Should you pigtail your electrical outlets? The answer might surprise you.
2024 ж. 22 Мам.
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In this video we'll discuss when and why you should you pigtail your electrical outlets and when the through wire method may be a good choice.
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Hello everyone. I have some new info about the channel. My electrical #shorts have been getting millions of views so I have decided to start doing longer electrical videos. The plan is to post one five minute electrical video every week. Let me know what you think? Thanks for supporting the Channel (John).
Longer works for me
Gracias john
@@josechavarria5944 de nada Jose..
John thanks for all the content ,editing nd time you devote. Nd thanx for sending me this video on series nd parallel wiring. I agree with you on both situations having there dedicated applications. As an HVAC-R mechanic since the 80's ,nd as furnaces internals are always series wired. I cant understand why any electrician would disagree with this application. Switch legs,multiple switch locations,dual powered brakers with a common neutral, sub panels . These are just some of the wired applications needed nd appreciated by myself from you sparkies So far as to say ,or hear someone say in your field that parallel wiring is best is just one sided. Any real ,true electrician will tell you they are both needed. In my almost 40 years of dealing with it ,I would say those that argue this fact are just Green. Nd in time ,yes time as with all things they will realize no one side of any argument is correct. Just my opinion, nd I'm grateful for you to bring this up to the many. I only hope the young ones ,the green ones realize both side are valid..
@@jamesortolano3983 Thank you my friend. You are 100 % correct. I have noticed on youtube anything you say people will argue. Ive been an electrician for 38 years and spent my last 10 years working as an electrical engineer. I have seen it all. Thanks again and I will try to keep the content coming.
I'm a retired electrician of over 40 years. Depending on the application, I use both methods. The only thing I will never do is use the push-in connections on the back. I've replaced way too many that were wired that way where the wires fall right out of the back- including the home I'm in now.
Job security
Yea I had to fix all of the backstabbed outlets in my house. Loose causing arcking.
I keep seeing this same message but the amount of years change lol is there some type of astroturfing going on ?
Wago and backstab ... those friction fit are trash
@@lukesenft4307 too easy to mess it up. conductor around screw harder to mess up - unless you wrap the wrong direction!
The main reason for pig tailing in commercial work is so you can remove a device without breaking the circuit. Especially true on multi wire branch circuits where even if you shut off the device circuit you still have a neutral in use by another circuit and it can be dangerous to break it.
Exactly. Plus it’s a code violation to use the device to connect the neural on a multi wire branch circuit.
One of the things I like about pigtailing is that it allows you to prewire everything. Makes for real quick and easy to install devices.
That's an excellent point
I do electrical work for Habitat for Humanity. In building new homes, we always pig-tail, since that allows us to easily do a continuity check from the panel to the last outlet on a circuit BEFORE the sheetrock goes up -- has saved us tons of time fixing a wiring error, an over-enthusiastic staple, etc. when it's still easy to do.
Yeah that's a pretty good idea actually
I am not an electrician but love to do my own electrical jobs (within reason) around the house and business, I do know my limitations! I really like your professional and common sense approach to teaching about electrical issues and don’t take the ‘it’s my way or the highway opinion’. Some electricians get really emotional and butt hurt when they are called out or shown a better way to do things. You have a really good and informative channel. 😊
Thank you so much! I do my best to just present what my 40 years in the electrical field has taught me. The goal is to help people out.
The clarity of your presentations, backed by the NEC code book, make your videos top notch. It's nice to refresh my knowledge now and then. New subscriber, long time electrical apprentice, (retired).
Wow, thanks! I try really hard to provide clarity and back it up with the code. There is a lot of misinformation about code requirements on the internet these days.
This is interesting: Most people condemn back stabbing receptacles… and there have been failures so rightfully so. Majority of the same people will use wagos and/or push fit connectors. Both are the same type of connection, just like a back stab. So the problem isn’t back stabbing, the problem is poor quality products. Imagine your quality 4 port wago or quality push fit connector built right into the receptacle… with internal solid bus tap to feed the receptacle… this would be very space efficient and lightning fast to install. But… most people would shun it because “backstab bad”. When in reality the problem is “cheap crap receptacles bad.” BTW this was the best discussion of pigtail vs daisy-chain I have heard yet… Subscribed! Cheers!
You don’t have to imagine a Wago built into a receptacle. Both Leviton and Hubble are making receptacles with lever connectors built into the device.
After chasing down a few receptacle problems in my rental properties over the years (which were, of course, all back stabbed) I started pigtailing everything when renovating my houses. Never had a problem since.
Yes for sure anything back stabbed should be pigtailed.
Pigtailing is always a great idea but not pigtailing wasn't the cause of your issues it was the fact that they used the stablocks(backstabs) on the outlet instead of using shepherd hooks and securing it under the terminal screw directly
@@BackyardMainewhy are they allowed to make backstabs if they don’t work and can cause problems? Or, secondly, why don’t the manufacturers make the damn things work?! 😂
That is a pretty good question. I really don't know but I have a theory. I think manufacturers are trying to design outlets and switches that a homeowner or DIYer can easily install. About half the sales of these products come from people doing the work themselves. That's why they also have the side screw connections to keep the contractors coming back because they know the stabs are not very reliable. These connections do work and sometimes will last a long time but a higher percentage of them will fail as compared to a side screw terminal connections. The higher the current draw the quicker they will fail. Just my opinion after working as an electrician for almost for decades.@@CaptainTwitchy
@@TheElectricalNutThat's what he said
I always pigtail mine. From experience I can say that when non pigtailed receptacles fail, it's a pain to chase down the problem because several other receptacles downstream of it are also out.
A failed receptacle bridge would not affect upstream outlets; the fault would be easy to find tracing the circuit from the panel to the last live outlet.
