Which Splicing Device is Best? Push Ins Vs. Wago Vs. Wirenuts
In this video I talk about the pros and cons of some of the most popular splicing devices used today. I also talk about some of the places I use them, along with where some of the pros in the field that I talked with, use them as well.
Items In the Video:
Ideal Tan Wire Nuts: amzn.to/3Sx6Lsw
Ideal Red Wire Nuts: amzn.to/3cZswRu
Wago 221 Assortment Beginner Set: amzn.to/3EN5Cqw
Wago 221 Larger Assortment: amzn.to/3k5cciv
Ideal Push In Connectors Assortment: amzn.to/3SrIjsC
Lineman Pliers: amzn.to/3rMcXkO
Wire Strippers: amzn.to/3EDfwee
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Adam
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Which splicing device are you using and why? I always appreciate the feedback as I am constantly learning new things no matter how big or small, and it can help the community here as well. Thanks a lot!
Wago
I have to come to like the Wago, the wire nuts are a bit tricky since they works best if you splice the same wire type/dimension, but aren't good if you mix. Especially mixing single and multi strand wires.
I've started using Wagos more and more, they cost a little more, but are time savers.
@@B5Blue1968 That they are. Thanks for the input!
Well, since you asked... First choice: Western Union splice, soldered, taped. Second choice: pigtail splice, soldered, wirenut, taped. Third choice (only for things that need regular replacement like ballasts and all-in-one LED fixtures, etc): Wago, wrapped with tape so the levers don't open (flip the end of the tape over to make a grab end to make it easy to remove the tape).
WAGOs, WAGOs, WAGOs...there is nothing better. Do not use 'knock-off' brands. WAGOs save time, are highly flexible (24-12 gauge, stranded and solid wire), saves space, easy adjustments, and are very secure (add elec. tape on levers if you're concerned with them lifting off). I rarely use traditional wire nuts anymore.
Yep, only way to go. I severely dislike wire nuts. It's either euroblock ideal push in or wago in crowded boxes! Plus neat and quick for prototypes.
Wire nuts are superior to wagos
Use Wago for literally all general household wiring, used correctly they are brilliant, huge time saver.
Wago now is pretty much the only fit and forget connector, all others need to have access provided for maintenance. Plans are already underway for Wago type switch and socket face plates
@@pgood7266 Wirenuts are superior but use more space when properly done. Also time is money these days and doing a proper wirenut takes some practice.
If you want to avoid having the Wago lever pop open when inserting it into a box you could place a wrap of electrician’s tape around the device to hold all levers in place.
My man, I was just thinking that as I was watching. I get that would slow down swapping parts out and waste tape...but tape is meant to be wasted. And what are you gonna do with those few seconds, speed demon, that would be fruitful? I just rather not be forced to do the same job twice.
Same here. Those levers tend to pop up out of place. I make two wraps of electrical tape across the connector levels to ensure safety connections of the splices.
@@cableapostle more of a perception, than actual reality
Or get the Wago 2773 series. same thing but no lever
Or a zip tie! 😂
The Wago connectors are great. I started using them a couple of years ago and won't look back. I've also got in the habit of putting a Sharpie dot on the lever of LINE (as the others will be LOAD), and a mark on the LINE wire as well. This is especially useful in junction boxes where you may have multiple LOAD wires running out of the box. Takes a few seconds, but saves time down the road if you ever open the junction box back up.
Sharpie dots are a good idea. I've been using the slot with the Wago logo on it to indicate for myself. But I guess either way, another electrician isn't going to notice the convention. Some put a small flag of brown electrical tape on the line wire, which I might start doing.
Same - I can't believe it took me so long to try them
I put electrical tape on the line since often a load is black too.
Jessie Williams, after reading this statement I think 2 or 3 Months ago, I now have ALL my crew doing exactly that. I have them marking the load wire with a bright red Sharpie. Black marks on anything in the heating industry means it has a neutral connection ( anything with a emergency light, or tied into 220v) somewhere on that unit, So we use red. Thank you Jessie I took your idea and now over 16 guys use your method.
@@DougCube I was using that method but then the company got cheap and bought “ Knockoff “ wagos. After that one delivery I told upper management NEVER send knockoffs.
Great presentation. Only thing I would add is one of the reasons the wire nuts are so popular is they fit a wide variety of joints, including different wire gauges and a variable number of conductors. I think the red wire nut you showed us is the Ideal 452, which can connect a minimum of 2 18 AWG wires, and a max of 4 10 AWG connectors, according Ideal's web page. Also, I learned a trick from your presentation which is after pre-twisting the wires and prior to installing the wire nut, you cut the ends of the connectors flush so the nut grabs the connectors easier. Many a time I've had to try several times to start the wire nut because I didn't do this. Awesome video!
One correction: When you're talking about sticking a probe in the open terminal slot on that Ideal push-in connector: “You can actually stick a probe in there and test to see the ~~amperage~~” You probably meant *Voltage* because amperage would require either an in-series measurement probe or multimeter in Ammeter mode, *OR* a non-contact coil type ammeter that wouldn’t require contacting the metal at all (e.g. Fluke Ammeters with the “crab claw” current sensing loop that clips around a current-carrying conductor.
Yes you are correct. I did mean voltage. Thanks for the respectful correction.
Yup that's when I turned off the video. When someone doesn't know the difference between amperage and voltage wants to tell me which way is best to secure a wire connection, that's a hard pass.
@@HowToHomeDIY the feller didn't seem disrespectful to me to deserve such a smart-ass response from u! Wow.. Michael's was way more disrespectful
@staind288 yes you are correct. That reply was to someone else that it appears they have since deleted their comment. You can see my original reply to James thanking him for his respectful call out. I just didn’t even reply to Michael since he is clearly perfect. Thanks!
@@michaelbignell8813 Why does there always have to be at least one party pooper????
As someone who got their electrical contractor license in 1970, over time you can get arthritis in your hands from constantly twisting wire nuts. The WAGOS are the answer and so much easier to work with. I’m old school, but now I won’t use anything but genuine WAGOS.
