Which Splicing Device is Best? Push Ins Vs. Wago Vs. Wirenuts

Summary

This video script offers an in-depth review of common wire splicing devices, highlighting their pros and cons for DIY enthusiasts and electricians. The presenter discusses the Ideal push-and-connector, WAGO 221 connectors, and wire nuts, examining their ease of use, connection quality, and potential issues. The script provides practical advice on their application in various electrical scenarios, emphasizing the importance of correct installation for safety and performance.

Takeaways

• 🔌 The video discusses common mistakes made by DIY enthusiasts when connecting wires and using splicing devices.
• 🔧 The presenter reviews various splicing devices, providing insights on their appropriate use based on research and field feedback.
• 🏷 The push-and-connector made by Ideal is highlighted for its wide range of wire size compatibility (from number 20 to number 12 wire).
• 👍 The Ideal connector's ease of use and visibility through clear plastic is praised for ensuring proper wire seating.
• ⚠️ A drawback of the Ideal connector is the thin metal piece that may lead to higher resistance and heat generation.
• 💡 The presenter's personal experience and electricians' opinions suggest using the Ideal connector for low amperage situations like lighting.
• 🔄 The Waygo 221 is introduced as a versatile splicing device, capable of handling a wide range of wire sizes (from 24 gauge to number 12 wire).
• 🔗 The Waygo 221's lever system is commended for its secure wire connection and ease of wire removal for adjustments.
• 🔥 A potential issue with the Waygo 221 is the possibility of overheating due to limited surface contact between wires, causing varying opinions among electricians.
• 🛠 The Wire Nut is the most commonly used splicing device in the United States, valued for its good connection and low resistance.
• 👁️ The Wire Nut's lack of visibility under the nut is a con, as it doesn't allow for easy verification of the connection quality.
• 🛑 The video concludes with a recommendation to choose between Wire Nuts and Waygo 221 based on the specific situation and DIY capabilities.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The video focuses on discussing and evaluating different types of wire splicing devices, their advantages and disadvantages, and their appropriate use cases based on the presenter's research and field experience.

What are the common mistakes DIY-ers make when connecting wires?

The video mentions that DIY-ers often make mistakes when using splicing devices, but the specific mistakes are not detailed in the provided transcript. The video aims to address these issues by reviewing various splicing devices.

What is the brand of the push and connector discussed in the video?

The push and connector discussed in the video is made by Ideal.

What wire sizes can the Ideal push and connector handle?

The Ideal push and connector can handle wire sizes ranging from number 20 wire all the way up to number 12 wire.

What is the advantage of the clear plastic in the Ideal push and connector?

The clear plastic allows users to see inside the connector and verify that the wires are fully seated at the top of the connector, ensuring a proper connection.

What is a potential issue with the metal piece in the Ideal push and connector?

The metal piece in the connector is relatively thin, which results in less surface contact between the wires, leading to higher resistance and more heat generation.

What is the Way Go 221 and how does it work?

The Way Go 221 is a type of splicing device that works by lifting levers to open holes for wire insertion. Once the wires are in place, the levers are flipped down to clamp the wires securely.

What is the strip gauge on the Way Go 221 used for?

The strip gauge on the Way Go 221 indicates the exact amount of insulation to strip off the wiring to ensure a good connection.

What is a potential drawback of the Way Go 221 mentioned in the video?

A potential drawback is that if the device is not properly installed and gets caught on wires or the box, it can accidentally flip open a lever, leading to a loose wire connection.

What is the wire nut and how does it provide a connection between wires?

The wire nut is a commonly used splicing device in the United States. It has a metal coil inside that provides a good connection between wires and helps to hold the wire nut and wires together.

What is the advantage of using wire nuts in terms of resistance and heat?

Wire nuts provide a large surface contact area between the wires, which results in lower resistance and less heat generation compared to some other splicing devices.

What is a potential issue with wire nuts in terms of installation?

Wire nuts are not as DIY-friendly because users cannot see the connection underneath them. If not installed correctly, wires may fall out, leading to potential issues.

