Wago 222 Connectors vs Others, Testing Current Overload and Flammability
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 18 май 2024
- Wago 222 series connectors compared to the identical looking unbranded versions. Tested with flames and substantial current shoved through until things melt.
Support this channel at Patreon: / jwflame
Previous episode: • Wago 222 Wire Connecto...
150 amp test current provided by: • Oxford Oil Filled Weld...
Website.: xo4.uk/?Wag
Twitter: / jwflame
Facebook: / jwflame
Instagram: / jwflame
Contact info, sending stuff in etc.: xo4.uk/?YTT 
Наука
i am an electrician for 35 years in US, - illinois. i am learning to accept the wago idea, it is different, i see it works as rated, i enjoy your testing videos, i like all your videos JW,, thanks
You should definitely do more of these, fun and informative. Puts our minds at rest that these connectors are safe for their rated currents. Top job JW!
China copys you are never save, only these are safe tested this batch..nothing more
@@kitecattestecke2303 He easily goes 4 times over specifications and 5-6 times before they fail. That is a considerable safety margin.
You can definitely buy Chinese off brands, but you got to buy them i batches, and test them. I wouldn't still use them for commercial use
@@kitecattestecke2303 Genius. Even if this video shows that, while used within rated amperage, these Chinese brand connectors are perfectly safe, still some people like you will fabricate some other reasons to justify your discrimination. Well, enjoy paying several times more to get the ghost feeling of "safety", because that's what these big companies want you to believe so they can receive your IQ tax.
@@GoalOrientedLifting Ya they arent ce approves so then you could be sued if it goes wrong.
Thanks for a very informative video, as others have said, a thermal image would have topped it off but I know how expensive those cameras can be. Good to see the margin of overcurrent design built in to these, especially after having just watched a US video comparing WAGO to their wire nut connectors where virtually all the US commenters were claiming the WAGO ones were a fire hazard.
I already like and use Wago extensively. I always felt like the 222 series had a more secure connection on stranded cables than on solid cores, but this seriously boosts my confidence in them for solid core use. Under normal use the wire insulation would have failed long before the connectors and blown the RCD/GFCI/AFCI or over current protection.
didnt trust these types of connectors until i saw your video. now i know they are more than up to the job they are rated at and i use them all over the place.
Hi John, thanks for the two videos on this. I really thought the Fako's would fail the current test but they held up really well. Thanks again.
We use WAGO connectors for many panel builds and field terminations and have been very impressed by their performance. Thanks for the test and video! Well done. 👍
عاشت ايدك استعملت واكو والصينية سنة كاملة وكانت مفيدة وجيدة ولم تسبب اي مشاكل تحياتي لكم من البصرة
Wow! Some impressive testing with impressive results! I'm subscribing to your channel *right now*
Best WAGO clip ASMR I've ever seen
Excellent test setup, and spectacular results! They did a lot better than I thought, I will have to try out some Wago's.
ForestCat_Peter Absolutely. Chinese products are getting better by the day, sure there is still crap out there but there are also some excellent products. It's time to ditch the 'Chinese rubbish' stereotype and start assessing products on their own merits.
Used m already for 3 years , fantastic product , the clear plastic ones are even better !
Thanks for a very intersting video, John. The subject of Wago connectors has been the subject of much discussion between myself and my work colleagues.
Terrific video, thanks. I do use WAGOs daily and I found that test very reassuring as well as entertaining.
I was hesitant of this style of connector until watching your demonstration. Thank you.
Very interesting! I've been using the smaller Wago connector for low voltage connections, and they fantastic, but have not yet used them for mains.
This was the test I was hunting for Thank You for your video .
As someone who uses these connectors on a daily basis, this was brilliant to watch. Great to see their limits and how well they hold up to a significant over current situation.
I'd love to see how Wago's 221 connectors compare to the 222s as I've started using the 221s more and more.
Possibly also a comparison to the 2273 and 773 series for solid/coarse stranded wire. They're the most commonly used connectors for building wiring in quite a few European countries.