Wago at 5A, 110V continuous. Wago at 10A, 110v intermittent. But continuous 10A and above, would not use Wago. Wire nuts, butt connectors, or old fashion solder with shrink tube.
@@joeboxter3635 WAGO connectors go up to 41A at 240V
@@joeboxter3635 Everyone I know in Sweden use them even at 400v 32a no issues.
Solder connections are no longer a legal connection method.
Been using wire nuts for a long time for switches and plugs can light and so fourth come with push connectors. As long as it will pass code it’s good for me and I trust my work .
I love Wagos from my old industrial days. We used Wago Terminal blocks and they saved so much time for wiring control panels. The lever things are super cool. I discovered them doing a project on my van. Super easy for stranded wire. And multi size wire applications you will run into with RV stuff. I had a weird box that when I was jamming wires into I kept unlocking levers. So I did a wrap of electrical tape for safety and all is good in the world.
Been using wagos for about a year now, no issues. I do wrap them in electrical tape if there is not a lot of room, just to make sure they stay closed. All residential use. Worth every penny
Informative video. From the video plus reading some detailed comments, I have gathered that wagos would be best suited when installing light fixtures, something stationary, not with something that vibrates. As an older female DIYer that has changed out many a light fixture and have a few more planned for the future...the wagos will be on my list to buy! I never feel that I get the screwed on one's tight enough so I wrap electrical tape around them...then it's a real pain to get them back in the box! Thanks for the pros and cons on all of them!
WAGOs are great for things that vibrate. many of my pumps ( 50HP and above ) have them and they stay tight and cooler than the wire nut ones. the thing for all of them is to have some slack in the wires.
WAGOs are awesome. I use them all the time in my ceiling fixtures. Makes wiring so much easier. That being said, I still use wire nuts for switches and outlets. It is trickier to join stranded with solid but if the stranded wire leads the solid, the stranded will stay inside the wire nut during a pull test.
In Germany we exclusively use the WAGO push in connectors since at least 30 years without problems. I think WAGO were the first one on the marked with those. The wago lever connectors are very handy when connecting solid to stranded wire, for example when connecting a light fixture (there are also WAGO 224 connectors especially for this usecase which I highly recommend). Also intersting: In Germany WAGO connector is a synonym for the push in types not the lever ones since they are uses for a long time.
In the USA we’ve been using wire nuts without issue. They are the only connector with a wire to wire connection. All you’re doing is adding more connections which adds more possibilities for faults.
@@garyhochstetler7082 There are plenty of issues with wirenuts. Anyone who has ever worked around electricity for very long has found a loose, hot, or otherwise damaged wirenut connection
@@wgmskiing You’re welcome to your opinion.
@@garyhochstetler7082 it isn't my opinion that there are workmanship and quality issues with wirenut installs..it's an easily verifiable fact. Find a hobby.
@@wgmskiing Anything can be installed incorrectly
Excellent review of the three devices, I am still a wire nut guy, but have seen problems from stranded #12 and #10 not making good contact. I like to pretwist the individual stranded wire in the same direction as the wirenut with my lineman's pliers to get a better grip. As with fake Wago's, i will never use the cheap Chinese twist-ons that come with light fixtures, ceiling fans, etc. Ideal or 3m are the only ones that should be used, as they have good spring force, and high temperature plastics.
I started using the lever wagos in the rv service last year. Love them . Great for the stranded wire we use.
Have you ever used them to connect two pv panels to a solar controller such as victron 15/75. One for pos and another for the negative leads?
Very interesting. Good information. A great follow on video to this would be to connect two sets of wires, of the same size, one WAGO, and one Wire Nut, and then run say 20AMP through them for some time and measure the temperature of each. The WAGO says it is good up to 30AMP so that should handle most normal household connections. A video showing a test of temperature would be very interesting.
This video already exists on KZhead, the guy runs like 200 A through a Wego and it’s still holds on…
Wirenuts have been around for a long time and proven very good. I tested some over 50 years old rigid wires connections with wirenuts and they were still excellent, pre twisted wires the better. On the other hand, almost every connection using wirenuts older than 10 years with the mix of rigid and stranded wires were completely loose probably due to metal fatigue I believe. We can see this situation with thermostats, baseboards and convectors, those units are supplied with stranded wires and the house wires are rigid. So every time I see this situation, I re-strip the wires and change the wirenuts with Wago 221. These Wago 221 are also great for light fixtures since they are easy to disconnect and re-use without damaging the wires.
I think Wagos are great for homeowners but can never replace well spliced wires under a Quality wire nut. I say quality wire nut because all of these videos compare a Wago, which is a pricey quality product, against the cheapest piece of garbage wire nut I've ever seen. None of these splicing devices compare to an Ideal R/Y+ installed onto a professional splice
Exactly the answer I was hoping to find! Was looking for a way to combine three sets of wires in my rv that has a very small space. Never heard of a WAGO but looks like the exact piece I need. Thanks for posting!
I gotta say, once I started using WAGOs I couldn't go back to anything else. They are just too useful, easy, and reusable. Love the test holes, too. I've twisted my last wire-nut :-). I think the WAGOs are also superior to the push-in connectors... with the push-in connectors its often too easy to ride the contacts up onto the insulation without realizing it. And as you noted, with the WAGOs you can see everything that is going on and verify (before or after installation) that everything is good. Sometimes I put one or two wraps of electricial tape around the WAGO, but most of the time I don't bother. And sometimes I put a few wraps of tape around the wires a few inches away from the WAGO to reduce strain or simply to keep the collection of wires together. The wire-nuts work well but its harder and harder to find quality wire-nuts. In fact, I began looking at alternatives when a batch of wire nuts started to break on me just while I was twisting. I think that's my biggest issue with wire-nuts these days. The quality has gone to hell. -Matt
Yeah. Same here. No more nut-jobs… 😉
That's great if you aren't the one paying the bill
What’s the difference between a Wago and push in connector? Same concept. I’m debating what to buy right now.
@@user-ln7of9gs4s I found out from recent experience that if you're installing a fixture that comes with stranded wires you'll rue the day you tried to use push-in connectors. WAGOs, on the other hand, take stranded wires in stride.