If wires are not exposed, tracing the cable path of the circuit may be difficult. I don't like stuffing five solid twelve gage wires attached to a receptacle into the box. I always pigtail and often use stranded pigtails to the receptacle terminals. I always use commercial or federal spec grade devices as they are easier to wire, and are much more durable in use. The big box DIY cheapies are junk not worthy of my time.
@@annteveExactly, it's extremely easy.
What are you guys talking about with it’s hard?! It’s easier bc the problem is obviously at the last outlet ahead of the ones not working it isolates the problem faster
@@jeremysmothers5143 you can't always tell which direction the wire is going. It's easier to troubleshoot when only one outlet stops working.
Great video! Another good reason to pigtail is that it makes the receptacle much easier to swap in the future. You only have 3 screws to worry about, instead of 5. Not a huge deal, but any time I swap ones that aren't pigtailed, I always change it to a pigtail connection. I like to leave things better than I found them.
Thank you and thanks for adding value to the conversation.
With pigtails, you have extra wire (or could replace the pigtails), so to speed things up, just cut the old wires at the receptacle.
when going pigtail, does this account as more wire count for the volume of the box?
@@zigarooSJunkI think that the box fill calculations account for the possibility of using pigtails, so the answer is no, pigtails don't count in box fill calculations.
@@glasshalffull2930 pigtails are great for electrical work, but not for the pigs because they lose their tail everytime we need a tail; just a bit of humour!!! I think pigtail are a good way to do it!!!
I like the clean presentation. I'm DIY and this is exactly the type of questions I wrestle with and since I have no real world experience, its the information I need. New Sub.
Awesome! Thank you! You are actually my target audience (DIYers who want to do some basic electrical work in their homes). Welcome aboard!
You have a pleasing presentation style that makes for easy to watch, informative videos. I hope you continue sharing your core expertise.
Thank you so much! I will... Much appreciated.
Thanks for giving me the courage to throughwire using the connecton ports. It worked out great!
Glad I could help!
Hi, GREAT video !!! I have been doing electrical, went to a very good vocational school, graduated in 1977 and I have watched a few of your videos and learned a couple of things I never realized with the wire strippers. I am not a licensed electrician but do work NEC certified. Keep up the GREAT videos (and yes I subscribed) Thank you !!!!!
That’s great to hear my friend. Thank you.
Thank you for this clear explaination. This really confused me on one of my outlets. Thank you for sharing this information.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching
Good stuff! Yup, I always Pigtail my outlets also.
Right on!
We had aluminum wire in the 70's. Push in was common practice. Hydro had to promote pigtails and coalox to deal with failure and fires
Great explanation of 20a current capacity of the outlet pass thru. Thanx.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching and for your comment.
I do apartment maintenance. I replace every outlet in every apartment I turn because the electrician that originally did the wiring backstabbed every outlet. I only use commercial grade outlets because they take less time to wire and I never pigtail. Never had a problem.
I never back stab either. I have a video on that as well. kzhead.info/sun/mMN8j9ivn2echH0/bejne.html I use commercial grade as well but I like to add the residential grade to my videos since so many people use them.
I rarely pigtail either and have never had an issue. As a matter of fact I wired my own house 25 years ago and have never had one electrical problem. All through wired.
It's definitely not a bad idea. I do the same thing jumping off hots to switches too.
Great tips John, I need to check a couple of outlets. 🙂🙋🏼♂️👍🏻
Thanks Luc. Kind of a new direction for the channel due to the response I’ve been getting from my # shorts videos. Thanks for supporting the channel my friend.
Thanks for your videos! well presented information. I work for a building department, and we've had this discussion before. IMO pigtails are better. My mom called me up once to say all of the plugs one one side of the house had gone dead including the one for her refrigerator. Checked it out, and a recep upstream on the circuit had burned up, causing all the downstream plugs to lose power. So I recommend that people use pigtails to wire their plugs. Thanks again, take care
I’m binging your channel on this overcast Sunday, John! 😄❤️
You're the best Ed. I have another one going up tomorrow. Friday.
I have just started the exact Project you described (6 Short Wires and adding a GFCI to the End of the Run), so you have confirmed my plan to add Pigtails. I expect to use WAGO Connectors for this. Thank you for your videos, they have been very helpful and interesting.
Excellent! Thanks for watching.. I just uploaded a new video on light switch wiring.
When you mentioned it's highly debated, I knew I landed exactly in the right spot. I agree with literally everything you said. Thank you very much. I'm going to go ahead with the pigtails on this project. Like you said, I know they're rated for it, but I usually only like one set to the device, not so much through the device. Awesome advice. Thanks! 😎✌
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Hello and thank you for all your highly informative videos. Question…in addition to the mandatory 20amp bathroom outlet, can I run a 15 amp dedicated circuit to power the lights and the exhaust fan (no light or heater)? Some videos say that the fan must be 20 amp and wired separately. Since my fan does not provide heat I don’t feel 20amp is warranted. What do you advise? Thank you.
The "problem" with pig tail option in residential is that the boxes are not designed for pig tails so getting the wire into the box often causes more hazard by overcrowding. That's the only down side I can see. Both work and neither is better. It's application. Good video.
You are correct and thanks for sharing.
Gotta be caefeul and use your adult brain. If there's 5 wires versus 2, probably shouldn't lol
that is totally a wrong statement, all boxes are designed for the use of wirenuts, splices and device. A single gang residential box is designed for a count of 9, #12 wires, that is a in/out splice and device is a count of 9 ground only counts one time as a non current conductor
Like I mentioned in the video.@@natemartinez4595
Which is why I make a practice of over-sizing my boxes, just in case. Costs a bit more, but less headache in the future if there’s a need to add devices.
