pigtailing 12 gauge solid wire.... ARGGGGGGGGGGGH

[badmajon]

I cannot figure out how to pigtail this stuff. It's too thick, and it's unmanageable. It won't go into the wire nuts either. I asked for 12 gauge black thhn/thwn wire and this is what they gave me.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Twist them together with your lineman's pliers first. How many are you trying to twist together and what color (size) wire nut are you using?

Edit: BTW, the THHN/THWN refers to the insulation type, not whether the wire is solid or stranded. If you want stranded wire, you need to specify.

 

[Hammy71]

Sounds like you don't have the right size wire nuts. If your trying to splice stranded and solid....make sure the stranded sticks out a little further than the solid before you try to twist the wire nut on.

 

[samc]

The pro's probably will not like it but these are awesome and so easy to use.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

The pro's probably will not like it but these are awesome and so easy to use.

You're right- I don't like those. They are like back-stabbing a receptacle. A fire waiting to happen.

 

[samc]

You're right- I don't like those. They are like back-stabbing a receptacle. A fire waiting to happen.

They are far better than an amateurish job of putting on the wrong size wire nut and not properly twisting the wires.

 

[badmajon]

Are they up to code?

 

[wilserbrewer]

Try stripping off additional wire, say 1 1/2 - 2", twist and trim back to 1/2"...starting w/ more wire exposed and trimming the excess works for me.

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

Or just forget about the stupid wire nuts, splice the wires together, solder them, and insulate them with electrical tape. Those wire nuts are a piece of crap to start with.

 

[JackSmith]

Electrical tape is not meant for insulation. It is meant to secure the wire nut to the already-insulated wires. If you're not using wire nuts and are soldering wires together, you should be using heat-shrink insulation over the soldered joint. Electrical tape breaks down over time and is easily cut; it shouldn't be the only thing insulating wire.

 

[mikeal]

What about crimp butt splices? Easy to use and you can get them with heat shrink. We used them for everything in marine electronics installs.

 

[lschiavo]

There are some lousy wirenuts out there. I will only use 3M Ranger's.

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

Electrical tape is not meant for insulation. It is meant to secure the wire nut to the already-insulated wires. If you're not using wire nuts and are soldering wires together, you should be using heat-shrink insulation over the soldered joint. Electrical tape breaks down over time and is easily cut; it shouldn't be the only thing insulating wire.

Yeah, here, in the US. Electrical tape is used for insulation in the rest of the World without issue.
I come from a country where the household voltage is 220V, not 120V. Wire nuts are not known there. Being an electronics technician specialized in digitals and industrial electronics, I have worked as an electrician, one way or another, for most of my life (that is, until I came to the US, but hat's another story). I have seen installs so old that both the wire and the electrical tape were fabric based, and, more often than not, the insulated joints were in perfect shape.
Then, ever since I came here, I have heard all kinds of BS about electrical tape, from the wire getting loose inside the tape (supposedly because of the heat/cold cycles during use, expanding/contracting the copper, which, I can assure you, doesn't happen), to now this new one about tape not being resilient enough. Truth is, electrical tape is normally rated at a single pass insulation of 630V, and, if used properly, is way more resilient and way safer than the best wire nut, and the best heat shrink in the World.

 

[Jota21]

I mean this in the most helpful way, so please dont take offense, but if you're modifying 12g wire, that means you're circuit is going to be handling a lot of electricity. I would call a pro.

 

[RDWHAHB]

I love that there was the best answer right off the bat...and a slew of bad options (I'm looking at you tape, butt splices, and push connectors) followed. Not sure what you are doing but I would stick with wire nuts or terminals.

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

I love that there was the best answer right off the bat...and a slew of bad options (I'm looking at you tape, butt splices, and push connectors) followed. Not sure what you are doing but I would stick with wire nuts or terminals.

Yeah...and I'm sure you're perfectly qualified to make such a statement.

Just to clear up some about my "bad option", here's some real info:

Electrical tape (or insulating tape) is a type of pressure-sensitive tape used to insulate electrical wires and other material that conduct electricity. It can be made of many plastics, but vinyl is most popular; it stretches well and gives an effective and long lasting insulation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_tape

And here's a bit from the manufacturer:

http://http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MAutomotive/Aftermarket/Products/Product-Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U5230GE3E02LECFTDQCEK3_nid=GSMFQ6QHB7gsCXQLTRJTL5glX2ZKKJMJTGbl

Open the first PDF ( 3M™ Electrical Tapes Product Selection Guide - Brochure) and look at the suggested applications for the first 2 tapes on the list. I guess if 3M is comfortable enough to suggest their tapes can be used to insulate up to 600V, it may not be such a bad option, after all, is it?

 

[Jota21]

I guess if 3M is comfortable enough to suggest their tapes can be used to insulate up to 600V, it may not be such a bad option, after all, is it?