For 'industrial' level of electricity usage, i defenitely recommend wire nuts, since the connection has the lowest resistance of them all. I love the brand Conex, it comes with a nice aiding piece which you can put in your drill to screw the nuts on quite fast. Another thing is that the insulating cap can be twisted off to check your work. The spring inside will remain on the copper ends of the wires, given that you've used them correctly. you need to pretwist the copper wires, 3 minimum, 5 maximum, cut to proper size and then twist the wire nut on. When you have a big factory with lots of connections, you want the lowest amount of heat generated uselessly and reduce risks of overheating and damaging connections and wires. Downtime often costs millions. For domestic usage, wire nuts like those Conex quality are not needed. The wagos are fine.
they also have high heat wire nuts made of ceramic for specialized applications, like ovens / other appliances that get hot near glow coils or igniters along with the wires usually covered with heat resistant shielding like fiberglass
I recently bought some wago lever connections and I thought about buying some knock offs but decided saving a few bucks is not worth starting an electrical fire or short something out. They were great!
Wise decision, there are huge number of cheap Chinese fakes out there that are absolute rubbish. Paying a bit more for decent connectors is a lot cheaper than an electrical fire.
I've used the WAGO connector for a few motorcycle farkles (aftermarket add-ons). they worked very well, especially when I wanted to add another connection. (Pull the 2 connector, switch to a 3)
Looks like you could also put a turn of good electrical tape around the Wago to keep the levers from flipping. Wagos are also great when connecting stranded wire to solid core. I also like Wagos to extend leads in boxes that previous DIY'ers clipped the leads too short. That said I always keep a box or two or "wire nuts" around, too. I prefer the Scotch-Lok type.
just be carefull when you fit the connected wires in the box. you have eyes, ears and touch to notice what you're doing, use them all. I've NEVER had any of the levers flipped... also if you're only connecting solid cores, use the push ins by wago without the levers, they consume less time in the right hands, are cheaper to manufacture too and have no risk of flipping levers in clumsy hands.
You don't need tape to hold down the levers on Wagos, it takes more force to open them than you realise, and if you get your fingers on the way when you close them you will know about it.
I use these wagos , and yes I put a small amount of electric tape around the lever s
Not allowed. The connector wasnt designed to be wrapped in anything. Affects heat dissipation.
@@inq752Your opinion, or code?
I use wire nuts or DIN rail terminal blocks. Have used nut, bolt, & rubber tape on some lugs too. Wire nuts always get a good wrap of electrical tape though. No matter how good of a job you do, heat cycles and vibration can and will cause problems. The accidental opening of Wagos can also be solved with electrical tape. Just be mindful of install location due to the messy goo electrical tape can create.
Thanks for the knowledge your giving for doing little things that need done safely around the house.
Huge thank you! For many of us electrical work is a mystery, great to learn from you.
I like the Wago connectors for putting in smart home switches or light fixtures since they normally have stranded wire. For electrical outlets, I will use wire nuts.
In the late 1990s I took a full time job with a Children's Hospital as a Plant Engineer. It was a brand new facility with state of the art technology even in the walls. I was tasked with designing and building a workshop for the custom wheelchair department. I really liked the Receptacles that had a built in pigtail that plugged into a socket installed on the wiring at the electrical boxes by electrical contractors that wired the entire Hospital. At the time there were no Wagos, Ideal push locks only wire nuts an this new system that was installed. I have used the Ideal style for my own home and have yet to have any issues. much cleaner than wire nuts. I have over the course of 32 years wired many control centers, motor control panels with din rail systems with push lock termination terminals along with spring lock terminals for low voltage communications and control wiring. I have used Wagos a few times but always worried about the latches opening upon moving wires around. So currently I use the Ideal connector and wire nuts for loose stranded wire at light boxes for light fixtures.
Im just a DIY guy. I only use the wagos for connecting stranded to solid wire like when installing a light fixture. Other than that, it’s all wire nuts. I feel like they can handle more amps because of how much more contact the wire has like you said. Great video. Thanks.
Those Red 3m or Ideal Wing Tip Scotch Locks Wire Connectors are MY preferred method of making good solid wire conductor splicing connections and has been for many many decades ! I'm a State Licensed Journeyman Electrician / Sub Contractor with over 55 years in the trade ! I also use the Yellows, Grays, & Blues when required !
Interesting here in the UK , Scotch locks are not allowed in mains wiring as they are not rated to any specification . but great for auto use.
Haven't gone through comments, but it seems like a simple "prevent lever flipping open" option would just be 2 wraps of electrical tape around the body/levers when done, prior to inserting into box (still keeping thumb on it also of course while pushing in as a safety factor), wrapping tight onto the wire insertion side, thus keeping the levers down and/or preventing anything sliding up under them in the first place.
I was thinking the same thing!
Not much of a time saver if you have to futz around with tape.
@@deker0954 plenty of electricians do the same thing in wire nuts
I use all 3 in the chemical plant (Exxon) and its mandatory to put electrical tape on them so that is why I don't see a problem
who would install these without securing them with electrical tape? I thought that was the default.
Very well done video, thorough and direct with great visuals so viewers can see exactly what you are talking about. Thanks! I'm new to the non-wirenut solutions but I've opened up too many boxes to find wires have slid out of their wire nuts. Pushing wires into a crowded box makes it way too easy for the wire nut to separate from the wires. The connection still "works" because the wires remain in contact, but it's an accident waiting to happen.
As another person mentioned, taking a small wire tie and wrapping around the Wago to keep the levers from flipping open, as well as doing the same around the wires an inch or so down from the Wago can insure a safer set up. If using 2 Wago's, put them back to back levers facing each other and wire tie.
I usually use wire-nuts for my purposes but recently replacing a ceiling light with a fan, the wire run was very...very stingy and the box very tight where I did not trust there to be enough room for all the wire-nuts, and the ceiling fan was stranded wire. I went out to get some Wago connectors -- first time to use them -- and was greatly impressed by how easy, foolproof and compact they are. But for outlets and junctions where current draw could be anywhere up to the breaker limit for an unknown amount of time, I'd still trust wire nuts. Light switches and ceiling outlets with a low known load, Wago is a good alternative.