Always providing good insight. Thx👍
Thank you my friend..
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
My pleasure! Thanks so much for your comment.
You really got some nice clean informative videos. Thank you very much I subscribed and liked.
Awesome, thank you! Much appreciated
Just had to replace a receptacle in my bedroom, hooked a window ac to it and it quit working after a couple days. Flipped the breaker, took it out to inspect and come to find out whoever did the electrical on my house used recepticals that ONLY have back stab connections, the only screw on the unit was for the ground wire. Now my summer project is to go room by room and upgrade every single outlet in the home to a higher quality receptacle and eliminate all back stabbed connections. It was incredibly frustrating because that outlet is tied to two other outlets as well as the light switch so one outlet being bad means the whole room loses power. However i did not pigtail, I wired directly to the screws on the receptacle because that was how my dad taught me to do it years ago. I'll definitely be considering pigtails for future installations though. Thanks for the video
I think pigtails have a place but through wire in mist applications. The back stabs are not reliable at all so you're doing the right thing by getting them replaced.
Window ac units are borderline dedicated circuits in my opinion they draw ALOT of amps. Any outlets along that particular line are gonna be prone to failure and melting due to the constant amperage being pulled through that line. That’s why kitchen gfis and smaller appliances often have dedicated circuits. Just a week ago I went on a house call where a customer had multiple outlet failures on a circuit due to plugging in and running a hot tub on a 15 amp breaker line. The tub TECHNICALLY can run on such a circuit but it should be on its own dedicated line. At the very least every outlet on that line should be pigtailed to avoid that much amperage being drawn through the outlet on its way to the hot tub outlet as a stop gap measure.
@@chrisloesch1870 Hot tubs are required to have a GFCI on them. Though I have seen some of the 110vac units come with them on the cord.
My favorite part part of the code book. Fine print notes
I like the pigtail method just to be able to test the wire for any problems before they close the walls in new construction. So, later on when I'm about to do the trim, I re-test the wires to see if someone screwed off with my wires. If they did, it's usually the drywall guys.
Good thinking.
Exactly!
Might have to get some outlets on for tools for the crews
this is the exact video i needed. liked and subscribed!
Glad it was helpful for you.. Welcome to the channel!
Nice video. For a layman, I try to learn what Electricians recommend . Fortunately, I have a friend who works for a power company that I can rely on as well.
Thank you!
I don't pigtail unless necessary(more than 2 conductors). The more junctions you have, the more potential failure points you have. Beside the screws on a receptacle are a nice, solid connection. Moreover, if you need to undo the connection, you can easily remove a hook from a receptacle and put it back the way it was; with wire nuts, the wires are twisted, and while you may straighten them up and re-twist them, you can only do it a few times before the conductor becomes brittle, which will require you to cut, re-strip and re-twist. Over time, that means the wires are getting shorter and shorter. Oh, and wire nuts also take a lot of room, which sometimes make putting the receptacle back into place a challenge (although it's more a problem for switches, things like dimmers and smart light switches tend to be bulky and barely fit with wire nuts behind)
I completely agree.
"The more junctions you have, the more potential failure points you have" Yep, that's right. Through wiring adds MORE junctions.
@@pibbles-a-plenty1105 that's the opposite actually. Using the receptacle is one junction, both wires goes straight to the receptacle. With a pigtail, then you've got the wire nut AND the connection to the receptacle.
That's correct which is why I said a properly wired device. If done right you will never have an issue with either method. For example I wire my own home 25 years ago. All through wired and yes we use a couple of windows AC units in the summer. I have yet to have a sing connection problem in the house. @@pibbles-a-plenty1105
@@HCkev I think what he's saying is for a receptacle farther down the chain, the current travels through 1 junction per box in a pigtailed scenario, where using the receptacle as a pass through turns that into 2 junctions (1 in and 1 out) per device (meaning 2 duplex outlets in a double gang box=4 junctions). I use both methods depending on the application, but eliminating junctions was precisely the reason I pigtailed the fourplex boxes above my workbench.
I'm doing basement rooms surface mount with conduit. So I'm not pigtailing because it's all linear and if one outlet or connection goes, it will be easy to track down the source. Plus these are commercial outlets, so easy to just backwire. For hidden work, I may jumper 2-gang outlets within a box, but will pigtail to the next box.
Agreed
Thank you for another informative video.
Thank you. Much appreciated.
With over 40 years of experience, I have done both. I tend to like pigtailing better, and usually will do it in most instances. We always did pigtailing on commercial/industrial work. In all my years, I have seen many failed "thru-wired' receptacles in residential repair work, usually because one of the screws gets loose, causing high resistance and over heating of one of the conductors (and damaging the recep), which causes issues with the down-stream loading & devices. That said, I have NEVER encountered a failed pigtail installation (i.e., a failed/over heated wirenut). Never.
I think that you covered this really well with 1 big exception. I have seen 15 amp breakers that were supplying power to a 17 or 18 amp shop fan (not enough to trip the 20 AMP breaker) burn up slowly over time.
I don't understand. 15 Amp breaker should trip at 17A or 18A not at 20A. You must have a typo..
@@BackyardMaine I did have a typo. I meant to say that I have seen a 20 amp breaker supply a 15 AMP receptacle, that was powering a shop fan that drew like 17 amps or something close and the 15 amp receptacle slowly burned up.
there is something wrong with that fan if it has a 15 amp plug it should normally draw less than 15 amps most appliances are limited to 13 for safety except motors when starting up of course. so, the outlet is putting out more amps to the actual plug than it is rated for it is rated to pass 20 amps to next device down the line or two devices plugged into two separate plugs. of course, it could just be a junk grade builder 15-amp outlet which frequently loosen up at the contacts and overheat from arcing.@@josepheastman8509
@@josepheastman8509 I'm surprised that a fan drawing more than 15 amps did not have a 20A cord and 20A cord cap (plug), with the one horizontal blade. Unless it was a faulty fan.