Good to know . Thank you for the video , I thought the Feko exceeded my expectations , was expecting to melt @ 50A
Brilliant vid, this is exactly the kind of thing that interests me.
Excellent demo John
Excellent review and comparo!
Incredibly interesting and helpful. Thanks.
I have some of BOTH the Wago name brand and the chinese knock off. The workshop at my job (apartment Complex) has TWO 200volt 30amp tankless water heaters. These use 3 pole 1 ground 8 gauge wires. We change water heaters at a rate of one a week from tank to tankless and we are about half way done through the nearly 900 apartments. I changed the ones in the shop TWO years ago and they work great no problems. And yes it is a tight fit for 8 gauge wires.
The heat transferred from the right connector to the wire and then to the left connector and housing. These are great tests to see the amperage handling capabilities. The heat transfer helps me to diagnose the failure source.
Brilliant experiment 👏
It's taking me a while, but I finally have recognize the superiority of Wago connectors. I have since discovered that wire nuts are almost exclusive to North America. The rest of the world uses Wago, or something similar. By the way, the test show is using their older style. I would love to see this experiment done again with the current models. Also, watch out for Wago imitations. There are many ways to save money in life, electrical connectors is NOT one of them.
A thermal camera might be a useful investment, you/ we could see any problem a long time before any physical damage occurs.
That was an interesting test, it’s something I don’t think about when making connections.
Can you do a similar test using the very dated Scotch blocks, the ones that you close onto a wire without the need to strip insulation?
9:08 - A really memorising and impartial test you carried out here. Nicely done. I am intrigued how the wood on the right is more scorched than on the left though.
I'd love to do this again with a thermal camera - pretty much all I did on my uni placement 😆
Pretty good job using what equipment you have on hand. The only thing I would do differently is to measure voltage drop at each connector at the lower currents to calculate contact resistance.
The colour change as it occurred did show there was a definite difference, just not in numbers.
Thanks for taking the time.
Great info, really liked this video, thanks!
I hope you can do some more reviews for the 'small things' like these sorts of connectors, it really helps us hobbyist/home users to make better purchasing decisions in terms of economics, performance and safety!
Thank you great info and test
So there was me working out a better way to wire MK grid switches on 2.5mm and I had come to the conclusion that as MK terminals are so damn small in grid switches that I'd maybe use a WAGO to common the L & N's then take a feed into each switch but I decided against it as it meant the full load would be carried by the WAGO and I decided that might not be as good as just looping in and out - well I was quite wrong the test shows!
Thank You for the nice work! Could You please make one more test? A comparison between Wago (like 2273-203) and Twisted and solderd wires?
very nice testing. I have some fake ones just for testing things and such as it was easy to get a bag with multiple sizes.
I’ve only just started using WAGOs, the genuine as opposed to copies and they’re so cheap I don’t know why anyone would use off-brand but thanks for doing these tests.
Cost cutting - cheap Electricians. The more penny pinching the greater profit you get when billing. Unfortunately just because you have a ticket does not mean you're ethical
@@hemi4722 yeah it's insane the way some of them try and penny pinch while making your job harder and therefore probably not saving money in the long run. Like when running MC I've had multiple foreman that are completely against a 2 port connector. They say the singles are cheaper... I'm sure in the long run paying me to take more time at each box isn't very cost effective.
Probably because they are so available. With Ebay and Banggood marketing plenty people who didn't know Wago made these items will have seen the Fako items and got curious.
Good to see tests like this.
@@Avaddon911 Do you drive a car? If so you are driving something where they will try and save to the forth decimal place!
@@ianmontgomery7534 same for most electronics and even clothing, when you see the pricing sheets for a simple shirt it opens your eyes on the volume manufacturing/ supply side of what you see in the shops... 😵
This is the best video on RUclips covering Wagos and "Fagos". You've really covered everything very well. I'm from Canada, and to be honest, I've heard SO much bad things about Wagos. Easily 95% of the people I've heard referring to them have bad things to say. Now, I actually spoke to another electrician, who uses Wagos exclusively. He said he's had no problems whatsoever. I highly suspect the failures I've been hearing about are due to improper use, and not following manufacturers directions. I was a real skeptic on this topic in the beginning. Now, I'm going to order my own box of Wagos. After seen your video I'm very confident they will more than adequate for what they are designed to do. Keep doing videos like this. I'm subscribing right now!
