Anything better than wire nuts?

[dodge man]

Looks like the Wago connectors less than $1 each if you get a package of 75 assorted ones. Seems like a deal to me. I broke a $39 light fixture earlier today.

 

[npalen]

Robot or human?

www.walmart.com

I used some of these about 50 some years ago and was very confident that the wires would never come loose. Had not seen any again until just recently.

 

[grsthegreat]

In an ideal world, I try to solder stranded wire before trying to join stranded wire to solid wire. I have never found that stranded onto solid works well in a wire nut, even when I have left the stranded sticking out beyond the solid.

+1 on the wago connectors. Definitely do not use Chinese knockoffs; none of the ones I have seen are even UL listed, nor are they well made and a couple use combustible plastics.

All the best,

Peter

Ive used stranded to solid for years. Never have issues. But you have to use professional grade products.

 

[grsthegreat]

My only problem with wago connectors are the few times they have opened up on me when shoved into a junction box.

 

[caver]

I grabbed two different designs out of my stash that I liked in my working days and both under the magnifying glass said 3M. I bought some crimp connectors off bezos junk store and they were garbage.

 

[TractorGuy]

I don't think I would trust those wago things. I know when you get a good wire nut tight it stays tight until you unscrew it. Not sure how the plastic in the wago connector will hold up over time.

 

[5030]

My skills at electrical work are a little lacking. I was replacing an outside double flood light today. I’ve never had good luck with wire nuts. I was trying to get the wire nuts to stay connected, get the wires stuffed back in the box, and get the fixture screwed back into the box while standing on a ladder. It didn’t happen when I dropped it and broke an insulator where one light bulb screws in. I definitely broke it when I threw it in a trash can as hard as I could..

I went and bought another fixture and asked the guy at the hardware store if there was anything better. He said there is a setup where the wires are inserted and it snaps shut on them but he says they don’t work that great. With the wife helping we got it installed but it still took three tries to get the wire nuts to stay. Is there a better way?

'Anything better than wire nuts'..... certainly....

Whole cashews.........

 

[hosspuller]

As said before, there are different grades of wire nuts. I prefer the 3M brand. Using the correct size for the number and gauge of wire.

https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/68624O/3m-wire-connectors-family-brochure-low-res-pdf.pdf

 

[rademamj1]

I also have had great success using WAGO electrical connectors. These are the highest quality electrical connectors I have ever used. These are German made and absolutely will never break the connection once the lever is pressed down.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I use wire nuts just about every day in my day job. The comments about the size wire nut MUST be sized to the gauge of wire, and *how many* wires you're trying to put under the same wire nut are spot on. The other issue with using wire nuts is all the wires must be stripped to the same correct length for the nut. Then getting all the wires lined up so their tips are even with each other, you can't have one wire sticking out further, or one wire hanging back in the bunch. Then after twisting the nut onto the wires until it is tight, you MUST tug-test each of the wires under the nut to make sure none of them are loose and pull free.

I use the Ideal brand wire nuts most of the time. And that's because I've had good luck with them. Most of the wires that I deal with are 12 ga and under (smaller). On the 20 ga and smaller wire, I prefer Scotch-Locks over wire nuts. They are a gel filled snap-crimp style connector that is/was heavily used in the telephone industry.

Done correctly, wire nuts will never loosen up. Even cramming them into a J-box. But J-boxes have a similar rule to wire nuts. The J-box MUST be sized to how many wires (and wire nuts) you are trying to cram into it. I see more electricians violating this "rule" than just about anything else out there (more so than the "pipe fill" rules about how many wires you can fit in a conduit). You can always add an extension ring to a J-box if the wires won't fit. Most electricians will just try their hardest to cram and overstuff a J-box so they don't have to go get an extension ring.