Great Channel. I love your content....
Thank you so much 👍 Comments like this keep me motivated to make more videos. Much appreciated my friend. I'm doing a sticker giveaway on my last video if you haven't seen that one yet. kzhead.info/sun/ZqV6e6mde5WQZmw/bejne.html
I'm commenting at only 1:30 into the video, but here's why I pigtail. Two basic reasons. One, it's a lot easier to push the receptacle back in the box with only two wires on it, and two, if the plug fails, with a pigtail you would not lose power down the line. Ok back to the video. Lets see what else I can learn. Edit: I did learn a few things, this guy is awesome!
I like to use the commercial grade with the straight in screw down terminals when having more than two wires because it adds another wire to an already overcrowded box by putting a pigtail in and makes it hard if you are trying to put 4 wires in a wire nut to make the pigtail.
I am not an electrician but know how to change a receptacle and I always pigtail. I just became a homeowner and have updated all my outlets. Seems someone was lazy and backtabbed most of them. I went ahead and redid them for peace of mind. I used wagos so it made it so much easier. I just wrapped it in electrical tape for even more peace of mind.
It's not necessarily that someone was lazy, in the construction industry, like others, time is money. It's probably a good move by you to check and change them. You won't find this on 20 amp circuits, because 12 gauge wire won't fit in back stabbing holes.
@@surferdude642 I found a 20 amp in my laundry room that was backstabbed... even I was surprised that they attempted this. I updated that receptacle as well.
#12 fits if you drill out the hole! 😂 Not me but have seen that done in a new neighborhood.
@@MrSleepProductionsIncseems like there is something against code about that... Manufacturer instructions, maybe?
@@surferdude642 I've seen the back holes rimed,to stab a 12 gage in there.
No black and white answer? On the internet? Nice change of pace, thanks!
I'm in the pig tail group, as that's the way I learned it way back in my high school electricity class. Yes, there was electricity back then. 🙂 BTW, the electricity teacher had previously been an industrial electrician.
My high school electric shop teacher, it was 1980 and he was probably close to 70 years old, taught us all the tricks for making perfect western union splices and wrap with friction tape. Believe it or not, technically still legal to do.
@@pld8993 Mine wasn't that old, but I'm the one who taught him about superconductors on the first day of grade 9. He was talking about how all conductors had resistance and I then asked what about superconductors? He'd never heard of them, but I had, as I had read about them in an encyclopedia I had at home. So, the next day, I brought that volume to school, to show him.
Nice explanation 👌
Thank you!
In Germany: the sockets have two contacts for all three lines. These are push-in contacts, the bare cable just needs to be pushed in. This connects from the socket to the next socket and so on. If a branch is required then pigtails are used. There are also 3-way and 5-way push-in clamps. These are also available in 2-way and 8-way versions. There is a trick to remove the cable without cutting it off. The push-in clamps for rigid cables can be assembled very quickly and hold well. There are lever-operated clamps for flexible and rigid cables. In 2-, 3- and 5-way
Pigtail. Think about it: what if there was no device at this box, as in only a junction box with a blank cover? BTW: If I can loop the romex in and out of a box, without cutting it, I'll sometimes use a THIRD option: peel off the outer jacket, shave the insulation off, make a loop in the uncut conductors and hook them around the receptacle screws. No break in the conductors, no chance of failure downstream. And the wires are long enough in case I want to pigtail later. Takes longer, but hey, it's my house, my work, so...
LOL - I found your post only AFTER I just posted the same thing above! I am inquiring if the code addresses this method at all... [I mean aside from the section addressing connection methods and degrees of wrap on a screw...] I don't remember if I found anything specific on this practice.
With "Smart" switches and outlets, only option is pigtail, which adds more bulk especially if the device is deep and the box is not.
Yeah, they're pretty bulky oftentimes and barely fit with the wire nuts in the back. I have a 3 gang box of light switch next to my house's main door and replaced all 3 switches by smart light switches, that box is pretty crowded as it also serve as a junction box for a switch that has been moved to a wall that was added. I needed to use my Tetris skills to fit everything in that box 😂
My opinion is that pigtail is more reliable. And for those who say that adding an extra splice inside the box adds an extra failure point and hence makes it less reliable, there's a simple argument. Here are my assumptions. Each electrical connection is a possible failure point. For these circuits, we have 2 types of connections. A screw connection, or a wire nut connection. For this argument, I'll consider both to have the same reliability. Now, we have a daisy chained series of outlets. Let's look at the number of connections for pass through vs pigtail. I'll number each outlet from the source, starting with 1. 1. Passthrough, 1 screw connection. Pigtail, 1 wire nut, 1 screw; Winner - Passthrough with 1 connection vs 2 for Pigtail. 2. Passthrough, 3 screw connections (1 into 1st outlet, 2 from 1st outlet, 1 into 2nd outlet). Pigtail (2 wire nut, 1 screw); Tie Both methods have 3 connections between the source and outlet. 3. Passthrough, 5 screw connections. Pigtail, 1 screw connection, 3 wire nuts; Winner - Pigtail with 4 connections vs 5 connections for passthough. 4th and higher, pigtail's lead increases in few connections vs passthough. As an additional argument, look at the ground wire. There's a damn good reason that a pigtail is required there. It's for both reliability and to prevent losing the ground because of maintenance on an upstream device. If the code requires that special treatment for the ground connection, there's no good reason to not use that level of care for the neutral and hot connections either.