Wagos are great they are self tightening because of the copper spring action inside so over time they outshine anything else. In my country wire nuts are banned because over many years the hot and cold cycles move the wires enough to sometime cause a fire risk. Ive seen several old wire nuts that are fire risks but never seen a old wago that was even close to failing.
and here i am am devouring wago videos since i was finally able to get a box of 221 connectors at a price that i can integrate into my projects
I am surprised that they both held up so well.
No actual Wagos or Wago 222s were harmed in the making of this film.
Great Video which answers many questions. Enhancements might be to compare WAGO to other connector types, use stranded wire as required in high vibration/marine applications, and finally to utilize a FLIR camera to visualize heat generation. That said this video increases my confidence in this new technology.
Hopefully WAGO makes “terminal strip” configurations … this would save much time for installation and troubleshooting techniques plus save material for not needing lugs.
Thanks 🙏👍😎
This style of connector has been available since the 1970s, it's not new at all.
www.wago.com/global/companyhistory
John great video.. its always helpful to see real world tests to get a better idea of how these items react when stressed. I can't count the endless times iv seen people arguing about their rated value and what they can actually take and so on. May i ask what current supply device you use.. as 150+amps is impressive. Thanks.
Details and link in the video description.
I definitely prefer wire nuts or "marretes" for anything over 3 wires as they are much more compact and allow your wires to be trained together. This way when u service or test the wires possibly adding one it's much easier to do hot as the joint stays together and u can twist one on also helps keeping the box neat.
Love a wago connector. I like that it does minimal damage to the cable and makes alterations so simple, screw type connections mangle the cable ends and they invariably need cutting back after being disconnected.
I agree with a previous commenters view that they are a bit rubbish for getting a test lead on though. That test port is far too small to get most of my probes into.
Mr Badger the megger long red probe is perfect for the test port on these
Daniel Brydon
I do have a long thin megger probe that will fit these ports, I call it my “aye aye” lead after the little lemur creature with the long finger!
The problem is I mainly need to access it with my fluke voltage tester or I may just want to get a reading from it while testing and not want to use special probes from the van etc
2 years later but why not just buy some alternate leads for your meter?
Great videos!
Cheers John
Could you please do a video where you compare the resistance of Wago links vs soldered links? There is a lot of debate on a local electrician's group.
Do you have a FLIR camera? Would be useful to see how hot they get and how the heat propagates through the connectors when comparing them.
yes you need to know the temperature of both terminals really
The
Nice demo, a thermal image camera would have been good :)
The non wago one sounds like it has some glass fibre reinforcing in it when cut.
definitively yes
I was just about to say that too!
Skookum
@@TOO2150 As frig
Yup!
>
In the USA the connector would need UL marking I think. The idea being that if there’s a fire and the insurance firm’s loss adjuster can implicate a fako then presumably the policy doesn’t pay out. Is there a similar dynamic in the UK?
Just to be fair, have you tried another set of connectors with the electrodes reversed polarity to see if the heat builds up on the WAGU side before the generic brand?
Really like these comparison videos, thank you.
Very informative test. Do you think the orientation of the connectors caused the clone to overheat first? It would have been interesting to see the temperature of each from an IR thermometer. Thanks for your effort.
No difference, same wiring and same current for each.
When they get a fake version to market, initially, they will try to be equivalent. Then they can begin cost cutting and riding the wave their earlier products began. You should do a followup a year later, which is next month :) Or at least do a test with cameras off to see if it is worth a revisit, if quality has noticeably dropped.
pr they do the reverse, start by making money with lots of cheapies sold on dubious platforms then once you've sorted out the kinks and are fairly good at what you make, establish yourself as a serious suppliers. it's rare but not unheard of in China. the funny thing is those start getting real mad at those making counterfeit and fakes of their own products... 😹
Do a Test of the wago 221 vs Wirenuts for the old timers over here in the US to show which one pops first.