What is the recommendation for using Wago connectors in boxes?

When installing Wago connectors in boxes, it is recommended to place your thumb across the levers to ensure they do not get caught on wires or the box, preventing the levers from flipping open accidentally.

In what types of boxes does the presenter usually use wire nuts?

The presenter typically uses wire nuts in junction boxes, receptacle boxes, and other similar applications, but not in the places where other devices are more suitable.

What is the presenter's opinion on the future of the Way Go 221 in the United States?

The presenter believes that the Way Go 221 will continue to gain popularity in the United States as they innovate and upgrade the devices, and as more people become aware of their existence.

Outlines

00:00

🔌 Common Splicing Devices Review

The speaker begins by addressing common mistakes made in DIY electrical wiring and proceeds to evaluate various splicing devices. They discuss the Ideal push-and-connector, highlighting its wide wire size range and ease of use. The device's ability to visually confirm wire seating and test amperage is praised. However, concerns are raised about the thin metal piece causing higher resistance and potential heating issues. The speaker shares personal experience, recommending the device for low amperage applications like lighting but not for junction or receptacle boxes.

05:01

🛠 Wago 221 Splicing Device Analysis

The second paragraph delves into the Wago 221, a lever-based splicing device that accommodates a broad range of wire sizes from 24 gauge to 12 gauge. The speaker appreciates the clear view of wire seating and the strip gauge's guidance on insulation stripping. They also mention the device's versatility in solid and stranded wire connections. Despite some electricians' concerns about overheating, the speaker acknowledges mixed experiences. A significant drawback is the possibility of levers flipping open unintentionally due to improper installation or physical interference, leading to loose wire connections. The speaker advises on installation techniques to prevent such issues and notes the device's popularity in commercial settings for its ease of use.

10:01

🔩 Wire Nuts: Pros, Cons, and Usage

The final paragraph focuses on wire nuts, a prevalent splicing device in the United States. The speaker explains the wire nut's construction, including a coil that ensures a tight connection and secure hold. They advocate for pre-twisting wires before using wire nuts and spinning the nut until a braid forms beneath it, indicating a good connection. While wire nuts provide lower resistance and heat due to extensive surface contact, they are criticized for being less DIY-friendly due to the inability to visually confirm connections. The speaker also notes that improper installation can lead to wires falling out. They discuss the space considerations when using wire nuts in boxes and share their personal preference for using them in junction and receptacle boxes, acknowledging the growing popularity of other devices.

Keywords

💡DIY-ers

DIY-ers refers to individuals who engage in do-it-yourself projects, often without professional training. In the context of the video, DIY-ers are making mistakes when connecting wires or using splicing devices, which is the main focus of the video's critique and advice.

💡Splicing Devices

Splicing devices are tools used to connect electrical wires without soldering. The video discusses various types of these devices, their advantages, and potential pitfalls when used by DIY-ers in electrical projects.

💡Wire Connector

A wire connector, such as the push and connector mentioned, is a device that secures and connects wires together. The video script evaluates the effectiveness and appropriate use cases for different types of wire connectors.

💡Amperage

Amperage is the rate of electric charge flow, measured in amperes. The video describes testing amperage through a splicing device to ensure a proper connection, highlighting the importance of knowing the electrical load on connections.

💡Resistance

Resistance in the context of electrical engineering is the measure of the opposition to the flow of electric current. The script mentions how certain splicing devices can have higher resistance, leading to more heat generation, which is a potential issue.

💡Wire Gauge

Wire gauge refers to the standard numerical sizes of electrical wires. The video explains that different splicing devices can accommodate various wire gauges, which is crucial for selecting the right tool for a specific wiring task.

💡Stranded Wire

Stranded wire consists of a number of small wires twisted together to provide flexibility. The script discusses how some splicing devices can connect both solid core and stranded wires, which is important for versatility in electrical work.

💡Wire Nut

A wire nut is a common splicing device used to twist and secure wires together. The video script explains the process of using wire nuts, their benefits, and potential downsides, such as not being able to visually inspect the connection.