Yep 100% I will say the wago 221 is just incredibly, it far exceeds it’s 32 amp rating for long periods of time so I think it’s fine for high loads.
@@Vanilla_Icecream1231 Yep!That test was here somewhere on the web..It was very hard to get them melted.
There’s no reason to think WAGO connectors can’t handle their rated current indefinitely- it’s literally what they’re designed to do, and WAGO isn’t some fly-by-night operation, it’s a huge company with a near monopoly on the electrical connector market in many countries.
Thanks for the info everyone! I'm just thinking old-school, especially since in my area where we require everything to be routed in solid conduit.
@@realShadowKat The main benefit of wire nuts is that they are considerably cheaper. :D If ut's simething that may be changed (i.e. lights ,...) use wagos.
Wire twist, solder, then tape or wire nut is the way they used to do it, would last 70+ years. I love the wagos….awesome for remodeling and retrofit, indispensable for light fixture going from braid to solid without having to fight to get it right.
Code does not allow for soldered connections
I've found that the Wago lever lock are great also in low voltage work as well. It's much easier to trouble rs485 loops when you can connect and disconnect a single loop without bothering the rest.
You have a knack for explaining and an easy-to-listen to style. You'd be a good, professional teacher at a tech school. Thanks for the video ! .
You are welcome. Really glad you liked it. Thanks a lot for all of the feedback!
I think part of the reason that the Wago connectors are more popular in Europe than the USA is because AC in homes is 220V in Europe vs 110V in the USA. Higher voltage for the same wattage means that the amperage will be lower in Europe than in the USA, and, for a given resistance, you get more heat generated with higher amperage. So in the USA, where devices will draw higher amperage, we need to optimize connectors for minimal resistance to avoid heat. As you stated, with a properly installed wire nut, you can have more surface area and less resistance in your connection. In general, this is a great video, and I think you give people good advice. In my house, I've been slowly replacing older LED cans with halogen bulbs to LED lighting over time. The LED lighting draws significantly lower current. Whoever installed some of the can lights 15 years ago did a terrible job with some of the wiring. I've found several lights that didn't work because the wire nuts weren't installed properly, and the lights stopped working due to faulty connections and open circuits. As I've been replacing these with LED lighting, I've mostly used WAGO connectors because I don't like being up on a high ladder fumbling with overhead wiring in the ceiling. Since the new LED lighting uses less current, it's OK if the WAGOs might have a little bit more resistance than an optimally-installed wire nut. I think your AVERAGE WAGO install will probably have lower resistance than an average wire nut install with wires that aren't perfectly spliced. When I'm doing this up on a ladder and reaching up inside a lighting can when some wires are a little short, I think I might not do a perfect job with wire nuts every time. So it's nice to use a WAGO and get the job done faster with, in my opinion, less probability of installer-error.
WAGO make a high current variant if the regular WAGO isn't up to the current you need. These take wire up to 10 awg and rated up to 41A.
I prefer the wire nut, if you pretwist the wires together you can make sure you have a good solid connection. At that point the wire nut is more of an insulator. Also you mentioned the downside of wirenuts is the more wires you put in a wirenut the bigger it needs to be, of course that is true but most electrical codes will only allow you to put a certain number of romexes in a box. In my state, in a standard size single gang outlet or switch box, you can I put 3 14/2 romex cables in it or 2 12/2 romex, in a deep box you can put 4 and 3 respectively. Of course that's different in a multi gang switchbox but then you generally have more room for a larger wirenut.
I agree Kevin. Thanks a lot for the detailed feedback!
Thanx for the simple explanation of the pros and cons. I accidentally purchased some push on’s thinking they were Wago. I feel confident now I can use them for my DIY light install. Be Safe!!
I have been using the push in type connectors for my DIY projects. I find them easier to use & fit into tight boxes than wire nuts. After watching this video I will try the Wago type because I like that they can use solid wire & stranded wire. I also like that they can be opened up if you need to change things, with the push type I have to cut them off & throw them away. I think that the simplest solution to the possibility of the levers getting flipped open would be to wrap around the levers with electrical tape.
Actually if you read the packaging on the push type all you have to do is twist and pull and the wire releases. Works pretty flawlessly.
Never had issues with genuine Wago’s. You can also wrap tape around if you are worried about a lever opening. You can also get high current Wago’s.
They melt within their rating not good.
@@justinfufun5483 Do you have a source for that claim?
Personal experience. Was shocked to see the state of them after 4 weeks. Yes that was a pun.
😂😂😂😂😂
@@justinfufun5483 you did something wrong.
I am a licenesed electrical contractor and I use the Ideal push-in connectors whenever possible for residential work. Saves time and are safe to use. But I'm an electrician who relies on data, not anecdotes, tradition, and superstition like a lot of electricians.
I'm a Master electrical and have been in the field for 35 years, the lever nuts are best for mechanically holding the conductors in place, also very good for speaker wire in low voltage. Tape on the lever nut is a good install.
I was taught to use splicing with wire nuts and still use to this day. For residential and especially remodeling with limited wires I love using wagos
Those push ins are especially handy when someone cuts short the wires and you don't have much length to work with outside the box.
or for multi grounds you may need to separate for testing trouble shooting been there both times
@@wizard3z868 I opened a 3 gang box (fan, vanity lights and ceiling lights) and it has power going to outlets as well. Its a big mess. Just banging around the wall the lights were dimming and the fan would stop working. I opened the box and there is a huge blue wingnut wrapped around about 6 wires. I want to clean it up and fix the arcing so Im thinking a WAGO 221 5 port with a jumper wire to a second wago for the sixth wire. Is that ok?
@@chipburns4123 should be thts what I wld do also do a wire box fill calculation all those wires snds very close to being overfilled
@@wizard3z868 thank you for the reply. The box has been installed and the bathroom is finished years ago so changing the box would be very time consuming as its right next to permanent shelving. Im doing a heated tile floor (3amp, very small)and was only taking power from a nearby outlet. I didnt even need inside the box. I just wanted to fix the fan and light dimming when I bang on the wall but I was surprised at what I found. Someone came in later and added things. I am installing the thermostat above the switches with a remodel box. I think using the wago will solve both problems. Make a better connection and give me more room.