All good arguments for pigtails.. I have never had a failure of a screw connection in my 38 years in the trade.. Not one of mine.. Now I have seen loose screw connections which were not properly tightened and I have also seen failed wire nut connections. For me it come down to preference because realistically in my case either method is going to be reliable for decades. Probably why it's not called out by code.
Again, nicely done. Thx 👍
My pleasure.. Thanks you.
For my electrical code we only use pigtail even if there is 2 outlets together. This is because the current that passes thru the outlet tab sometimes gets overloaded and causes it to glow hot and cause possible fire. There is another advantage of using pigtail method is that if the outlet needs to be replaced its easier to install 3 wires back vs 5 wires on the outlet.
The passthrough current rating is 20A even on 15A receptacles which is greater than the 14AWG wire or equal to 12AWG and of course it's not insulated so no worries there. In 38 years I have never seen a device fail in that way.
@@BackyardMaineI have. And it shocked the hell outta me when I saw it. The homeowner was extremely lucky it didn’t burn the whole house down. It did , scorch the receptacle box and melted the receptacle almost down to nothing and never tripped the breaker on a 15 amp circuit with 14 gauge wires and through connections of 4 different outlets all gfi (yes the house was built in the early 80s). It should have all been pigtailed in my opinion.
@@chrisloesch1870assuming the receptacle wasn't some Chinese knock-off with a fake UL mark or no UL listing, it is rated to pass thru 20 amps, in fact if you were to disassemble a receptacle down to the internal contacts you'd find double T shaped for NEMA 5-15, 5-20, 6-15 & 6-20, the cover bonded to the receptacle determines the NEMA configuration. Based on the age of the house during that time Federal Pacific Electric panels were fairly common and had a high failure rate of not tripping during a sustained overload, even failing to trip on a dead short. Red tipped handles, and Stab-Loc name on the panel are things to look for. Also research Federal Pacific Electric. You'll find numerous reports of failure and that these panels are extremely unreliable and unsafe and they are no longer in business.
@@chrisloesch1870 What you believe you observed is not what you actually observed. It is more likely that the receptacle overheated at that location due to a loose or compromised connection. If the receptacle is fried near the terminal screws/link, unless you are watching it happen in real time, you could not attribute that to a glowing, overloaded terminal link. The link between the terminal screws is rated for 20 amps and in order to be rated as such under UL rules it must be able to handle 150% of its rating, which is 30 amps. If there was a pigtail and the connection at the receptacle was loose or compromised, the exact same outcome would have occurred. In other words, pigtailing would not have made any difference in the outcome. I've been an electrician for over 40 years and I've never once seen the link between the terminals magically fail or overheat on a properly installed recipe. It doesn't get overloaded and glow hot, not sometimes or EVER. In order for that to happen you're have to have that 15amp receptacle on a 35+ amp circuit.
@@BackyardMaine I've seen it at least 3 times that I can recall over the past 40 years. In all 3 cases, the entire circuit had been overloaded & it didn't trip the breakers (in one case the circuit was backed up to a 30A screw in fuse) In 2 of those cases all it did was burn up the entire 15 amp receptacle & burn itself open. In the other case it started a fire in the wall in a basement with wood paneling. This was also an older 15 amp outlet wired with #14 cloth romex & backed up to the 30A screw in fuse. Thank God the homeowner heard his smoke detector in the basement go off & caught it before it caught the whole house on fire. The only time I wire receptacles in series is GFCI outlets or those times I've replaced receptacles with new ones and the wires were in small steel boxes with the all wires cut short & stabbed in the back. I might add that I only use commercial grade receptacles that accept a straight wire behind a plate tightened by the terminal screws. I have wired some of these through the outlet in series. Whenever possible I will add pigtails to these boxes also & do it the best & correct method.
DYIer here. As a retired automotive mechanic, I got a big basement project next month at my daughters home. I’m looking for how to run electricity down to the basement. Gonna do a complete remodel of that old stinky basement. I decided to pigtail all the outlets. I would rather run them in parallel that in series.
Pigtails are not a bad idea but they do take a few minutes longer and consume more box space. Through wire is still in parallel but at the receptacle rather than at a wire connector. I do know what you mean though.. Christmas lights are in a series because the current from each light actually runs through the lamp itself and voltage is dropped at each light bulb. This is why is one burns out you lose part of the string.
the difference between parallel and series isn't what you think. You never wire in series in residential wiring. you always wire in parallel. As mentioned by John above you cannot pigtail gfci receptacles unless it is the only one. If as you most often do have other common receptacles downstream and want them gfci protected they have to be wired to the load terminals of gfci to become gfci receptacles. Commercial receptacles are worth the money. Also I personally ONLY use copper wire even for 200amp wires.
Back in the the 70’s while going to college in Atlanta, I worked for a remodeler, and we remodeled a REALLY OLD house that still ran uninsulated wires on glass standoffs ! ! ! And it didn’t even run a ground wire….. That was a chore running new electrical services in that house……..
Ahh yes knob and tube wiring. I rewired many homes in VT and MA back in the 80s and 90s with knob and tube. Actually my Moms home was one of them.
Not an electrician, but I use whatever mood strikes me. If I'm feeling lazy or if there's limited space in the box, I just through-wire it. If I'm feeling professional, I pigtail it to make it easier for future-me to replace the outlet.
Thanks for sharing your opinion on all dozen receptacles you’ve ever wired up, non-sparky. I’m sure a hobbyist/DIYer’s opinion is extremely relevant on this topic lol
@@MrJahka Just out of curiosity, what exactly did YOUR opinion here bring to the discussion?