70 or more amps? all my home fuses cut above 16 amps... anyway in germany everything is tested to death. i use them for years now without any problems. nice to see what amps they can manage. very informative, thks for the video
wuppercruiser Test current is applied at low voltage, so a lot less is drawn from mains than the 150A.
@@johnfrancisdoe1563 Correct.
>
WAGO have a factory in China (Tianjin) as well as Poland, America and Switzerland but they would all manufacture to the same quality standard
I will just try to use wago connectors for our house electricity installation. The installations use solid wires. Will it be ok and safe? Or any suggestions to use tradisional connections?
John can you try and get a pre amendment 3 plastic consumer unit to catch fire? Try one with tight connection's then one with loose connection's in the neutral bar! And the ends of the neutrals touching the plastic?
This is actually quite impressive. Remember that for every doubling of current, the power dissipated in the connectors rises four times, because power is resistance times current squared. So the 155 A vs. the rated 24 A scenario is more than 40 times the rated power of the connector! I am surprised that they both held up so well.
Normally, the maximum current for connectors is defined as the amount of current that yields a certain increase of temperature of the connector with regards to the ambient temperature.
you should try somekind od corrosion test and how different chemicals and oils react to the plastic :)
Thank you
Can you use the wago to add a socket spur or add a socket to ring main thanks
very good thank you sir
Hi, which voltage did you use in the test?
what kind of voltage did you run through these?
The amount of heat dissipated by the wire or the connection points goes up on the square of current. At 150 amps, there is 25 times the wattage (heat) dissipated, compared to 30 amps! That said, either of these would work just fine, at rated maximum current. I did notice, that the wires ran much cooler, and didn't discolor nearly as much on the WAGO compared to the 'off brand' connector. The WAGO uses slightly heavier gauge contacts..
Some thermal imaging would have been good to see at 2X rated load.
Would have been interesting to measure the voltage across each one hence determine the resistance of the connectors, that may have been why one melted before the other because it’s resistance was slightly more
What voltage where you running the amperage test at?
I don’t know much about electrical stuff and my question is probably daft but here goes: Are these components subject to wear and tear? I know cheap plastic can become brittle over time and start cracking so how long would the fake component last compared to the Wago? Do parts like this need replacing after so long?
The "other" terminal sounds like it's glass fiber reinforced.
You can now buy double ended versions on Aliexpress that have 2 or 3 terminals each side connected straight through, but not across to each other. So you only need one terminal to connect two two or three core cables, kind of like a choc block only better. **** EDIT they are unsafe due to insufficient creepage, do not buy ****
The Chinese are also offering an 8 way version, which is useful.
stefantrethan WAGO really needed to address that type of design much earlier, inline connection would make a neater MF connection, especially in confined spaces.
To be fair they have other connectors like the 224 that do a similar inline splice.
The Chinese have become really good at not only copying stuff, but expanding a good idea into different directions. It's the same progression we have seen in Japan some decades ago. I wouldn't be surprised if we live to see "made in China" as a mark of Quality.
But for now, I don't know why Wago is sleeping. Maybe they should fire a few beancounters and lawyers, who are obviously completely ineffective at defending their IP anyway, and get a few more engineers to knock out those new products.
I'd gladly buy them from Wago, I'm not keen on putting a Chinese noname connector into the wall, and they aren't even that cheap, but they don't give me any alternative.
stefantrethan what’s the Aliexpress search term for those?
Rather disconcerting that when there is a brand associated with these things on Aliexpress, it tends to be “YOLO”.
"wago" actually ;-)
The type is 222-412D and 222-413D, but that yields nothing. Wago on the other hand will easily find them.
I just received my "double ended" fake wago connectors and I have to issue a warning not to use them.
There is very little creepage between the different conductors (only about 1mm maybe) and they are unsafe for that reason. Otherwise they are absolutely fine, the materials look good and construction is nicely done, but the person who designed them clearly did not understand about creepage requirements between conductors. It's a shame, I would have quite liked them.