@@chipburns4123 snds good just make sure those wagolevers are closed and maybe wrap some tape if it's looking tight. I've shoved them in before and had them levers open on me lol
Both options are good. Wire nuts put on correctly are incredibly strong, and also cheap and widely available. True Wagos are also good and reliable, easy, but also more expensive and not as available and flexible with regard to how many wires they accept.
for me the main reason to use wire nuts is when you will use alot of power for longer periods of time. In regular domestic usage, this is quite rare, but when you have a woodshop or some other workshop using all sorts of power tools for prolonged periods, you ideally want a good brand of wire nuts. I go with Conex, but you'll need to pretwist the wires tight enough so they won't undo by themselves even when you cut the twisted part to fit into the nut. Then you twist the nut on (comes with a bit for your drillhead so you can twist it on really fast). Bonus is that the insulating cap can be twisted off without undoing the actual electrical connection so you can check wether the connection was made correctly. Look em up if you like. The wire nuts i've seen in many videos here on youtube from the USA seem very inferior to the Conex variety i use. I've used knock offs a couple of times, but only on customer demand, for myself i always return to Conex. It's like the wago of wire nuts to me. You have cheap knock off push ins and cheap knock off with levers, i avoid them. They are expensive when your shit burns down.
Your videos are great! Straight to the point and yet very informative. Thanks again!
I have been using the WAGO splicers and LOVE them! No messing around, and I am not using crazy voltage, so No heating up as well! I use Mostly strand wire and have had No problem with anything coming loose. I am also thinking of Kalolary Wire Connectors, but need them with 3 holes, not just 2. So far, I am staying with the Wagos.
The Wago 221 are hands down the best connectors u can buy. They can't be beaten in terms of convenience, practicality and size. The only downside I have encountered is that there's a max of 5 slots, but that can be easily solved with another wago and a jumper. Even price I feel is not really a factor coz as a DIYer u probably won't use so many that u will feel the pinch(small assortment packs can be had for less than 20 bucks easily) , and as a professional u just price it in to the job. There were many times I felt like cheaping out on a job and using cheap connectors instead of my Wagos and on the handful of occasions I do, every single time I regret it because the money saved is never worth the time wasted.
In UK been using WAGO connectors for years, seen a number of tests done on them and they can handle way more amps than they are actually rated for, never seen any issues of overheating, the resistance between the connections is extremely low, in the UK we have a lot of testing even with using a lot of these in a circuit the resistance is less than 0.001 ohms.. Because we also have electrical inspections that require the conductors to be separated WAGO's make this so much easier, because of this and for fault finding most electricians in the UK hate when people twist the conductors together as it can weaken the copper when you then have to un-twist... Every time I see twisted earth conductors (we call it cpc), I cut them off and reterminate using a WAGO... A lot of people were sceptical at first and used what we had for years connector blocks, but now almost everything is push inconnectors or WAGO style connectors, they cost a bit more but the time they save ofsets this, I guess it will just take time for people to come away from old habits... I want to say they are the future but in the UK an Europe we have been using them so long they are the standard, you can always tell a DIY job as they don't use WAGO's as they come in larger boxes...
Hum, when I do DIY it's WAGO's ;-) However what is not covered in the video is that the WAGO bites into the copper deforming it causing a very solid connection. Also they are certified as vibration resistant. Frankly if they are failing with overheat they where not installed correctly.
@@cykes5124 I don't know where you got this information from, UK uses mostly solid conductors, above a certain size becomes stranded and we use stranded in single insulated cables, SWA and flex but the majourity of residential and commercial properties are wired in what we call Twin and Earth which has a Live (or Hot) and Neutral that have a double insulation and a single insulated cpc (or earth), most wiring is in 2.5mm, 1.5mm and 1mm which is all solid core. The resistance of a wago connection is that of about 4 inches of wire, not enough to be of any real significance, good practice in at least the UK is to ferrule stranded cables.
@@cykes5124 Industrial maybe but Residential and Commercial as a UK spark I can assure you is mostly Twin & Earth which is solid for the mainly used lower guage conductors.
Doing an EICR is so much easier with WAGO's. And I've never once seen a high resistance issue that's down to either a lever or push type connector. 90% of such problems are from screw terminals.
@@cykes5124 there's a difference between finely stranded and stranded. Anything 4mm and above is stranded but those strands usually comprise of relatively large strands. Finely stranded is less common in fixed installation. Only really for singles - to aid drawing through conduit - and we often see it within consumer units for e.g. neutral connections. Consumer unit manufacturers usually provide finely stranded leads which are die finished so we don't need ferrules. I have a set of ferrule crimps in my bag because in my work I do a lot of e.g. electrical panels and I'm an engineer as opposed to an electrician. But I think most UK electricians wouldn't be carrying a ferrule crimping tool in their bag - in fact a lot of UK electricians probably wouldn't know the difference between a ferrule crimping tool and a lug crimping tool. Ultimately electricians deal primerily in fixed installations so solid is what they use.
I’ve used wire nuts for years, that’s what I was taught to use, always use the tug test to make sure the wire nut has connected. The guy who taught me how to use wire nuts preferred the soft 3M ones verses the hard plastic ones. I was taught in the mid seventies
These things rock! The best thing for me is a cleaner fit inside of the junction box!! The ability to connect many lines is a big plus!! Thank you Wago….
I've had too many issues with either crappy wire nuts (no metal insert) or not being able to get a good connection between solid and stranded wire. Switched to Wagos for a project where I knew there wasn't going to be much room in the box and they solved both issues (size and mixed media) so I'm a believer.
Like anything else use a good wire nut brand Buchanan
If you twist the wires and then cap them you know what's going on under the wire nut
Great video. Any potential heat buildup is a deal breaker. The issue with wire nuts for me is just training. Don’t overcrowd and so on.
when i test connections on my boilers and chillers, WAGOs run cooler than wire nuts. soldered connections run coolest but you can't replace bits as easy. i have to test qt on motors up to 460 AMP and 150 HP to control wire for temp sensors. i note he said you could get heat but didn't test. this sounds like a project farm video . lol
I've used those ideal push-ins for running can lights. They aren't super expensive and they are fast and take up less space when you have a weird junction. Braided doesn't work easy with them, but you can use a small wire nut and a solid pigtail to the connector to the actual fixture. While that may seem counter-productive, if you have to disconnect the fixture for some reason, it's a braided and solid under each nut. So you aren't having to deal with every other wire running through that box all under one massive nut.