@@sleazybtd personally, in the industrial/commercial world we pigtail everything because then the fault will be isolated to the device, if it fails. The issue with using the device as a throughput is that if it fails the whole circuit fails
I like pigtailing with wagos. I know here comes all the know it all's to scorch me but I make it fit in nicely and I just put a quick piece of tape over the lever so no chance of getting caught and popped open. Pre wire all your outlets and snap them in
Me, personally, prefer the Pigtail Method regardless because should something happen to that one receptacle then it won't affect any other circuit. And if you need to replace that one receptacle then, again you won't affect any other circuit and you're dealing with 3 Pigtailed wires instead of 5 to change it out; and there's no need to remember which is the hot. It also makes getting that receptacle in and out of the box easier due to less wires involved. Pigtails are also easier to replace should the wires become damaged or broken. Ya man, I'm all in on the Pigtail side of this argument/conversation. Hell I can't even play Devils Advocate and think of a single reason in favor of Non Pigtail Use... Cheer's...
Thanks for sharing..
Like you, I have been in the electrical trade a long time. My first code book is from 1978. In those years I've worked in residential, commercial, industrial manufacturing and chemical wet processing environments. I've seen countless failures of all sorts of devices and equipment. Most of those failures are from either poor installation practices or environmental degradation. The equipment is normally not the culprit. Loose and improperly made connections is number one. Moisture, humidity or chemical attack is number two. The listing agencies and code commitees go over the top to guarantee safety. Devices and splicing components are tested way beyond the loads they are rated for. Its all up to the installer to use these products correctly. As soon as I open an electrical box when troubleshooting, the workmanship, or lack of, tells me what I will need to look for throughout the rest of the installation. Wire nuts falling off, loose device screws, loose boxes, loose locknuts, lack of proper grounding, short wires, etc. The human factor part of the installation is the variable, which is THE hardest part of the equation to solve. With all that said, I would recommend pigtailing the devices, as I feel it will hold up the longest in the real world. Most installers/DIYers don't have a torque screwdriver and dont tighten the device screws properly, leading to overheating and ultimate failure. If the screws aren't tight, they will loosen as the device is being pushed into the box. At that point, the downstream load will begin the degradation process leading to failure of the entire circuit, instead of just the one device.
Great comment from another experienced electrician. I talk a bit about the quality of the installation in my latest video if you're interested in watching it. It certainly isn't geared toward someone like you with decades electrical experience though.. kzhead.info/sun/hqZ-qbSfpKWqnqs/bejne.html
Correct, improper installation is almost always the issue. Been in the trade for over 40 years and I can tell you that not having a torque screwdriver (never used one) is not a serious consideration as to whether or not something is sufficiently tight. I've seen many, many, many more bad splices from amateurs than loose screws. Tightening a screw is much simpler than making a good splice. It sounds like you're saying that you don't trust an amateur to tighten a screw sufficiently but you trust that they will make a good pigtail. Really? Faulty logic.
I'm just reporting what I see. More loose screws than loose wire nuts
2023 nec requires using a proper torque device. I saw a reference to a study of a bunch of experienced electricians somewhere, maybe Ryan Jackson, Sparky Channel or Mike Holt, that proved the need for a torque wrench. They had them torque a bunch of stuff as they have normally done for years and somewhere in the high 60% range of screws were under torqued. Quoting from my failing memory but it was somewhere in that ballpark. I believe that's what prompted the code change. So maybe screw tightening is a serious consideration after all. Someone out there should be able to dig up that study.
I just finished the 2023 update a few months ago. Noting new about torque. We need to follow the manufacturers recommendations by code and if you look it up they will always have a torque spec range. For example Leviton is 14-18 inch pounds. As installers we don't not need to use a torque screwdriver by code but we do need to be within the torque range and although I have been seen it, an inspector can spot check torque. For me hand tight on a device is about is within range. @@davenag957
I don't do it unless it's a special case, simply because I don't like having extra wire nuts in the box. Either way but I've seen lots of people that can't properly use wire nuts so there's that too. As a side note, I worked on a residential job this week where the electrician had used Ideal push lock wire connectors and I found problems in 3 boxes with loose connections or wires coming out of the connector.
I’m with you. I through wire with exception of what I noted in the video. I’ve been an electrician for 38 years with the last 10 years working as an electrical engineer.
Been in the trade 40+ years and teaching it for over 20. I only pigtail when I need to, extra work, splice adds a potential point of failure and takes up more box space, etc. Whether pigtailing or using the terminal screws for feedthrough, both methods are equal in integrity and function when done properly. There's a widely held belief/myth, even amongst some electricians, that pigtailing is better electrically and that the NEC doesn't allow using the device for feedthrough current; both false.
@@pld8993 Did you watch the video my friend? I pretty much agree with everything you say in this comment..
@@BackyardMaine I did and I know, which is why I posted. Most of the others' videos I've seen drank the "pigtails are always better and using the screws is bad" kool-aid. Well done.
I ran into trouble with some of the push-lock connectors, realized I wasn't stripping the insulation far enough back, and the connector was trying to grab the insulation ... came right out.
I believe that you should pigtails, if there is enough space. That way you’re not eating away at the line it self when making corrections or repairs. That pigtail can always be extended. If there isn’t enough space for a pigtail, just measure twice and cut once and you’re good to go
Thank you for your knowledge and video's USA 🇺🇸
Its my pleasure.. Thanks for watching!
I use that tip now.😊
I live in the country without codes so even not being a licensed electrician I can do my own wiring. Worked my way through college at an industrial plant as an electrician helper so house wiring is easy when compared to the 3 phase stuff I did back then. When I built my workshop I didn't pigtail any of my outlets. My daughter bought one of the buildings you see for rent and turned it into a mini-home. When we wired it we used pigtails. Why? No idea but we did. From what I've seen I much prefer direct wiring. Unless absolutely needed I think pig tails are just an added pain in the posterior. I did have to replace one of the outlets in our house and it had very short wires so I had to pigtail. Unfortunately all my other outlets are the same, (house built about 60 years ago.) What a pain.