💡Junction Box

A junction box is an electrical box that contains spliced connections between electrical wires. The video mentions the use of wire nuts in junction boxes, which is a common application where secure connections are essential.

💡Commercial Applications

Commercial applications refer to the use of tools or devices in a business or industrial setting. The script highlights how some splicing devices are favored in commercial settings for their ease of use and quick installation.

💡Heat Generation

Heat generation is the production of heat as a byproduct of electrical resistance. The video discusses how certain splicing devices can generate more heat due to less surface contact, which is a concern for long-term reliability.

Highlights

The video discusses common mistakes made by DIY enthusiasts when connecting wires and using splicing devices.

The presenter will evaluate various splicing devices based on research and field feedback, suggesting optimal usage scenarios.

The Ideal push-and-connector is introduced, capable of handling wire sizes from number 20 to number 12.

The push-and-connector's ease of use is demonstrated, with a clear plastic window for wire seating verification.

A potential drawback of the push-and-connector is the thin metal piece that may lead to higher resistance and heat generation.

The presenter's personal experience with push-and-connectors is limited to low amperage situations like lighting.

WAGO 221 connectors are highlighted for their wide wire size range and clear view of wire seating.

WAGO 221 allows for easy connection between solid core and stranded wires, enhancing versatility.

The ease of modifying WAGO 221 connections for servicing or adding outlets is emphasized.

A concern with WAGO 221 is the potential for the connection to open unintentionally if not properly seated.

Wire nuts are the most commonly used splicing device in the United States, offering a good connection with lower resistance.

Wire nuts provide a secure connection, especially when wires are pre-twisted before insertion.

Wire nuts are not as DIY-friendly due to the inability to visually confirm the connection quality.

The size of wire nuts can be a disadvantage when space is limited in junction or receptacle boxes.

Wire nuts are favored for their reliability in junction and receptacle boxes when installed correctly.

The video concludes with a comparison of WAGO and wire nuts, suggesting the choice depends on the specific situation and personal preference.

The presenter encourages viewers to like the video and share their thoughts in the comments for further discussion.