I have been using Wago for 3 years and I love it. As many here have suggested when you are in a junction box or have a risk that the levers will pull up. You just wrap around with electrical tape to keep them in place.
I always pre-twisted my wires when using wire nuts to make sure the connection was secure. But others are correct, 2-3 wires at most usually. I use the Wago's these days. So nice for replacing or reworking a box.
WAGO also has push ins that are smaller than the push ins you show. Very useful for overly full boxes. Usually I use those, unless if I have either stranded wire, or if I know I need to disconnect still (either temporary or often changed connections) The nuts I rarely use anymore. Good for very high current, but too easy to accidentally get wrong, and too much space.
Yeah, they have really small 6 wire one that I have a supply of.
Have a WAGO 221 in hand. It is rated 20 amps @ 300 V. I have not used it at that rating. A company I worked for used the DIN rail mounted WAGO connectors on crawler mounted mining machines. The connectors were reliable in that high vibration use, mostly 24 VDC. That gave me confidence in the actual connection technology. Easy to use and inspect. Can insert wire and make connections with one hand with WAGO 221. I am a retired Electrical Engineer, still keeping my P.E. license active for one more 2 year cycle.
Great video, very informative... I just wish I'd seen it last year. Now I have to buy some Wagos and re-wire my bunkhouse. I've never really trusted my wire nut skills, to be honest. Keep up the great work!!
Good info on wagos and wire nuts 👍. I use electrical tape on the 221 over the flaps in in tight areas. In the electrical field(commercial)we use wire nuts. Wire nuts are cheaper. Depending on certain applications we use wagos when we need to add more lighting/devices into a junction box.
In the uk wago produce junction boxes for use with the wagos dont know if you can get them in the usa
47 years ago I had to instal a lot of ballasts in old live fluorescent lights in a department store during store hours ( i wasn't allowed to turn the power off ) what fun it was to see wire nuts that were loose and fell off or dried up and cracked ! Never ever install wire nuts without also wrapping them with some High temp electric tape to help insure that the wire nuts stay on ! I never used Wagos but perhaps you can also give them and the wires leading into them a wrap of tape !
I did the same thing, had some friend tell me you want the nut to breath from the heat ,not sure if he was making shit up ?
I'm no electrician, but I feel a LOT better about homeowner stuff like light fixtures and whatnot using the Wago vs old school wire nuts. You never know for sure what's going on inside a wire nut. With the Wago you can see, hear and feel the connection.
As an electrician, I've seen more issues with wago than wirenut
You know whats going on with wire nuts because you have already twisted the wires together and they are ridiculously strong, and THEN you out your wire nut over that. OR, you don’t pre-twist and put your wire nut on and ensure that you twist it enough that all the wires begin to twist, and then you test each one. But yes, the wagos are convenient, particularly for small jobs.
@@JoeC92 what types of issues?
@@scottc9630 joints coming apart, arcing due to lose connection
very informative and clearly explained about issues you might encounter when working with these connectors.
I have used every wire connector on the market, and the Wego connectors are superior to everything else I’ve used. It allows you to combine solid in stranded wire, if needed, as it works on both. It’s a compression fitting, which makes greater surface contact than the push and connectors or conventional wire nuts, which rely on a tapered spring inside. I also like the advantage of putting a Wego connector on a live wire. And making the box safe and still being able to add to a life connector without fiddling with wire nuts. As a rule, I always turn the power off, but there are always those occasions where you are not able to for one reason or another. The Lego also uses less cubic inches of space in the box compared to conventional wire nuts. As previously mentioned only use genuine Wego connectors, the Chinese copies are junk.
I work as a commercial food service and refrigeration service tech, I think you nailed most of the pros and cons of all of these. I would like to addto what you said, my experience with wagos is that the heat can be a problem at least from the equipment I work on but another larger problem I have seen with the wago connectors is if they loosen even a little from say vibration from a compressor, a fan motor, or the equipment just getting moved around they can melt just like any loose connection, I think that it happens because they vibrated against something and popped the lever up but it is hard to say because by the time I arrive all that left is melted plastic. I think that it is kind of funny because with the push for HC refrigerants (all of which are flammable) some manufacturers have started using these because they are "spark free" but I find them melted off with alarming regularity the most recent of which melted the plastic electrical box off the back of a refrigerator and the fire department had to come out, also brand new under warranty. Sorry for the long post but for the work I do I don't like them but I can see why someone would.
No I and I’m sure many others will appreciate your post. Thanks for taking the time to write it!
In my experience it is hard to pop the lever up unless the whole clamp suffered severe degradation. Ok, maybe some prolonged time of vibration could do this, I do not have personal experience here. But another thought: How good is the chance for liquids or oil (near the compressor you might have oil spray due to some micro leaks) to go into the Wago clamp and cause high resistance?
If you are finding them melted regularly I can almost guarantee they are being used way above their rated current. When the lever is flipped down the connector bites into the wire so resistance is very low and it is impossible to shake them loose. In Europe Wego are used everywhere and if there was a problem with them there would be fires breaking out all over the place.
@@schrodingerscat1863 I don't see them melt in building wiring, it is in equipment such as fryers and refrigerators, I think it is being caused by the lever rubbing on something and popping the lever up either from vibration or people moving the equipment. It doesn't cause fires because the wire either doesn't touch anything (no short) and the equipment just stops working or it touches the frame and pops the breaker. Also remember when I say I see it happen I'm not saying all lever nuts are garbage and they are melting all the time but if I see it once in awhile I'm not going to use them because I'm the poor bastard getting the phone call at 9pm that a freezer broke and I need to come right now. What I am seeing is a very small rate of this happening but I never see a properly installed wire nut just fail and because of that I just don't use them. On a side note I'm done replying to this comment thread because I'm getting a crazy amount of hate from people saying things like I've never seen this therefore you're wrong/lying or whatever some ignorant shit said flat out that I must hate them because they're European, in short I am not seeing constructive conversation just hate for anyone who doesn't think lever nuts are the greatest invention in human history and dares to suggest they have any flaws. So if people can't have a productive conversation about the pros and cons without insulting people then I see no reason to engage with them at all.