Electrician for 38 years, I always prefer pigtail method despite the ability to use a wiring device as a terminal point. I never back stab and always remove back stab installs if I service something (residential or industrial) and replace with pigtails. J hook or pressure plate/screw on a commercial device I am good with.
Another situation where pig-tailing is a must is in houses built in the 70’s with aluminum wiring (if the house hasn’t burned down yet). Those screw terminations are sure to get loose over time with the expanding and contracting of the aluminum under the terminals especially if there’s significant load on the circuit.
Thanks COOP ...
Hi! Thanks for the helpful video! Do you have a video on adding an outlet off of a GFCI outlet?
Not yet! But I’ll put that on my list. Thanks.
This is great!
Thank you Sue.
I always pigtail as long as there is room in the box. I don't like to depend on the outlet for downstream receptacles. And I always use Wagos...definitely the way to go! Never ever backstab.
I'm a commercial GC and most architects/engineers prohibit feeding through devises but the boxes are 4x4 with plaster rings so much more space. When I do my own work at home, most times I'm feeding through since I like neater less full boxes.
Yes, what I'm talking about here is residential wiring. I spent almost all of my career in industrial electrical construction with my last ten years working as an electrical engineer for Texas Instruments. We always pigtail in industrial work but I don't see the necessity for residential work.
Having been a GC in several states , seen it both ways. Why the aversion to 4X4 boxes with plaster rings ? Cost ?
Cost and also metal boxes and fitting are more prone to short circuits. In the commercial / Industrial setting usually only qualified electricians are installing and servicing electrical equipment so it's less of an issue. @@johnmiller732
The Canadian electrical code requires only the neutral be pig-tailed. The rational is that most contractors use the backstab option for connection for convenience proposes and failure rates during the typical 30yesr service life of the device are relatively high.
This is only required in multi-branch circuits. In standard residential circuits it isn't required. And it has nothing to do with backstabbing.
@@eudoxus100 What isn't required? And what exactly is your definition of a "standard residential circuit?"
???
I hate pigtails. They just add more fill to a box and make it more difficult to stuff back in. But here in British Columbia, Canada the inspectors expect pigtails, so that's what we do.
Daisy chain plugs, its about speed and making money. Just do it solid and correct and there is no issue. However, never use back stabs because the amount of contact between the tabs and the wire is very minimal for current to pass through. Also connections become weaker over time with old tabs which is dangerous.
Great video. I am going to subscribe to your channel. Thanks alot. Take care, Ed
Welcome to the channel Ed. I'm trying to start a series of longer electrical videos since the shorts have been doing so well. Thanks for helping by watching this video. I'll have another one up later today or tomorrow morning at the latest. Take care my friend.
3:27 - The length of wire in this image is a violation: see NEC 300.14 - Length of Free Conductors at Outlets, Junctions, and Switch Points. It says that the free conductor length must be at least 3" past the opening or 6" past the point where the wire exits the raceway or cable into the box. 4:15 - I hate to even attempt to add up all the time I could have saved on trim-outs over the years by applying this tip. Great one!
Both requirements are met with this installation. The wire is at least 6 inches past the box entrance and at least 3 inches outside the box. I made a video covering cable length. Nice try though.
Pigtails for me...but I have to follow the specs on big jobs. It's easier for maintenance to replace a device. Also, it's easier to push in a device/receptacle if it only has 3 wires on it vs 5. Plus, we're pulling stranded and pigtail a solid for the device connection, and the box is a 4 square with a plaster ring.
I agree with everything you said and as a diy'er I always pigtail. I've made an effort to learn how to correctly twist wires and use wire nuts using 12 gauge wire. It's a good skill to have and makes one more competent. It also looks more professional, IMO.
I have a short video on wire nuts as well. Thanks for watching.
Wago connectors are a game-changer. Definitely recommend checking those out. I never want to go back to wire nuts.
@@brandongregori995 Did small job for neighbor who had bought those, as an old school DIYer I was hesitant to use wagos in lieu or pigtails. Tho they seemed very good as is, I wrapped electrical tape around the toggles for my peace of mind 😀
@@gr8dvd The Wago lever nuts? I wired my whole cabin with them and never had one come loose. Just make sure they are genuine Wagos and not some knock-off.
@@gr8dvd Also the lever can move after you close it, and that's normal. That doesn't mean the clamping mechanism inside has moved. It takes a fair bit of force to actually unclamp it.
Thank you
Thank you and Thanks for watching!
Thanks!
You bet! Thank you for helping support the channel. Much appreciated my friend.
Single plug circuits like microwave or fridge are supposed to match amperage. I did wire through method years ago. After about 25 year I had a trouble shoot call on a longtime client. Turns out the screws got loose, intermittent issue solved. Pigtails pretwisted with lineman's is the way to go imo.
I was taught to Pig-tail in my training . My recollection is that there was a code reqyirement that removing a device not interupt the neutrual. Reducing the number of conductors to the device makes for easier device instal lation into the box and reduces the number of screw terminals that may loosen over time as well.
I’ve been a licensed electrician for almost four decades and there is no code requirement for pigtails. It’s optional. We pigtail often with industrial work or even in commercial installations but I almost never see pigtails in residential. But like I said in the video there are applications where it makes sense. If you like that method of course stick with it.