Transcripts

a few months ago I posted a video

showing some of the bigger mistakes that

diy-ers make when connecting wires

together or using splicing devices so

I'm going to be going through each one

of the splicing devices or I should say

some of the more common splicing devices

that people are using or that are

available and based on everything that

I've researched and what I've heard from

folks out in the field I'll give you my

opinion as far as maybe where they

should be used more maybe where they

should be used less or maybe where you

just shouldn't use them at all so let's

go ahead and Jump Right In let's go all

right so I'm going to start off by

talking about this push and connector

and it is made by ideal now getting into

the pros of this one of the nice things

about this is that it can handle a

pretty wide array of wire sizes in this

case this one can go all the way from

number 20 wire all the way up to number

12 wire so the way that this works is

it's pretty easy you've got your holes

here on the bottom side and you just

take your wiring and you just push it up

inside of each of those holes and what's

nice about this is you can see inside of

there through this clear plastic that

you have it all the way seated up in the

top of this connector now this metal

goes all the way across this connector

and this is what's going to then Supply

Power from whichever wire is supplying

the power to the remaining wires that

are inserted into this so let's say this

is the wire that's supplying the power

we'll just take our next wire if we want

to connect these two together and all

you got to do is like the first one is

just push it up inside until it seats

all the way up into the top top so now

these two wires are connected by using

the splicing device now if you see this

little Channel that's right here and if

we flip it up to the top side you can

see this little hole here what's nice

about that is you can actually insert a

probe in there so that while this is

being energized you can stick a probe in

there and test to see what kind of

amperage you have running into this

splicing device now to get into some of

the cons of this we talked about that

piece of metal that's going in between

all the wires that's what actually

connects them on these particular

devices that metal is pretty thin so

that doesn't provide a whole lot of

surface contact between the wires and

that metal which leads to a little bit

higher resistance which also leads then

to them heating up a little bit more now

in the limited amount of occasions where

I have used these they're typically

going to be in your low amperage

situations I've really only used them in

lighting situations and so far they've

done a really good job and in those

situations I'm not worried about using

them at all I just personally and the

electricians I've talked to don't really

trust these enough in order to install

them in say your junction boxes or

receptacle boxes so now let's talk about

the way go 221 now the way that these

juegos work is you've got these levers

here on top and you've also got these

little holes here these are the inputs

for the wires so in order to insert the

wire all you have to do is lift up on

these levers and that now opens up those

holes there and then you just take your

wiring you put it up inside of that

input there and what I like to do is I

like to turn it over here to the bottom

side one thing that's really really nice

about these is I have a clear view of

everything that's going on as far as

where that wire is at I can see it's

fully seated up in the top so once I

verified that it's in place all I have

to do then is just flip that lever down

and now it's clamped into place and it

would take a lot of force I've tried it

will take a lot of force in order to be

able to pull that out of there so then

in order to make a connection between

this wire and a second wire all I have

to do is again I just flip it upside

down insert it in make sure it's seated

where it needs to be and flip that lever

down and now they're both locked in

place and now these two wires are

connected so then if we flip it over

here on this side you'll see here this

is actually a strip gauge it's going to

tell you exactly how much insulation to

strip off of the wiring to make sure

that you're going to get that good

connection that you're wanting if we

flip it over here to the other side and

it also tells us our wiring sizes that

this can accept so this one can go all

the way down to 24 gauge or number 24

wire and then all the way up to number

12 or 12 gauge wire so that's a very

large range which is another really nice

thing about these wagos is that you

don't have to have a ton of different

ones especially for residential wiring

in order to use them for your wiring

needs now another really big Pro to

these is the different kinds of wiring

that you can use with them so you can

take your solid core like we've had

installed and just install that and then

what you can do is you can take a

stranded wire and if you're wanting to

connect solid core to stranded all you

got to do is just like the solid core

insert it up inside verify that it's

seated the way that you want and then

flip that lever down so now without a

doubt you've got a very good connection

between a solid core wire and a stranded

wire now another really nice feature

about these juegos is that they make

things a lot simpler to do so if you

have to come back maybe you have to do

some service to your wiring or maybe

you're adding an outlet and you need to

have more spots for wires all you got to

do is lift up all those levers pull all

your wires out and then get a larger

Wego and then just install all of your

wires whether you need three four five

whatever it may be e it's very quick and

easy to swap out

but now let's get into some of the

possible negatives so let's flip this

over to the back so again this bar here

is what's supplying the power between

the wires and since there's not a whole

lot of surface contact between each of

these wires and the wires themselves

that ultimately leads to higher

resistance which in turn leads to higher

heat Now is it going to be enough heat

to cause a huge problem well that

depends on who you ask because I got

plenty of feedback from electricians

that found these to overheat and

actually cause a big issue but then you

also talk to a bunch of electricians

that have had no issues whatsoever so I

guess it depends on who you ask and what

their experience is but probably the

biggest con that I've come across and

this is totally understandable is if we

flip this over let's say that you've

installed this because a lot of times

the reason devices fail is because they

were installed incorrectly but let's say

that you installed this correctly you

verify to everything is exactly the way