Here in Europe, many appliance makers now use WAGOs by default in their devices. Heating, refrigeration, pro-kitchen… you open a slot and find WAGOs. Also, if you are worried about maximum A, take the 221-6xx series. They’re 6mm2 and 48A…
Have you ever seen the "old school" set screw type wirenuts? 3 pcs- a brass sleeve with a set screw in it, and a separate cover. You put the wires inside, tighten the setscrew, then screw on the plastic top. A couple of issues with them- the plastic cap is rigid, like bakelite, and breakable. They also unscrew. We used those exclusively at one place I worked. More labor, and we ALWAYS wrapped them with tape.
I've seen them in new equipment, such as a plate warmer for a restaurant. The used them to connect the high temp wire from the heating elements to the wiring to the external temperature controls. High temp version of the plastic cap, but they still get brittle and disintegrate after 10 years of continuous use.
YES! In my parent's house 50 yrs ago in NYC -- the only place I have run across them.
20+ year electrician here and I have to definitely say wire nuts all the way with proper twist from linemans. The push in connectors are DEFINITELY the worst, I retro fitted literally tens of thousands of commercial fluorescent fixtures in my time and found so many issues from them (mainly cause of user instal) . Wagos are good but I still feel I don't get that super tight connection as with my nuts lol😅
I've been an electrician for 37 yrs. Current flows on the surface of a conductor so the more surface area of the conductor is contacting another the current flows with less resistance therefore less heat. Another point is that a good mechanical connection is a good electrical connection. Therefore, in my opinion, wirenuts are best for wire connections with #10 awg and smaller.
In Switzerland we use Wagos since ~1980 everywhere and i have never seen a burnt wago connection.
In Switzerland, do you use solid or stranded wire for residential?
When using wire nuts, I tug on the wires to be sure they have a good connection before adding a couple more twists.
Great video as always! You mentioned about the Wago lever possibly coming open when pushing back into the electrical box or opening, can you just put electrical tape over them? This would prevent the from happening possibly?
WAGO LeverNut all the way! I’ve installed thousands and have literally never had one fail I had the same issue- the lever inadvertently toggle up- if it’s a super critical connection, I’ve used a rubber band or electrical tape if I’m desperate. The WAGO DIN mounting options are also a huge plus I’ve started glueing 2 together if I’m dealing with a 2 cond LV connection, very neat and satisfying The 12awg limit is now 10 since their latest version Not to be that guy- you didn’t mention the DUAL test slots, huge feature Nonetheless, great video !
I've been using Wago clamps for over four decades. Tens of thousands of them. No connector has ever failed. Not a single one. I've seen a lot of melted or defective imitations, but never a Wago terminal with problems.
Wago is producing push ins and levers for a very specific reason. The push ins are used when using solid wires which usually are not serviced because they are in wall. They have the lowest foot print and even if you need to connect a lot of wires it's possible in very little boxes. The lever ones are for elements where potentially a non electricians needs to access and exchange elements, eg light fixtures or fan outlets, or other situations where you need to interconnect stranded wires with either stranded or solid wiring. So it's not a question of either push ins or lever ones, it's a question of where you use which type, but always use Wago brand ...
Yep. 221 & 2273 series co-exist for a reason. They are nearly exclusively used in Central Europe these days - if you see a wirenut, you know the house is >50 years old.
The main selling point for electricians is the ability to mix stranded and solid in the same clamp with ease. Also a main cause of problems are the push-in types, where the wire is not uninsulated for the correct length, is not pushed into the clamp in a straight line and not deep enough etc. Also lots of cheap knock-offs that look like Wago are made of very inferior material and therefore do not hold the contact well after some time.
I use the lever ones for combining stranded wires with solid ones. And when I know I have to change that junction box again.
ViD and Hellacon are just as reputable as the Wagos... what you need to look when buying are the certifications which can be verified.
I like the Wago for low amperage lights, especially fixtures that have stranded wire. It's so much easier to connect the solid house wiring to the stranded fixture wiring than fighting with wire nuts.
I totally agree. Thanks for the input Wayne!
Are the inline connector by wagu good for extending wires? I have a outdoor outlet that needs to move 8". The wires reach it through 1/2" conduit. I intended to cut the conduit/wires in the middle, add 8" of conduit/wire, connect that new 8" section with either crimp/shrink connectors on both sides. Now I'm envisioning using the inline connectors, in a staggered formation with the other wires, so that they all fit in the the narrow conduit.
Yup, I use them for that. Even have a video on the channel showing how I do it.
@@HowToHomeDIY Thanks! On my way to see it.
thewire nuts are great if you only have 2 or 3 connectors that have not been work hardened. reworking an old box with nuts is a nightmare if they have been pretwisted and there is not enough spare wire to be able to trash the ends. That can be a lot of rewiring and dry-walling just to fix what could have been a minor problem. It is a pity no one imports the stuff they use in the uk. screw held slots in lumps of brass. all tested to 600 volt and 100 amp.
I've been using Wago connectors for quite some time now, I haven't had any major issues with them. I use them quite a lot when transitioning between solid and stranded wires just because it is pretty much "id10t" resistant. Majority of the failures I find in the repair field melted wirenuts caused by bad connections on solid to stranded transitions and one failure of a Wago caused by water intrusion, not the failure from the product itself. Also, I work on quite a lot of telecom equipment which is dominantly DC powered using stranded wire and the usage of wirenuts are an absolute no no. Not sure if they're rated for DC applications, but I've used them for my 52 volts DC nominal circuits derating the ampacity of the nominal wire size by 60% for continuous duty applications and haven't seen any signs of thermal stress the last time I checked it with a thermal camera.