Nec 300.13 (B)
That's just for the neutral on multiwire branch circuits. I mentioned that in the video. 300.13 Mechanical and Electrical Continuity - Conductors (A) General Conductors in raceways shall be continuous between outlets, boxes, devices, and so forth. There shall be no splice or tap within a raceway unless permitted by 300.15, 368.56(A), 376.56, 378.56, 384.56, 386.56, 388.56, or 390.56. (B) Device Removal In multiwire branch circuits, the continuity of a grounded conductor shall not depend on device connections such as lampholders, receptacles, and so forth, where the removal of such devices would interrupt the continuity.@@waxphantomscousin8278
So for all 240 volt, or 3 wire Romex where you're running 2 parallel 120V circuits you have to pigtail the neutral, no exceptions? In that case, 240V outlets in garages cannot use the pass through on neutrals?@@BackyardMaine
@@starseeddeluxe A multi-wire branch circuit supplies line to neutral loads only. A 240v circuit supplies line to line loads and often times requires a neutral for line to neutral load on the make equipment. (lights etc.. When you run a three wire to supply 120v receptacles where both hot conductors return on the one neutral thats considered multi-wire and the neutral cannot feed through the device. 300.13 (B) and 210.4
I'm curious to see how you made the straight-through ground connection.
I'll do a video soon on ground connections. I'm using green wire nuts here with a whole in them which are designed for ground wires. There are other methods as well. I'll try to get that video out in the next week or so. If you sub and hit the bell you won't miss it.
I use pigtails to avoid trimming back the feed wires. With the pigtails, I can swap devices with fresh-cut connections every time, no touching of the feeds needed. I also reduce box clutter by using 3- and 5-way WAGOs instead of giant wire nuts.
I guess that makes sense if you're changing your devices often. I figure a change is needed about every 30 years or so if the original installation was done right.
@@BackyardMaineFair point. I'm just a homeowner, not a pro doing jobs for others. But, if I'm going to touch something, I will try and future-proof it while I'm at it. New smart outlet? New pigtails that weren't there before.
I like your style.. thanks for the great videos
I appreciate that! Thanks for watching my friend. I'll try to keep them coming.
Don’t know if this would help much, but when I saw your hint it came to mind that you could use the extra length Romex as an indication that this is the ‘line side’ and the short Romex is the load side.
Good idea..
You can also use the cut off for your pigtails
@@johnhogan3810 I talked about that at the end of the video.
Line ALWAYS against the stud/ wood, load outside.... works everytime!
@@cmmartti I almost always hang the boxes on the left side of the stud, since I hammer lefty. Every so often I have to put one on the right, and it's usually obvious then (switch box on the right side of door, etc.)
I always pigtail GFI, unless there’s more than one outlet in a wet area.
how do you feel about using lever connectors
Excellent
Thanks
As being electrician myself looking at the video i was thinking I'll stab myself in the eye seeing another wiring video, but otherwise great content! Cheers!
I feel the same way my friend. Love making them but don’t like watching them. Been an electrician for 38 years.
If you have aluminum wiring like I do I think you have to pigtail because getting hard to find CO/ALR outlets and switches plus the newer dimmers etc are wired with copper wires already.
I'm a group one person, always pigtail!! Nice video!!
Awesome! Thank you!
I’m in the pigtail category. Always parallel your receptacles. Do it the other way and you get a voltage drop when you have multiple devices going at the same time. Like turning on the vacuum and the lamp dems. It’s a higher quality install.
All receptacles in a circuit are paralleled, none are wired in series.
Pigtailing is good for rental property's because between renters of a property you likely will have to replace outlets switches, etc. and pigtailing makes this replacement quicker for anyone working behind you like a maintenance person because it is literally a direct replacement by untying the leads and removing the old outlet and tying in a new pre wired outlet and closing the box up. Prewired meaning you add the pigtails before you get on the jobsite. I have a whole box full of switches and outlets prewired just for this purpose so I am in and out of a tenants space as fast as possible with little footprint.
I'm not an electrician but I do plenty of electrical work and I almost always use pigtails to me it just makes sense
You certainly can do that if you prefer.
I prefer to pigtail and we do it in the rough in .
I always try to avoid pulling 3 wires to a receptacle box. For no other reason then the extra time it takes to make them up. That said I also won't hesitate to add that third 12/2 if I'm pulling home runs and it's the closest box to the panel on that circuit. Besides 3rd wire or short wires there is no argument for over handling a receptacle box. Pigtails for the sake of Pigtails is crazy talk my old journeyman would roll over in the grave
I completely agree. Wire is expensive so I will add three to a box but I try to avoid it as well. Pigtails when needed only.
if you pigtail your receptacles the additional marrettes would count for box fill and force the avg outlet box to now be a deep box like the GFCI outlets.. not worth buying deep boxes for the entire project just to use pigtails for the outlets. I made that mistake as a commercial apprentice doing residential work.. The inspector told me to remove the pigtails or increase the box size to account for the additional wire and marettes. A wire connector, marette, counts as 1//2 a wire...
Sinple and yet HIGHLY effective video. 👍
Thank you.👍
over time I've seen a lot more receptacles fail than wire connectors fail and had to diagnose the failure. thus i pigtail for the most part.
Yes, it's not common to find a wire nut failure but I will say the only failures Ive seen on through wired receptacles was either back stab connections or simple poor installation of the side wire terminals. For example in one home they noticed flickering and a warm receptacle in the bathroom. I found loose connections and when I checked the other near by receptacles that were fine they also had loose connections. I ended up spending several hours tightening all the connections in the house..
Most of the failed multi-conductor outlets I've encountered were all back-stabbed. So, if I can screw in the wires, I'll do it, but use a pigtail if there are so many wires that one must both screw in and backstab.
Yeah, I don't pigtail when there are 2 conductors, but if there are 3 or more I will pigtail. I don't like relying on backstab either.