Tips for pigtailing / wirenutting outlets with 12AWG wire

Howdy all.

Since I will be pigtailing in about 20 outlets and I know 12AWG can be kind of stiff to work with, I thought I would ask if anyone here has any tips to make the job easier ?

I have already pre-wired the pig-tails to the outlets since it's something that could easily be done from the comfort of my couch while watching the basketball game. The pigtails for the hots, neutrals and grounds are all about 6 inches long and I just made them from some existing 12AWG NM/B wire I had (si they're pretty straight right now).

I have the red wing-nut style wire-nuts and will have to joint (3)

12AWG wires into each nut.

Any tips to make the job easier or better would be appreciated!

Thanks, Kevin

Reply to
kevharper
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The best tip is to use large enough boxes, so you don't have to cram the wires into them. Some wire nuts require twisting the wires (clockwise) and some do not, just make them tight

Reply to
RBM

For connections that you're pretty sure will be permanent, or where there's enough extra wire to make cutting and resplicing feasible, use crimp connectors (barrels). If you use the correct kind of crimping tool, these connections are far stronger than wire nuts.

These are about the best you can buy:

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Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

Thanks for the feedback but the connectors you link to look like they're only good for joining 2 wires, not the three wires I mentioned below. Or did I miss somethin'?

Thanks, Kevin

Reply to
kevharper

No - you're right. I *believe* they make a 3 wire connector. Call them.

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

Fiberglass ladders have aluminum components. I've used both that have lived on top of bucket trucks for years on end. I have a 28' glass ladder at home. It's heavy as hell. As I get older I regret the weight. A Little Giant 22 can be a 19', class 1A straight ladder and fit in your closet.

Reply to
No

Some recessed fixtures and under cabinet fixtures are coming with back stab connectors. Personally I love them, but like you said, they're too new on the market to know if they'll hold up long term

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Reply to
RBM

VERY INTERESTING! Looks like what I need if I go that route. I will see if I can find them locally to give them a try.

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Reply to
kevharper

Let me be real clear. When I say I love them, I'm referring to their use in things like fixtures, where, if one fails, it will be easy to find and fix the open circuit. As far as power, outlet splices, I want a hard bodied wirenut and a nine inch lineman's pliers

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Reply to
RBM

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For me they leave a little nagging in the back of my head. Fortunately I know they are there, why they are there and what each of them connects. If one ever goes bad I know I can easily snip it off and replace with a regular wire nut.

To all - Another benefit. Its easy to add things if you leave an extra spot or two. I had a situation where I wanted to tap into a location for a fan/light. It was very easy just to stab into the connector I wanted to add this leg. The connectors used have 6 positions IIRC. Only 3 were used in the case of the one I tapped into.

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I suspect these were used by my contractor because they were probably virtually the same price as the smaller ones yet more flexible in their applications.

Inviato da X-Privat.Org - Registrazione gratuita

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Reply to
No

In addition to what others have said, stranded wire pigtails are easier to push into the box than solid wire.

Reply to
John Grabowski

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for one manufacturer.

Sure those are back-stab, and not just pre-made pigtails? Local big-box has those, where the spring inside the nut is connected to a wire leading out the hole in the back. Looks like it would be a real time-saver for production installs, if local codes allows it. Or were you talking about some sort of flat crimp connector, where you shove all three wires in seperate holes, and squeeze a blade down on them? I've never seen those used for a.c. lines before.

aem sends...

Reply to
ameijers

If you had a Buchanan C-24 and the proper sleeves (3M S60 have the capacity as I recall but they are uninsulated and would require shrink boots or tape) you could do each join in maybe 20 seconds and they would _never_ come apart even if you wanted them to.

Reply to
John McGaw

Si, muchacho. BTW, it's little mistakes like this that will keep you from passing.

Kevin is a good name. No one will suspect it.

Reply to
mm

One thing to watch, you just can't use a regular wire nut to bond the ground as you would hot and neutral. The ground circuit to other outlets/fixtures must be configured such that it is not disconnected as you work with the outlet/fixture. That means you can't remove whatever is bonding the ground circuit to attach a pigtail from the outlet.

The ground circuit must be crimped or something like the green wire nuts that allow a grounding pigtail to stick out from the end of the nut.

Thus I don't see how you planned on connecting the ground pigtail you already attached to the outlets. Perhaps you have thought this through and can do so without disconnecting the existing grounds while connecting on the outlet.

gerry

Reply to
gerry

Code citation?

bud--

Reply to
Bud--

Personally I prefer the kind iof receptables with spots for 2 wires eac side slid in straight and screwed down.

12 ga wire is a pain they should produce bigger boxes
Reply to
hallerb

Reply to
Michael.Lacy.junk

NEC 250.148 (B)

(B) Grounding Continuity. The arrangement of grounding connections shall be such that the disconnection or the removal of a receptacle, lunimaire (fixture), or other device fed from the box does not interfere with or interrupt the grounding continuity.

Can be read at

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As an example, that's why the green wire nuts that let a pigtail stick trough the end without removing the wire nut exist. Other means are crimped on jumper which forces the grounding pigtail to be disconnected from the fixture. Taking a wire nut off the grounds to service a fixture is prohibited since it interrupts grounding continuity.

gerry

Reply to
gerry

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com posted for all of us... I don't top post - see either inline or at bottom.

Yeah, and you believe faucets are made = by code - to leak. Go away.

Reply to
Tekkie®

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