+John Ward
Problem comes, not so much with this-particular alternative, but what proliferation of variations come...
Somebody may produce a much poorer, and easily-flammable clone.
Could you do a similar test with them contained in their maintenance free enclosures? Thanks!
I would like to see a more extensive test...
What happens if the wire is slightly corroded when it's put into the connector? What if the wire is pulled hard during/after installation, can it appear connected but actually be arcing? What if old wago connectors are used after storage in a damp truck - do the internals corrode and make them unsafe? What if flood waters get into the connector - will it dry out in such a fashion that the circuit either works correctly or trips the GFCI (ie. you never end up with a situation that the internal steel thins with electrolysis corrosion.)
3:25 for some reason I have a massive crave for some roasted marshmellows right now.....
That was like watching a Hitchcock film. Especially the part where you melted them with fire.
Unless you have posted an additional video of which i did not locate, I would like to see a test were you attach two 12 GA wires to the connector and apply 20 amps to wire number one and see if there is an amperage drop in wire number two after going through the connector; in other words, would you experience a voltage or an amperage drop in the electoral system when connecting wires together using this new type of connector.
Great video, I'm impressed by the knockoffs. I'd be interested to see how they fare with a slight overload over a period of hours. I can see the fako connectors taking a while to heat up, but eventually failing. The exposed copper wires were probably helping by acting as a heat sink too
The non wago connector sounds like glass fiber reinforced, also the only reason why the right one melted first is because there is a higher resistance on that side, thus the reason the board charred at the end of the circuit first.
are the swa ones worth a comparison also?
Toolstation sell ones by " ideal" and seem to be ok with many sparkies i know & have been for a long time.
i am very expressed to see what the wago's can take! I was sure they would burn away at least around 100 Amps! The power burnt in the connectors increases with the square of the current! So at 150 Amps its 2.25 times the energy of 100 Amps!
Why were two wires used for this test? I would guess it can handle double the current this way, because there are twice many contact points.
Would be nice if you purchased one of the clip on infra red cameras for your phone ....FLIR and SEEK are good models . Great video though 👍🏻
Ur the man
Very impressive quality. Bear in mind, in the UK we have 60 to 100A max supplies in domestic properties, I don't think 151A is gonna cause too much problem. Like you say though. Just buy the Wago brand as cheap enough anyway, and also approved by EN 17025 safety standards no doubt. Unlike the Fako type.. Another great video JW. www.wago.com/global/laboratory-tests
I see alot of their party versions on Amazon at cheaper than wago. Still unsure of the safety aspects and quality insurance of them but 100 for £16 compared to £28 for wago
The connectors certainly seems to be safe. It not really a problem in they fail at 5x
Surprised to see a (Chinese) knock off version doing almost as well as the real thing!
Btw what do you use for your 150 amp high current test power source?
Check the description maybe?
SCWfan06 yep, found it mate, no problem. 👍
Sounds like a welder to me.
Jasper Janssen It is, there's a link in the description.
Would like to see a test were weights are put on see how long till it pulls out
Well that was a very conclusive test... John. I expected the fake-o connector to fail specularly. Springily good quality. Also makes me wonder why someone went to such lengths to copy the product, same price ect...
I will still be sticking to my ceramic type terminals only tho. - they’re best, id like to see you crank some of them up perhaps get some off eBay rated for 32A and see how they do on 155A?
I may try it on my channel with my 1100A transformer. ;)
Because now he gets the money instead of Wago?
Kyle Bishop
The problem with ceramic connectors is partly that they are brittle and a broken connector is a dangerous connector, but in real life conditions, they shake around in transit and lose all their damn screws. I rarely use them unless I expect them to be exposed to long term heat or in fire resistant installations.
I thought that was why we stopped using screw-it/midget/dog-cock/wire nut connectors. The porcelain wasn’t sufficiently robust. The newer ones are plastic
Hmm the point you’ve raised does indeed make sense... Although in all installations iv done and on my power equipment I have made I have never had a problem with using the ceramic terminals.
