The company, I'm sure, patented all of it and made it available to order by giving it its own class & item number for all the other shops.
Your Daddy was smart enough to bypass the waiver...or possibly, they didn't have one then. I signed mine in 1975. I HAD TO in order to work for them! It ain't right, but they like to think that they OWN YOU !!! They keep you down, and morale ain't the best, but its a job worth putting up with the bosses' bosses', bosses, bosses 💩!
I'm almost certain I've made that mistake with solid and stranded wire before. This video convinced me that I should switch to Wago connectors anyway. I'm a DIYer so the price difference is unimportant given how few I need to buy.
Thank you for this video. I just replaced the light fixture in my bedroom and this has me confident that I did it correctly. At least the wires lol.
Thank you! Perfect info since I need to change a kitchen light fixture in my kitchen to a disk LED. Much appreciated!! I just used your link to add the Starter Kit to my Amazon cart.
I work for an OEM Control Panel Builder, Our Control Shop uses the Wago Lever nuts on the handful connections that would normally require a wire nut where there would not be terminal blocks, eg. small junction boxes, MAC solenoid air valves. They have reduced quality issues and are just in general pretty awesome. In the industrial world Wago is a relatively well known company that produces some really good IO cards, bus couplers, terminal blocks etc.
Another sponsored comment
@@mouldyboats Nah Friend, just an overworked relay jockey whom calls it like he sees it. Of course, what do I know? In my own opinion as far as addressing remote IO. Wago wins hands down compared, to Allen Bradley, Schneider Electric, B&R, and Phoenix Contact Equivalents. But I will say that I do Like Phoenix Contacts Terminal Blocks and wire management panel stuff, Weildmuller stuff isn't bad either. and I still like Wago Lever nuts too. *Edit* I have enough work with the global shipping and parts shortages.. and my writing skills are not up to par with being paid to talk about what i like on RUclips.
I had heard a benefit to using wago
Was it is recommended every time that wire nut comes off you must peel new wire? Is that true, because I’ve been guilty of replacing light switches not using new wire and using the same wire nut but it seems right.
I had discovered the method you use along time ago when doing the pull test. But on occasion when watching another electricians work and never seeing them check their work, I kinda doubted myself because they were certified and I was and am a diyer so I never divulged my secret method of joining stranded and solid. But today I want to thank you for your video that proves to me that our method is best. By the way, what kind or brand is that vise?
Thanks for your video. I just bought the Wago 2 and 3 wire connectors. They are really nice for the DYI guy like me.
💯
I really like your videos, Scott. Really well done. Thanks!
Very informative. Those wagos look great. I have a milwaukee fastback too and love it.
Yeah, I picked one up about 6 months ago and easily my favorite utility knife thus far 👍
A technique that I like to use is to insert only the stranded wire to the bottom of the wire nut. I then insert the solid core and twist the nut tight. It works every time.
yeah put the stranded wire in first until it bottoms out, i do the same
Ive on my own had to learn that giving that little extra stranded on a wire nut was the best way to get them locked in tight. That said, since the first time I picked up a pack of those wago connectors based on an Amazon recommendation, ive only used a wire nut again once, and thay was solid on solid only.
Those push in connectors are fantastic. I try to use them whenever I’m connecting solid to solid and especially when I’m laying in a tight spot with little wiggle room like a crawl space or above a ceiling. Twisting stranded wire w/wire nut becomes a bear when I can’t move around or when I’m standing on a ladder and my shoulders are burnt from reaching up. So the Wago’s are invaluable to quickly connect stranded to solid. (I don’t think Home Depot has the Wagos. They have the push ins). Re-Wired my master bath, added many LED lights, a lot of connections. These helped. Thanks for the reminder! Good video Sub’d
Yeah, for some reason seems like Lowe's and Home Depot are holding out and still don't carry Wagos. Menards which is throughout the Midwest does carry Wagos 👍
For light fixtures I always use the WAGO 224-101. Push in the solid from the box, and then use the 'pinch' for the stranded (or solid) going to the light. If i need the neutral to be a pass-thru, I use the 224-112 instead (which takes two solids on one side, and a stranded/solid on the other).
Look at the Wago 221. They are the type of terminals I use frequntly. They grip flex, solid and semi solid wires reliable
@@Reaktanzkreis I have also used those for years, when doing general electrical work. I find the 224 series smaller and work better for tight, overhead light fixtures. Also, because the wires are lined up, they can support light-weight fixtures without putting undue corner stress on the wires like the 221's would give you.
Couple comments.. thank you for making the distinction between LEVER and push ins. Do not use push ins, especially with stranded, for so many reasons I won’t list. Just don’t. But Levers are fantastic, they handle load and heat just fine and are a great option for diy’ers that have trouble splicing. With regard to splicing stranded to solid.. I prefer to twist the stranded around solid before using wire nut but.. one of the simplest and best tricks a 30 year journeyman taught me thankfully early on. Strip the solid a touch longer than normal. Then use your pliers to zig zag the stripped copper from insulation to end. Then wrap the stranded. Then use the wire nut. Easily best practice from my knowledge. Enjoy your channel keep posting!
This is the way, always pretwist your conductors together, do not rely on the wire nut to do that for you guys, I was always taught in school to pretwist conductors, it's the proper way.
Wow, I did not know about Wago before and I was putting on a light high in the ceiling and it was a very awkward position and I could not install with the regular connections. When I seen you video, I ordered from Amazon and I had them delivered to me the next day. The next day, I made the connections very secure and the light was firmly installed. Wow, this is an amazing product and I would paid 10 times the amount for such a great product.
