Watching the screw clamp down on the stranded wire without fraying was super satisfying. Always used solid wire pigtails now I know it is possible to do a clean install with multi wire . Thanks for the tip.
Exactly what I was looking for. I couldn't figure out how to keep the strands from slipping out of the screw. I pinched them with the end of my wire stripper and it worked perfectly 👍
Usually don’t comment on here, even less often on these types of videos, BUT! With this tip, I have to drop in and say thanks for the video and the tip!
I’m in electrical trade school and I’ve been struggling to find out how to wire with stranded because without twisting it or anything, a few of the strands will stick out and it’ll be a bad termination. I really appreciate this video and I’ll probably try it sometime and see if I can get a hang of it
Thank you so much! Like others who have commented, I've been struggling with this issue and have been toying with the idea of soldering the wire ends, probably not a legal or safe way to fix wires before attaching to the receptacle/outlet; and the idea of using ferrules--also unsure if they are legal for home electrical wiring. This is prefect, legal, safe, and simple. Brilliant!
NEC allows for appropriately sized crimp on terminals as long as the manufacturer of the receptacle allows their use. You can solder if you like, but when dealing with stranded, I like to crimp on fork terminals.
sure wish I'd seen this before I stripped the wires. Excellent way to make the connection easily without struggling with stray wires escaping out from under the terminal screw.
I would’ve left the wire jacket on the end a bit longer, like 1” and then taped that to the wire to prevent it from slipping off. Same length on the copper, but longer jacket sleeve. Hell just solder the tips of the wire😂
Thanks so much for this video! Exactly what I needed as I was panicked after opening up an old receptacle and seeing thin stranded ground. Was feeling helpless until now!
I'm DYI hack and i had to replace a GFCI outlet in my kitchen. The wire in the outlet box is stranded and i struggled to form it around the terminal screws without breaking the strands. I have two other GFCI outlets to replace and will use your suggestion next time. I was going buy some fork terminals, but this sounds like a better and cheaper method. Thanks for the tip. 😊
They didn’t exist when this video was made, but Leviton makes outlets with a lever connection similar to Wago connectors which handle stranded wire just fine.
This tip helps but if I am working inside an electrical box with limited wire length and a small space then there is a problem. In Mexico they use a lot of stranded wire and I am having this problem where I want to change a switch inside an electrical box, and with wire that is old and brittle. Actually, the solution to reducing the problem of having the wire strands break apart is to use crimp CONNECTORS with a professional crimping tool. And never overtwist wire that is old and brittle. The individual strands will break apart.
heat shrink over the old brittle wires, then splice on pigtails. I have always hated stake-on(crimp) terminals in anything but machinery/control cabinets and the chances of getting junk quality terminals is far too great.
Thank you, was running into this issue today and this helps big time. Most of my wires are 10 and 12 guage going into the terminal. Will the thicker wire cause issues?
I need to replace a 3" section of 18g stranded copper wire. My choices are solid copper wire or, I guess, nickel stranded wire. Which one should I use?
you ideally don't strip it as far up from the end, so when it's partially stripped, the wire strands are left a short way up inside the insulation and not flush/exposed at the tails end. also wrap electrical tape around the wire and the tail, so it cannot slide off leaving a section of bare conductor. it's wise to tape wrap the whole device to keep any stray strands from sneaking out in future rework. especially if you do any of it "live".
dont the newer outlets have it where the wire just slides under a plate and is pinched down by the screw, rather then hooked around? (like you would on the ground screw)
@@TheYankmchain you could do that. A lot of commercially available pigtails are tinned over like you're saying. I wouldn't for the simple fact that it's another mistake waiting to happen
@@TakeItEasyGuy1994 I've since, for a project in process, secured Leviton recepticles with pressure plates and they worked fabulously with my stranded 12/3.
That's actually a code violation. Using a fork connector is not a UL listed or approved way to make a connection. It also adds another failure point. Id be very surprised if any inspector would pass the work if he came across crimped fork connections on receptacles
@@theelite1x721987 exactly! most people don't get that and the terminals they use are often current limiting garbage quality or of poor metallurgy that has galvanic reactions and corrodes! it's wise to note, the devices MUST also be rated for stranded wiring. I don't keep track of what is/isn't now days, but much is cheap junk, so probably only "spec. grade/commercial devices" ( higher cost)
@@suspicionofdeceit This depends on whether the conductor is a copper one or an aluminum one. In Russia copper conductors with the cross section of up to 10 sq. mm can be whether single- or multi-strand ones, 16 sq. mm and greater are all multi-stranded. For aluminum conductors those numbers are respectively 35 and 50 sq. mm.
Lol. Nope. The receptacles are not rated for crimped fork connectors. What you call "proper" is actually not a UL approved connection and violates code. Good luck getting your crimped connectors passed by any inspector
@@theelite1x721987 there's multiple ways to wire these. Not all receptacles are rated for use with crimp forks, but some are. I've never had a issue with the inspector.
@@Joe-rh4bd very few are. By code, we must only utilize the receptacles in manners in which they are listed. My local inspectors never want to see them, and any master electrician I've asked told me only hacks use those. The issue they have with them is you add another point of failure. And to be honest, a whole lot of people don't make the best crimp connections or use shoddy tools for it. Use that crimp connection on a circuit with a microwave drawing current and you'll be called back in a few months
You are definitely not one. These receptacles are approved for use with stranded wire, and this is the way you would connect it. A real electrician would know this. You can tin your stranded wire if you want, but time is money. When you have a few hundred connections to make you aren't gonna tin them all. There is no need.