Mr Badger - the ceramic terminals that I buy (from CPC) come in plastic bags, so even if the screws do come loose, they are not lost. And it's not just these connectors where screws shake loose. I known the same problem with a variety of screw type connections. Wago type connectors have their own problems when used in humid or damp conditions.
Yeah but nobody has problems with the plastic ones either.
best way to find the difference is volume weight for density then burn temp and melting point
John, with your current test you likely used an autotransformer and lower voltage ?
This device was used: ruclips.net/video/35VpIE1oKsc/видео.html
Even though the non-branded one melted at 150A as did the Wago did but at slower rate, even at standard rating current at 25A it’s still very good could considering, both made in China anyway, just quality of plastics are defined and specified by company/purchasing group not supplier...
We are using Wago and they are made in Germany
These connectors appear to be superior to the wire nut type and ferrule type connectors used here in North America.
They are - but almost every type of connector is superior to wire nuts.
Think they've started selling them over here.
The first usage of them here were the yellow disconnects in light fixtures. Then the 4 and 6 push connectors and then these lever types have shown up in commercial led pole lights. However always check every factory connection. They often don't push them in far enough and its not fun having to go back and get a lift to fix a light. And by test I mean check every connection and then test every pole light with a generator before standing them up.
I really like the lever style but they will be rare here because wirenuts are so much cheaper. Right now the suppliers are really gouging on wago products because they are handy.... Much cheaper buying them online than from an electrical supplier in the US.
been selling here in the US for quite a while now. i can safely say for at least 4 or 5 years give or take.
I use them in Canada in Marine all the time. It’s all we use really.
I wonder why you're now testing the 222 years after the 221 came out. I've long replaced all of the old ones, love the smaller size and nice visibility of the connections in the new ones.
222 are the type which someone sent in.
Daniel Egger 222 is the classic product we trust, 221 is some untested stuff the salesmen are pushing. Good professionals ignore salesmen when possible, because lying to us is part of their job.
Err, sorry, that's nonsense. I've switched to the 221 many years ago (they came out right in time when I needed some smaller connectors for my living room LED lighting where the 222 are just too big to hide invisibly behind the aluminium mounts). I've been using the 222 (and a lot of different other Wago connectors, too) for a long time before that but have switched all to the 221 when I made changes to connections since they're not only much more comfortable to use but also allow for visual inspection of the wires (or crimped ferrules) and leave a lot more for the cables in the outlet or connection box; don't forget that one typically needs at least two and often even three or more of them in one spot so that adds up quickly.
I'm not a sales person and not affiliated with Wago. In fact I'm just a user but I know a lot of professional electricians who would tell you exactly the same.
John please tell me how much current a 221 can carry and can I use on a ring main. Thanks
32 amps, and yes they can be used on a ring circuit, as that only requires a rating of 20A for each cable.
Hi John,
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.
As a service engineer of 35 years I use 30 amp connections on the neutral in the machines, live conductors go into a solid state relay. I’ve been to a few jobs were other engineers have not fitted the correct rating connectors and they have melted. The machine pulls 20/25 amps, I bought a wago 221 lever installer kit but it stated 20A at 300v so I have bought the 32amp 222 ones. I will now be able to use the 221 ones
The 222 grey ones look far more solid to carry the current.
Might be worthwhile doing a little video on the 221 as a lot of engineers and electricians I have spoken to think they are rated at 20 amps.
Says 450v 32a on one side and 20a 300v on the other, I think this is for the Japanese market so I’m told, but if you say it isn’t then it isn’t .
Once again thank you.
Great videos.
Regards
John
Many thanks
Great video.
@@johndawe449 The 20A rating is for a Japanese standard, which doesn't have any ratings above that. The actual connector is rated 32A.
To be rated 20A they have to withstand 32A at 85C ambient without getting above 105C. So it would be good to use a thermal camera and see how hot each one gets.
The ‘scratchy’ sound is the glass in the plastic that’s what the 66 stands for (the amount of glass stands)