that it should they're all clamped down

but when people have pushed these into

the back of the box they found that

they've caught on some of those wires or

they've caught on the box themselves and

the installer just didn't notice that it

happened but it gets caught on one of

those things and it actually flips open

one of these levers and then it's just

left that way unbeknownst to the

installer well now we've got a big

problem because with this being wide

open gravity itself can just pull this

wire out it's not going to take hardly

any Force whatsoever to pull a wire out

of this connection if this lever is up

and so we're going to have a really big

problem there with having a loose wire

in a box so my best advice for if you're

going to use these is when you go to

push them into the back of the box put

your thumb across those levers and until

it's seated where you want it to be

leave your thumb on those levers just to

make sure that nothing can get caught on

them and they can't be be pulled open

once you've got it seated in the box

where you want it and you've got it

pushed back in there then you can let go

and for the most part you can be rest

assured that these are going to stay

connected the way that they should be

for a very long time now where my

electrician friends love using these

things especially is in commercial

applications in big box stores for

instance they're constantly having to

change out the ballast up in those

lights so these things again for the

same reasons they're super easy they

just flip those up pull the wiring out

install the new ballast plug them in and

again it's all just plug and play

they're in and out of there in no time

another place where I've been using

these on occasion is I have used them in

receptacle boxes or junction boxes in

the event that it's limited on space so

this is a really cool device with a lot

of upside hey really quickly before I

get into the next controversial subject

if you're finding value in this video

and you're finding it to be helpful if

you could do me a huge favor hit that

thumbs up button right down below it

really does help the video out to spread

out to other people and hopefully be

able to help them out as well I really

appreciate it let's get back into it so

now we're going to talk about the wire

nut and at least here in the United

States this is by far the most installed

splicing device when doing wiring so the

way that these work is if we flip this

upside down you can see up inside of

here that piece of metal that's up in

there that's like a spring or a coil and

that's used for in my opinion it's used

for two purposes number one it just

provides another way to provide a really

good connection between all the wires

that are inserted into this wire nut the

other thing is that coil that's up in

there will also help to bite into the

wiring so it's going to help hold this

wire nut on and it's also going to help

hold that wiring together once it's up

inside of there now in order to make

sure that this is done correctly you

want to make sure that you keep spinning

it and it's going to start getting tight

so what I'd like to do is I I like to

keep spinning it until I get a decent

little braid down here below the wire

nut by having this braiding down below

the wire nut what that's going to tell

me is more than likely I have a nice

joint forming underneath of this wire

nut or those wires are wrapping into or

around each other the way that they

should be in order to have a good

connection so I'll show you what that

means I'll take this wire nut off

and as you can see the wires are wanting

to wrap around each other the way that

they should but if you're like me and so

many electricians what usually is done

is you'll put your wires up next to each

other and then take a set of lineman

pliers and pre-twist these wires

together and then I would take my wire

nut put it on top and tighten it down

nice and tight another really big Pro

and I think why many people still are

using wire nuts especially here in the

US is because once you remove that wire

nut if we look at this again look at all

the surface contact that those wires are

making with each other this is going to

provide for lower resistance and much

lower heat now let's talk about some of

the cons of using a wire nut because

they're not perfect either like I

mentioned earlier you can't see

underneath of this wire nut to make sure

that you're making a good connection and

everything's being connected the way

that it should be so this is not quite

as DIY friendly as some of these devices

that I showed before where you can

clearly see up underneath and through

that plastic that you are making a good

connection

so if this is not installed correctly

what can end up happening is like we

talked about a little while ago wires

can just fall out and you can have a big

issue another con to using wire nuts is

especially when you're connecting a lot

of wires together the bigger the wire

nut is going to be so it takes up more

space in your boxes now as far as

applications where I'm using these if

you've watched many of my previous

videos you'll know that I use these the

most so I'm using these in junction

boxes I'm using them in receptacle boxes

I'm using them just about anywhere other

than the places where I told you I'm

using some of the other devices now

that's not to say that these other

devices aren't any good I'm not saying

that at all but as far as the way goes I

can definitely see how it's going to

continue to gain in popularity here in

the United States especially the more

that they innovate and upgrade these and

especially the more that people become

exposed to them because a lot of people

don't even know that these exist still

so overall again I don't see any reason

to really buy the push-ins it would be

between juegos and the wire nuts and

it's really up to you which one you

think is better for whatever situation

that you have going on super DIY

friendly easy to install has some

potential downsides to it but overall

has a good track record when they're

installed correctly the wire nut not

quite as DIY friendly but it's still

very easy to install especially if

following the directions and installing

it correctly you know that you're going

to have a good connection for many many

many years

hey if you like other electrical

projects like I did here today I've done

a bunch of those in the past I'll post

some links right over here that you can

click on to take you directly to those

videos so I hope this video was helpful

or entertaining if it was please do me a

huge favor hit that thumbs up button

right down below and of course again if

you have any questions or comments you

can leave those down in the comment

section as well and I'll catch you all

in the next one see ya