Has anyone used the Wago 221 wiring connectors? I used the three-lead ones today. They're expensive but even with the number of connections in my basement, the difference isn't really significant (has anyone seen what's happened to wiring boxes?).
These are rated very highly but the wire will rotate in the connector. It won't pull out but it will turn.
Just wanted to see if anyone had any experience with them.
No experience with them, but I prefer regular wire nuts. I have had experience with connectors that engineers thought were a good idea, they were not. First were push down connectors in a Sharp TV. Other were at Shure Brothers when working in R & D.
If you have a good set of linemans pliers twisting is reasonable. What kind of wiring? If it is solid core household the pics on Amazon do not show that.
I would not use the for household 120v.
The theory is that they're better than wire nuts. As an added bonus they'll work on anything from 22ga-12ga wire, solid or stranded.
There are these, too, but the wire size is more limited and they don't do stranded wire.
I'm not big on back-stab outlets so I was concerned about these. I used them for some lighting circuits (fluorescents) and they were fine. So far. I am replacing/adding fixtures so took these out and used the Wago connectors. There wasn't a lot of space to work with the 4' fixture hanging there. Wire nuts weren't getting it done.
The connectors are clear so the connections can be inspected. There is also a probe point for a meter so there are advantages.
I have see several YouTube viedo's of these at trade shows. They seem to be a hit with the trades guys.
Rotation is probably not going to be an issue as most connections do not rotate once made and tucked away.
Probably not totally unlike the slide in connections on the back of receptacles that have been around for many years.
When I was in the automotive business the "Scotch Lock" 3M connectors were the preferred choice of the electricians vs wire nuts.
The Wago's (and others as well[*]) are excellent; far better than wirenuts (far more secure than wirenuts and much neater wiring jobs with the wires parallel rather than twisted).
[*] those with set screws or levers; I'd avoid the push-in if wagos are available.
I was a little concerned about rotation being a signal that they weren't clamped tightly and would cause heating down the line. Watching some youtube videos shows that they're not significantly hotter than wire nuts.
The back-stabs or the screw down sort. I'd never use the back-stab. The champ on the back of the better outlets is very secure. They're just as secure, or more so, than a turn around the screw. There is no twisting a loose wire there. IIRC, this deforms the wire causing a gas-tight connection.
Those form a gas-tight connection, too, don't they.
Some had a dielectric grease to guard against corrosion. However the ones I was referencing do not require stripping away the insulation. The metal tab inside the case cuts through the insulation and straddles/grabs the wire.
You insert the ends of the insulated wires as far as they would go, squeeze the metal tab down with a pair of pliers, and then snap the plastic strap over the connection to prevent the metal tab from coming out.
Alumicons have grease in them. I've used them to slice aluminum wiring to copper. The CU and AL never come in contact with each other.
I hope you don't mean "Snap Locks" or the various other brands.
It's strange that Curt, who makes a lot of stuff for trailers, even puts their name on them. Automotive/exterior environments just eat these things up. Maybe not in Texas, but don't try them up in the rust belt.
Well actually, the tech makes money on the install and then has a recurring revenue stream when they fail a few years later. OK, not such a bad idea after all. ;-)
The wagos are a l,ot differentthanthe slide in connectors and WAY differentthan scotch-lock (which can NOT be used on solid wires) The Wagos and their like are easy to use, pass CSA certificaion for use in canada. I have used a "sample"and was impessed. Can't use them in my house though as I have aluminum wiring (which they are NOT approvedfor, and technically, since I am not a licensed electrician, I can NOT work on (wink wink)
We caslled them "snap and pray" - the connection WILL corrode and fail if they get damp (and maybe even if they don't)
The "alimicon" is a FANTASTIC device. - and is CSA approved for use in Canada. Great for aliminum wiring and aluminum to copper.
Yeah, I know what you're talking about. I was in the auto industry, though at the design end, for ten years (just retired).
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FWIW I was just making a comparison of how they work.
No, Actually these to be precise on brand. Made by 3M
We did not see this happening.
Well, I searched for the actual 3M brand Scotchlok's that we used.
They can actually be used on solid for smaller gauge wires or stranded.
We never had issues.
I started in the auto industry at 17 working part time during school. At 21 I was still working for the same company in another city and ran one of their tire stores. Then a year later I went to work for an Olds dealership, 10 years later an AC/Delco distributor until I retired at 40.
These haven't been code compliant home electrical use for a long time, I sold a bunch of them back in the 1970's but they ended up getting pulled from the code. AFAIKT they're only listed for auto and boats/vans/trailers applications.
I started at a Tier-1 at 59 and retired at 69. ;-)
Yeah! I sold them in the 70's and 80's.
Perhaps the brand, Curt-Locks, was the issue. Copy-cat's do not always work as well as the real thing.
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