Menards now has the WAGO push connectors in stock. Also checked with my electrical distributor and they are stocking them, another brand, possibly Ideal. Looks like the answer to the pigtailing aggravation using wire nuts on 12 gauge. The distributor says the pros have had good results and they are competitive with wire nuts in volume sales. Plan to use them soon and report any difficulties, as we have all seen backstab problems before.
Joe
I'd never use those in my own home but they do have a place for those tight-ass penny-pinching customers that always want to save a buck.
Come to think of it, they are the perfect match for those cheap plastic space heaters at China Mart. Heh heh heh!
They have those push connectors in the HALO hi-hats. Really nice when feeding through to other lights.
"Jack Legg" wrote
Have you actually used one? IMO, they are far superior than a half assed connection made by many DIYrs. Safer and a more solid connection.
What's the aggravation? I've used wirenuts on #12 for years and never had a problem. Maybe you should just hire an electrician if you cant handle the job. Any backstab type s*it is just that..... S*IT, and s*it that can burn your house down and kill people.
What is the problem with wirenuts on #12 wire? Strip it properly, hold wire parallel and twist on a quality wirenut.
I recall when I looked in a box to see if there was room for another wire in it. When I poked it the wire nut on the untwisted wires shot off. The proper procedure is to strip the wires, twist them together tight, trim off the tip, and then twist on a wirenut.
Bill
On 4/13/2011 8:02 AM, Bill Gill wrote: ...
I don't think any manufacturer's instruction sheet requires that the wires be pre-twisted...
Here's 3M Scotchlok datasheet which says "Wires may be twisted or untwisted."
Here's Ideal Wire-Nut(tm) that says "No pre-twisting required"
Doesn't say "can't"; just that to be NEC-compliant is to follow manufacturers' instructions which don't say must pre-twist.
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The problem is not a simple 2 wire connection, it is the hassle of pigtailing ( which is 3 wires) as I pointed out. Better pigtails use stranded, and the push connectors do that nicely. If you have actually done this with #12 and wire nuts and then tested your connections, you will recall there are occasional pull outs and do overs. Or maybe you're perfect...
Joe
I don't think I have ever seen manufacturers directions that describe twisting the wires. The main thing that will produce a good job is the use of a quality wirenut.
No, but the wirenuts I buy are. It is well worth spending a little more for quality wirenuts.
So I'm not the only one that has seen wirenuts take flight when startled....
I'm no electrician, so when I wire, I go slow, and do at least a one-grunt pull test on every wirenut before I stuff it back in the box. If I was doing it for pay, the boss would switch me to piecework. But the connections stay connected, and the lights don't flicker.
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