I fully support your choice of using wago brand splice joints. They are an amazing product and like you said "id10t" resistant. The problem is commercially they are too expensive to justify. If an electrician put thousands of dollars for splice materials on an invoice the general contractor would for sure fire you and never use you again.
Stranded wire in Wago without crimped on ferrules? Sounds iffy.
@@krashanb5767 the stranded literally bite better than solid conductors.
dude...this is the internet and it's 2022. You can say the word 'idiot'.
@@krashanb5767 That's what the manufacturer actually tells to do. Ferrules aren't necessary on the 221 model, on the contrary, they reduce the maximum conductor size you can insert into them.
I've become a huge fan of Wago for sure. I've been thinking about starting to wrap the wago in electrical tape to ensure the tabs don't get flipped up. It seems like an easy answer to that flaw. And, I like the commenter who marks the line wire and the insert point for line on the wago. I've been renovating a couple of houses and have seen people who get a little ambitious twisting the wire nuts. I've seen wires that come all the way through the nut. For a ground wire, this is fine -- kind of a cool way to splice wires together and bond to a metal box. But especially for line/load, this can be a huge no-no.
I was scrolling to see if someone else was gonna say tape down the levers.
Never knew about wago, thank you. I do my own work in my old houses. my dad was an electrician and taught me to pre-twist the wires and tape them.-but it is a bit hard on my hands especially when I’m working with 12 gauge in the kitchen with multiple wires. Also saves from having to cut the wires shorter every time.
I absolutely love the wago connectors. One thing I do though if I'm working in a tight area, I'll wrap a piece of electrical tape around it to hold the levers down.
I am working in Germany and most used are the push-in types followed by lever operated like the wago 221. Wirenuts are extremly rare. But there are huge differences in quality, i prefer Wago for both. My experience with wirenuts comes mostly from machines made in the USA or China, and in my experience they are one of the most common point of failure in wiring, they seem open up under vibration. Very important for push and lever operated devices is that the inserted wire is straight, to make a good contact. Here I see the problems in the US. When replacing a wirenut by one of those the used cable from a nut is bent, which might cause poor contact.
Hello 'How To Home.' Yesterday I used Wago Lever Nut connectors for L.E.D. tail lights on a trailer. The wires were short, and only three fingers could fit in the enclosure. Also, auto captions work good in your video. Cheers!
Wago's are awesome, I use them when making my 3D printer and like you said those levers are awesome for upgrading or switching something out
Wago push-ins are cheaper than the 221s and are sufficient for most connections. Especially if you just have solid core for house hold cabling. Also they are a bit smaller for tight spaces. I never used wire nuts and I've never seen them in Germany.
The real reason they are not used in Germany: During WW2, the German war industry used them, and Germany lost the war. Lesson learned the hard way.
The wirenuts are the best if you pre twist the wires like you suppose to
I’ve never even heard of WAGOs until watching your channel. That is so much easier! You don’t have to try to get the correct size for the wire and my issue in twisting is that half the time I end up with one wire that stays straight and the other twists around it. Not secure and easily pulls out.
Good to get the pros and cons on these various connectors. Thank you!
There’s a use case that you didn’t mention for WAGO connectors. Dissimilar metals. Many newer budget light fixtures come with tinned or aluminum stranded wiring. Rather than having to add bonding paste it’s pretty much a no brainer
Wago was made to be used with cooper wires. Do not use with aluminum wires. Connectors are made with galvanic cooper an react with aluminum degadeting bouth, wire and vonector. Read wago instructions.
I’ve started using 3m wire nuts and Ideal lever nuts (now available at Home Depot). Really like their construction and capabilities.
I found the winged wire nuts can easily be bumped loose. I switched to Wagos when I recently installed my generator transfer panel. 12 GA max.
Great video thank you for the insight! These jobs and work are hard! Thank you for taking the time to help educate people to make them more self reliant! Cheers!!
You are very welcome! Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback!
I just got some Wago 221s. They're just so much easier for wiring than the wire nuts if you mess up and have to redo something.
It seems you had to apply some extra force to unlock the Wago 221. I would have to think, if the lever flipped open. The electrician was jamming 5lbs into a 1lb bucket. I'm excited to try the WAGO. Looking them up... you can buy a big set of WAGO...2 - 5 pin. where as the wire nuts in bulk you will pay a lot more
I use WAGO mostly now. Thanks I learned something so it's a good day.
I'm gonna say WAGO is the way to go. I was a facilities mechanic for a major grocery store chain while I was in grad school. I ended up doing lots of electric work (20 years ago) and wire nuts was all we knew. I never liked wire nuts that much. So easy to get a wire twisted inside and not making a good connection. When I wired up my new commerical cabinent shop I did it all with WAGO connectors (well mostly). With the WAGO ones I know they are connected and if I need to make changes its so easy. The only thing I didn't use them for was the circuits that were too big for them. I have 100s of them in boxes around my shop and haven't had a single problem in three or four years. WAGOs are really nice for those times when you are connecting solid wire to stranded. Which I did a lot because of conduit. I'd trust a WAGO with stranded&solid wires way more than a wire nut.
The main criticism I’ve got with this video is that there is no testing to back up your opinions. In the UK we don’t have wire nuts (that I know of) so I can’t comment, but we use Wago’s extensively and I’ve had no issues with them (industrial maintenance). I’ve seen tests where they will withstand much higher currents than stated without heating up excessively, and they save so much time as well as providing a reliable and re-useable connector. They will always remain in my toolbox
Our model railroad club has made extensive use of 3- and 4-hole push-in connectors for hooking up 20 AWG "drops" from the rails to the 12 AWG "bus" wires under the benchwork. Of course, these are all low voltage (about 16 volts AC) and low amperage (less than five amps) applications. It has saved hours of time soldering connections. As an added bonus, it is easy to put a number label on the block. I concur that I wouldn't be too keen on using them for 110 applications.
I’m really glad that I stumbled onto this video well spoken and understanding great information and I will continue to tune in and learn all the knowledge I can awesome job. Thank you.
Well as a 30 year electrician I feel cheated that we didn’t those wago connectors sooner. Honestly I don’t think my wrists would be able to keep going if I had to keep twisting wire nuts