You could use alumicons for copper if you were rich since they are listed for aluminum and copper but why would you?
They do have a smaller "push in" connector that is getting more popular. (copper only)
A wire nut is about 9 cents (US) while the Alumiconn is $2.77 at Home Depot.
But the average homeowner isn't going to need more than a couple a year, and isn't going to use wire nuts enough to be sure of getting a good connection, maybe. It might be worth $2.68 extra for piece of mind.
Maybe homeowners should just be calling an electrician if the cost of "piece of mind" is not an issue.
There are literally billions of wire nuts working satisfactorily here.
I haven't had a wire nut connection go bad personally, but I have seen some.
I've not used an Alumiconn. So just wondering, if space is limited, would it be easier to fit them into a crowded box?
Short answer, no.
This really comes down to workmanship. A properly made up wire nut splice will last forever but if you get one of the wires a bit short and it does not engage the spring, you will have a bad connection. For your average homeowner, I suggest stripping about an inch of wire, twisting them up tightly (clockwise), cutting off all but the last
5/8" or so, looking it over carefully to be sure it is uniform, then screwing on the wire nut. The listing does allow the wires to be put in the nut without twisting but it is way too easy to have one not being seated right for someone who doesn't do it all day.
Yes.
That's for stranded wire, right?
The one failure I saw was on my hot water heater replacement. Since it was a rental I didn't do it myself. But I came back to a house with cold water and a burnt smell in the utility room. The wires had burned off at the wire nut.
The connection was on #12 solid, and the mechanic had twisted the wires before putting on the wire nut, but they didn't make good enough contact, it's very hard to twist solid wire tightly enough.
I put them back together, exactly straight and exactly the same length, not twisted, before I put the wire nut back on, and it was still doing fine when I moved out several years later.
I concluded stranded wire should always be twisted and solid never, but that's just my personal opinion.
Working at a large company and installing lots of wire nuts of all sizes, I never twisted any wires. The instructions for some say they can be twisted, but not needed. If correctly installed, the wires will twist when the nut goes on. I never reuse a wire nut. I never taped any except when installed on motors or something that viberates. Probably not needed, but just did it sometimes.
Pretwist solid wires too - particularly aluminum. Actually more important than for stranded - which WILL twist with a nut.
No for both but required for stranded.
They probably cracked the wire there.
You need the right tool. It is easy to do with electricians pliers.
Can anyone show where the companies recommend or require the wires to be twisted ? I bet not. All that I have seen say not required and the videos that show them being instlled do not show anyone twisting the wires together before putting onthe wire nuts.
If done correctly the nuts twist the wires together and will not be easy to just pull off.
I haven't had one actually fail, but I opened a receptacle box while splitting my garage off of the basement circuit and found the wire nut for the hot wires melted and deformed. These were the feed wires for the garage.
I had to cut the wire nut off since it had melted around the wires and wouldn't spin off. There's no way to know when it got hot enough to melt the wire nut. That was the first time I opened the box after living there for about 5 years.
It is not required nor is it prohibited. Bear in mind these instructions are made to professionals. I see them made up both ways.
As for twisting the wires, it depends on the nut. The hard "Ideals" will tend to twist the wires but the soft, live spring models don't. I have taken them apart and found the wires straight and neatly bundled in the spring, that will come out of the cup as often as not.
They also show using tape which should not be needed. Not sure who made the video, but go here to the company that makes the connectors for the way they recommend doing it.
It is going to be interisting in the next few yers to see how well those connectors and another type called Wall Nuts hold up. It seems they just rely on the friction on the connectors, just as the recepticls that have the back stab type connections do. The sockets seem to have gotten a bad reputation over the years. Maybe by some inexpensive knock offs of the origional.
One thing I have mixed feelings about is the WAGOconnectors have a slot in them. Good for checking voltage, but bad as something could get in that slot and cause problems with a short.
I did see a vidio on using a lot of them in wire racks. With the type of mounting, I did not see how the wires could be removed if needed without lots of problems. Working at a company that used lots of instalations like that makes me want a connector the wires can be removed and reconnected without any problems.
Part of the problem with the back stabbers was the lateral stresses put on the connection when you were pushing the device back in the box. That is one reason why they lifted the listing on 12 ga wire, There is less stress (bending force) with 14 ga., With the splices, it is less actual stress on the connection because you can guide the wire itself while stuffing the box.
That's fine with only 2 wires. What about 3 or 4?? And even with 2 - one being stranded and one copper, they "admit" they are just wrapping the stranded around the solid - which would allow the solid to be pulled out of the joint if the nut was to loosen AT ALL.
No ULC or CSA approvals for either Wago or Wallnut for use on AWG14 or AWG12 wires
They DO look like a good connector - but without either ULC or CSA approvals they are not an option for wiring a building in Canada.
Clare may be saying his AHJ isn't approving them.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.