Love Wago stuff. We're actually transitioning away from wire nuts and and push-in connectors to Wago because they're vastly more fool proof and generate a consistent sprung connections.
Wagos suck, plain and simple
My choice: Wago for Lights, LED lighting + intercoms.
Ferrules for wall outlets, air conditioners, floor heating, stoves + geysers.
Resin joints for Out Buildings, pumps & underground
@@rhinehartspindler3445 with no reason why?
I noticed that when you used your wire strippers, you had to use a fair amount of force to pull/strip the insulation off the wire. Although I don’t own the nice pair of strippers you use, I did develop a technique that makes the pulling off the insulation a lot easier (with my cheaper strippers). Basically, I would use the stripper to initially cut the insulation, then slightly relax my grip on the handle while pulling the insulation off. I found that when I maintained the same force/grip while pulling it would take way too much force. Just my two cents. I seem to recall this works for both stranded and solid wires, with slightly better results on solid wires.
I used the same method, its effortless. also holding the wire in the palm of your grip and using the thumb to lever against the stripper gives you massive leverage.
Today I learned: not every does it this way.
@@haydenjones1559 Thumb method is the way to go.
Love the wago for outlets and lights. I still use wire nuts with a pre-twist for anything with a high current draw (stove, garage outlets, hot tub, dryer...) because greater contact area = less resistance=less possible heat build up on those connections with high current.
That's just my preference 🤣😂. Great video 👍
That's your choice man, but a lot of wagos are 32A constant rating at 450v which is beefy enough for any household appliance.
I thought NEC for high-current appliances calls for split-bolts..? If so, either wire nuts or Wagos are not code.
@@DavidWitkowski I don't know about that...I'm no elekchicken🤣😂. Just do work when work needs doing. My place is old, I would bet newer construction wouldn't have wire to wire connectors for anything on 220(us only high draw appliances get the coveted 220🤣). They probably use an outlet termination and plug on the appliance...or should.
I'll look up what you mentioned just to gain some knowledge and maybe prevent a future issue👍.
Well done!!! Straight to the point and no off topic stuff. I hope you get some kick backs when I order stuff you recommend.
Another advantage of Wagos is that because the wires are not all twisted around each other they're much easier to take on/off and figure out what's happening in the circuit (take one wire out, see where it comes from, what still has current, put it back in, etc). When I replaced some zone valve motors on my heating system I replaced all the wire nuts in the junction box with Wagos, and it was much much easier to follow the circuits after doing so (and will be much easier the next time I have to replace a zone valve motor).
Love it
This is absolutely the beast of excellent work quality oftentimes. I remember when I worked on the electrical in cars before becoming a residential electrician. The Hondas and Chevrolet interior panels were much cheaper looking and feeling but man did they come off quick and easy. The Mercedes and Porsche panels, the exact opposite. They looked great and were solid and sturdy but pain in the butt to remove.
The point of the twist is a having a redundant string mechanical connections. I don't see how traceability is an issue in most electrical enclosures. This is like saying you rather have a car put together with bolts and screws instead of welds and rivers because it's may just be easier to fix when you crash. I hope the priority here is strong electrical connection for safety and effective device operation.
Not only easier, but no damage to the wire. They are remarkable
@@MintStiles wagos are already proven over and over again to be perfectly safe. Relax.
I learned 2 things. Even though I've done a lot of DIY electrical work over the years.
1. The same gauge in solid & stranded wires are a different diameter.
2. The proper way to use a wire nut on a solid/stranded pair.
I have seen the WAGO connectors in other videos and are similar to low voltage connectors I've used in the past. But have not had a project to try them yet.
Buy them, you'll never use a wire nut again. I have been using Wago for a year and a half now, and don't even carry wire nuts anymore. I only deal with residential, so I don't have heavy gauge wire I need to deal with, mostly lights, outlets, gfi's, etc. And I love the Wagos now.
Use what you have. Just brush up your skill. You can also tin the stranded wire to make it behave as the solid wire.
Gardening spoken like a true electrician. I’m a professional electrician and I couldn’t care less if I’m using wagos or wire caps. My advice is to learn how to use both proficiently because they both have their pros and cons in the field.
@@esl4058 100% absolutely
I really liked your video. As a carpenter having to hook up stuff that an actual electrician should, it’s great info on stranded and solid connections. I have to very much question the contact surface area. How on earth UL approved the push in outlets is beyond me. I’m sure the newer plugs you show have better surface contact but, I’m no electrician, short of a twisted soldered joint. Isn’t 3/4+ inches of tight twist better than new caps you show? I’d love to see close up. Is connecting wire inside block really as stout as 12 gauge? Again, I do like and appreciate your vid
Thanks for recommending the wago. I bought some online at Home Depot and they were great for my outdoor light fixture.
I use to work for one of the largest wire nut manufacturers in their lighting division. All of our lighting products were built using Wago connectors!
Wago connectors are also great if you have to work with live wires, the risk of accidental electrocution is much less than twisting a wire nut... That's insane even if you're a pro.
You're correct never pre-twist, as you said let the nut do the work!
Wago is a German company so it is definitely not pronounced Way-go.
The way he pronounces it in this video isn't correct either. If you want to know how anything is pronounced correctly check the RUclips channel of the manufacturer.
For years I've pre twisted the wires into frustration. Now I know the correct way too!
@@Jehty21 thanks, I removed the comment.