Electrical

There is really no limit to the number of outlets on a general lighting circuit but the code implies that it should serve no more than 600 sq/ft for a 15a and 800 sq/ft for a 20a based on 3VA per sq/ft. Of course that is the minimum standard and the average of all of the circuits. For the last 20 years or so the bathroom should be on a separate 20a and the laundry are should have another dedicated 20a. The code has required 2 20a small appliance circuits for more like 40 years. As for box fill (the number of wires in there) you add the 14 ga up at

Another question is what's going on with that extra foot of wire that he says was added? Splice is in a box? Just hanging in the wall? It can probably be cleaned up and left on the one circuit, but like you say, it would be better if he can run a new circuit for the bathroom. And we don't know what actual loads are typically on it, is it close to overloaded, etc.

A splice in a junction box is OK but I'd clean up the mess as much as possible to keep the junction boxes to a minimum.

Maybe others here would know but I was always taught the just line up the bare ends of the wires, inset then in a wire nut and twist until tight.

A few years ago I lost a connection due to me probably not getting the wires lined up.

A friend who does electrical work told me he always grabs the end and twists with a pliers and makes sure all is secure before putting on the wire nut.

Any one here know if there is any reason not to do that?

I have not seen any info on the twist with the pliers , but some twist by hand. I always just line the wires up parallel and put the wire nut on. Either is recommended by the makers of the ones I use. Other companies may differ in their instructions. When done, give the wire nuts a good tug to see if they come off.

Lately I have been using the WAGO Lever nuts. They cost a little more, but are so much easier for me to work with. Nothing to twist and if the correct wire sizes are used and stripped correctly, not much for human error.

There are also some Wall Nuts that just push in. I use them for some things like ballasts replacement in lights. While they may be ok for the higher current applications, I don't use the push ins for that( much over 1 amp of current. Just my opinion on that.

Never even heard of those WAGO. Sure they work but I prefer wire-to-wire connection. I'm sure I had just been a bit careless and not actually tugged on the connection.

My house was built in 1898 and not wired until 1932.

Fortunately it was all BX and rigid conduit.

What prompted me to re-wire as one of the original connections finally failed, It must have gotten hot enough for the solder to melt or perhaps was poorly soldered to begin with.

Almost all of the original wiring has been replaced and many new circuits added. The house averaged one outlet per room.

On 02/20/2017 12:15 PM, philo wrote: ...

Not required, maybe, is one? :)

Ideal instructions are as follows:

1. Turn off power before removing or installing connectors.
2. Strip connectors to the correct strip length per the chart below: Connector Strip length 451® Strip solid wires 3/8? (9.5 mm) 452® Strip wires ½? (13 mm) 454® Strip wires 7/8? (22 mm)
3. Straighten and align frayed strands.
4. Hold wires together with ends even. Lead stranded wires slightly ahead of solid wires.
5. Pre-twisting acceptable, but not required. For pre-twisting; strip wires long, hold wires together with insulation even, twist wire ends together, trim to recommended strip length.
6. Insert bundle into connector and twist clockwise until tight.

The primary reason _against_ imo is owing to the last part of 5. -- you have to be sure to strip enough extra you've got minimum length needed when done and then the extra step to trim. I think it's also more difficult to ensure you've got the torque/bite when have the bunch all solidly together first, but that's just opinion.

I'm thinking there are some that say don't (twist, that is), but didn't look past the Ideal datasheet to try to actually find one.

I really like the idea of pre-twisting

When connecting 2 or 3 identical wires I don't pretwist. My father was an electrician and said a properly wirenutted connection WILL end up properly twisted and he'd never seen a wirenut come off if installed properly that way. A wirenut applied to a pre-twistedc connection stands a pretty good chance of falling off because the "teeth" in the spring are not firmly embedded in the copper of the wire. If connecting a14 and a 12 or any combination of the two, CAREFULL pretwisting can make a better connection because if "direct nutting" the 14 just wraps around the 12 - but the "teeth" in the spring do still bite.

I cannot picture a situation where I'd ever have two different gauges of wire but after that one let loose on me I've always pre-twisted first...then after the wire nut is on, tug on it to be sure all is secure,,,then as a final precaution, tape it all up

Just about all the lights in a house has 2 sizes of wire. Usually a 14 feeding the light and one much smaller that comes with the light.

If you have to use tape, you are doing something wrong.

I DO NOT have to use tape. The connection is just fine without it. I do it as a precaution and many of the electricians take that same precaution as well. Because I now triple check the integrity I use the tape more as a precaution to prevent a short in the event a wire nut cracked and the shell portion would fall off.

That said some people say that if one has a poor connection it would be better to just let the wire fall out rather than be held in place by tape.

AFAIK there is no definitive answer

On 02/21/2017 9:29 AM, philo wrote: ...

The definitive answer is the "workmanship" clause in NEC.

Just realized . To me, using two different gauges is not a good idea.

If you use 12 and 14 the circuit breaker could not exceed 15 amps due to the #14 wire. Since the breaker cannot exceed 15 amps then there is no need to use #12 wire.

Additionally , somewhere down the road another owned of the house while working in the breaker box might see the #12 wire on a 15 amp breaker and put it on a 20 amp.

Maybe another knowledgeable person here could comment.

(Buford, Col Burke and Muggles are filter out of my feed due to never once coming up with a useful solution)

I'd NEVEr tape a wirenut! My dad would have skinned me if I did!!. He'd say" if you are not 100% sure it's right, a piece of tape ain't go'nna fix it!!!

You gotta use better wire nuts!

Correct. If it looks like crap, there is a pretty good chance it is. A properly wire-nutted connection doesn't need tape, so a taped wirenutted connection just screams "the guy who did this isn't confident of his workmanship - why should you be?"

How about when wire-nutting a flourescent ballast (#18?) to the #14 house wiring?? VERY common situation. There are quite a few others. One of the tricky ones is using the approved ACS marrette to pigtail a awg14c wire to an awg12a.. The inspector will fail the joint if it is pretwisted before installing the ACS - and the 14 copper and the 12 aluminum actually DO twist together rather well with the nut. - at least with the second gen aluminum.

Anyone who would use aluminum wire is an idiot