Not to get in the middle of this, but obviously electrical tape is insualted, otherwise it would just be 'tape'. It's job should just be a secondary measure to cover the terminals or secure wire nuts. It may have enough resistance to insualate, but it's purpose should be to protect an electrical connection, not make one...

 

[RDWHAHB]

I have no doubt that it insulates to 600V. I do not think it is needed with a proper wire nut or terminal.

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

@ jota21:Again, you think you know better than 3M what their products are good for?

 

[RDWHAHB]

The link does not work for me. I trust it insulates to 600V. Are you using the tape for mechanical bonding of the conductors, or just unsulation?

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

The link does not work for me. I trust it insulates to 600V. Are you using the tape for mechanical bonding of the conductors, or just unsulation?

Now that I checked it, it didn't work for me either. Sorry. Here's the good one:

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MAutomotive/Aftermarket/Products/Product-Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U5230GE3E02LECFTDQCEK3_nid=GSMFQ6QHB7gsCXQLTRJTL5glX2ZKKJMJTGbl

Click on "Documentation" and then open the first PDF.

The tape is used exclusively for insulation. To mechanically attach the wires, they should be properly spliced before applying the tape.
The only reason for wire nuts to exist is the fact that it takes far less time to insulate with a wire nut, than to use tape, and that anybody can put up one, while you need to know how to use the tape. I have worked in electricity in Miami for little more than a year, and can tell from my own experience I can put about 6 or 7 wire nuts in the time it'd take me to make a good splice and tape it up. I can also tell you most wire nuts in domestic installations are held in place by the grace of God.

 

[Jota21]

I can also tell you most wire nuts in domestic installations are held in place by the grace of God.

Mine are held in place by electrical tape

 

[EarthBound]

Wire nuts are the industrial standard - not solder and electrical tape. At my power plant, soldering and electrical tape are not allowed because they do not meet the NEC; whereas, wire nuts are required because of the NEC. Also check out the junction boxes in your home and you'll find wire nuts there.

I know that we are not homebrewing in a power plant and that soldering and electrical tape work very well for our applications. I was just responding to the badmouthing of wire nuts.

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

Hmmm...the 404 error came back with a vengeance...

There's no badmouthing of wire nuts necessary. they speak for themselves.
NEC is only used in the US and Canada (actually, I think in Canada it has a different name). The rest of the World uses DIN.
Wire nuts are not DIN compliant. Not for household use, and sure as hell not for industrial use.
Wire nuts leave an opening in the spliced joint. That makes them unsuitable for use in a variety of industrial environments (explosive. high humidity, corrosive, etc), while tape doesn't have those shortcomings.
Like I said before, NEC and UL are standards based on making the installations cheaper and easier, not safer. Even solder is not needed for a tape insulated splice, if you join the wires properly. Solder just lowers the contact resistance even further.

 

[Inodoro_Pereyra]

By the way: in the about 14 months or so I worked in electricity, I wired about 100 breaker panels. You're absolutely wrong: in a properly wired panel, there should be no wire nuts whatsoever.

 

[Wberry]

Go on Ebay and look for Wago cage clamp blocks - pick up a small piece of din rail and boom you are done. Professional looking and super easy to maintain, cheap and expandable!

 

[wildwest450]

Imagine that, another electrical thread gone awry.


_

 

[mikeal]

I love that there was the best answer right off the bat...and a slew of bad options (I'm looking at you tape, butt splices, and push connectors) followed. Not sure what you are doing but I would stick with wire nuts or terminals.

It's almost like people have different opinions and different ways to do things!

 

[RDWHAHB]

My way to life is generally the best way....I think that is something we can all agree on.
(Sarcastic)

 

[EarthBound]

Hmmm...the 404 error came back with a vengeance...

There's no badmouthing of wire nuts necessary. they speak for themselves.
NEC is only used in the US and Canada (actually, I think in Canada it has a different name). The rest of the World uses DIN.
Wire nuts are not DIN compliant. Not for household use, and sure as hell not for industrial use.
Wire nuts leave an opening in the spliced joint. That makes them unsuitable for use in a variety of industrial environments (explosive. high humidity, corrosive, etc), while tape doesn't have those shortcomings.
Like I said before, NEC and UL are standards based on making the installations cheaper and easier, not safer. Even solder is not needed for a tape insulated splice, if you join the wires properly. Solder just lowers the contact resistance even further.

LMAO! I didn't mean to piss you off, buddy... I merely relayed my local industrial experience. Sure - solder and tape is great... whatever...

By the way: in the about 14 months or so I worked in electricity, I wired about 100 breaker panels. You're absolutely wrong: in a properly wired panel, there should be no wire nuts whatsoever.

Um, I said junction boxes, not breaker panels. Of course there's no wire nuts in breaker panels.

This seems to be a touchy subject to you. Did wire nuts kill your parents or something? Just kidding!