I always twist beforehand. Just the way I was taught. Also only use 3m multicolor wire nuts. They hold better than any others I've used. Can't say whether it's right or wrong. It works for me.
As an apprentice I had an old timer show me. That's a one heck of a solid way to tie wire together. If I remember correctly, the wires cross then fold back on each other and twist, so that there is two separate twists, one wire twisting on the other. I don't know if I said that well enough.
When I do stranded, I spread apart the strands fanning them out. Then I lay one fanned strand on top of the other and twist. It kind of braids them together and forms a really strong joint. Then wirenut or solder.
If the stranded wire isn't hot, I'll hand twist it then put the wire nut on. If it is hot, I'll just let the wire nut do it's job. I'm not a fan of wagos except for solid wire. Currently I use only stranded wire for what I do and hand twisting them together seems to give a good, solid connection.
Im a big fan of wagos, but after a lighting Reno job where I was using them on stranded, I decided to stop. I didn't have any failures, but I really didn't like the connection that stranded made in a wagos.
Maybe I stripped to much insulation off, maybe i didn't hold my tongue right, who knows. But until I find a way to use stranded in a wagos and not feel shaky about the connection, im gonna have to stick with wire nuts.
Solid wires twist around themselves better than stranded.
I twist the hell out of my nuts and I once returned to a job I did and had a wire nut pretty much fall out of a JB I opened. Since then I don't trust stranded connections as much as solid.
I wouldn't have thought it could have ever happened to me. It left me wondering if the stranded wire wants to untwist or something.
When I do stranded, I spread apart the strands fanning them out. Then I lay one fanned strand on top of the other and twist. It kind of braids them together and forms a really strong joint. Then wirenut or solder.
That's what I do too. Hand twist, clip to length, Wirenut on. I had problems getting Wirenuts to start (3M tan/reds) when using my linemans to twist stranded wires. No clue why, but I hand twist as it makes me feel better than just lining up the wires and cranking the nut on. I also pre-twist solid, so there's that too.
That's what I do too. Hand twist, clip to length, Wirenut on. I had problems getting Wirenuts to start (3M tan/reds) when using my linemans to twist stranded wires. No clue why, but I hand twist as it makes me feel better than just lining up the wires and cranking the nut on. I also pre-twist solid, so there's that too.
I think if I caught someone using a western union splice and then soldering it, I would get their money. Reminds me of the hipster my daughter saw in Brooklyn using an old style typewriter while sitting on the sidewalk. :laughing:
I used to use western unions all the time. To splice tracer wire for buried plastic pipes gas/water. Don't anymore though , since going on my own it's a butt splice and a heat shrink way faster !!
As far as putting connections together.... Twist solids together. And stranded places together trim to same length and spin on wire nut
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