The BIGGEST Mistakes DIYers Don't Know They Are Making When Installing Metal Electrical Boxes 

Have you ever seen any of these mistakes made in this video? Hopefully this was insightful. If you know of other common mistakes made, feel free to list them here. Never know when I may feature them in a future video! 😎

My Dad was an electrician , and many times I would help him on jobs in the summer, and when it got to point where he could trust me to rough in a box ( they were ALL metal back when the dinosaurs roamed the earth!), Dad ALWAYS made sure I grounded the box with a crimped on copper terminal screwed to the box. Dad made sure it was done right! All these years later, I STILL remember that. Thanks Dad.

That’s some great advice. In Bulgaria where I live, metal junction boxes are not that common in households. However, water heater switches are pretty often installed in metal boxes. Which can make it even more dangerous if the water becomes dangerous. Greatly explained, Sir.

Thanks for all the extra work! All these diy folks gonna be calling electricians after they burn half their house down thinking they are now qualified electricians cause a few youtube videos

Thanks for the info buddy. The grounding screw on a metal box I will be installing for my finished basement project could've been something I forgot. Now it's etched in my brain to not forget. Have a blessed day and work safe brother.

On new work, I install those pre-made ground pigtails in each metal box ahead-of-time (and "Z" them out of the way). It beats fighting through other wires to get to the back of the box with the screw.

Interesting to see the differences... Here in the Netherlands, you would typically see only plastics used in residential installations for boxes, conduits, sockets, switchgear and consumer units. Wagos are, of course, well loved over here too. Wire nuts, though still available, are a thing of the past. Those you cannot trust DIYers to get right and the pros have long gone the way of the Wago because of the time savings they offer.

Thanks for educating me as I am putting new outlets in metal box for the first time, only dealt with plastic boxes in the past

Tightening the loop of ground wire around a loose grounding screw literally made this video worth much more time than I spent watching. Thanks!

Thank you for these videos. The biggest takeaway for me was using the stripper to make the hook to go around the screw. I was using needle nose to do it, and it wasn’t always easy to get the curve right. Everything else will help, too!

Excellent video. Exactly what I needed to help overcome my discomfort working with electrical.

Thanks for all your work! Lots of stuff I did not learn at my tech school... plus even plumbing vids! (As a landlord, very useful)

One thing I learned the hard way to do is to check those Romex clamps for casting burrs that can cut into the Romex; I had to replace 30 feet of Romex after that lesson, when I turned on the breaker and ...BOOM...the breaker tripped and the Romex was damaged right at the clamp, leaving it too short to use.

Great video, thank you. One thing on the 12awg and 14awg combo. Wire sizing is sometimes upsized due to length of run to avoid voltage drops. Personally I'm running power to my garden ~150' away from the breaker box. I'm running... i forget, 10 or 12 for the main run, but intend to use one size down in the boxes or the branches. It can handle the amprage, just would cause a problematic voltage drop over the distance. Either way, still an excellent video and I've certainly learned some.

I love good videos like this with good close- up photography, clean explanations, and just the right amount of information. 👍

Thank you for this video! You probably saved me from a future headache. I'm just a DIYer and I made the ground wire mistake. Going out to fix it now.

Another topic that warrants a separate video is box fill limitations and requirements. I’ll bet that many DIYers aren’t familiar with this.

Code Table 210.24 allows 20A branch circuit taps to be 14ga wire.

The grounding hole is not always raised. It is sometimes one of "mounting " holes. It's usually a little smaller and threaded. Lots of fun on a box mounted to wood. You either have to hang it off the stud for clearance or make clearance before mounting. Those green screws do not drill into wood very well and it will seem tight but is not all the way tight against the wire. Always wiggle that ground once you think it is "tight" to be sure! The boxes with a bump are preferred because the clearance is built in, but you don't always get what you want at the store!

FINALLY! A RU-vid video that actually cuts to the chase pretty quickly, and gives you good, concise, quick (and hopefully complete) information. Well done!

Thank you for your video. I have been doing some electrical work at home and rewiring our garage with new breaker box and all. I didn't realize grounding the box would prevent electric shock and other problems. I'm going to fix mine first thing in the morning. Thank you for the advice.

Just for clarification, if the incoming line carrying the power is #14 (common in an existing home), it's fine to use #14 or #12 coming off the Wago. I could see someone misunderstanding what you said as all the wires need to be the same size when they need to be as big or bigger than the source wire.

Whew! I have been doing it right all these years. This is a great go to video to show friends that want to try their own. The mistakes I found in my home after I bought it were a bit unsafe. Just subbed.

I would like to hear you talk about all, or the common, ways to ground that metal box. What I mean is the options for what it can be grounded to. Helpful vid, thanks!

Excellent video. This is how how-to videos should be made. Clear and concise instruction, excellent camera angle(s), and well explained throughout. Thanks!

Great educational videos! Well presented with superior production values! Good job!

Really good, stuff. If I might add, the three neutrals marretted together, should be twisted a few more times so the “twist” is confirmed-viewable from below the barrel of the marrette

Per your discussion of the #14 jumper mated up with #12 conductors, in the common connector: As long as the supplying circuit breaker has a 15 amp trip-rating, and the connector in the box is properly rated for either #12 or #14 conductors, the #14 jumper connecting the utilization equipment would be okay in my opinion. In a lengthy branch circuit, #12 NM wire might be 15 amp protected to reduce line loss.

I started using Wagos quite a bit recently. They're very convenient, but I've discovered that the levers can pop open very easily when you're pushing everything back in the box. Bad design flaw. I'm tempted to start taping them shut, but then why not just go back to wire nuts? So be sure to visually inspect your Wagos before you button things up.

Loved the video!! Gave me some good reminders on what to look for. I was concerned in that I'm updating some of light switches and plan on using the Wagos. On your image for your video there are words "DONT USE" and pointing at the Wago. Now I see it was about the smaller wire.

as an Electrician apprentice I have to shoot you major respect. I caught 2/3 and didn't catch the 12 gauge wire. Thank you for making some of us be better at our craft and home owners safer. At first glance, even my mentor didn't spot that gauge difference first. Although at second look, he did spot it... I didn't. Again...thank you. Much respect to trade and major respect to you.

Love these Wago clips, and I do wrap them with electrical tape to keep the little switches in place.

I am not an electrician, but the tips and techniques you demonstrate I use and I know then I'm doing it right.

Simple, concise, common sense. I am a DIYer, but I've always preferred a mechanical connection(twisted wire) with a proper sized wire nut. Thank you for your simple good advice.

I have found over the years that when using the two screw connector can cause a dead short or a high resistance short if the screws are tightened too tight. Unfortunately they may not be found until after the rough-in is complete and power is applied. A high resistance short when coupled to a GFI circuit can be a bear to find. This goes for any metallic connector. The 2 screw connectors must be tightened very carefully and until the cable does not slip on a tug test. Over torquing can be almost impossible to find once the drywall is in place!!

The connectors you're referring to are not meant for stain relief it is meant to protect the wire from shorting on the metal box. Propper stappling of the wire before entering the box is wear you get the strain relief from. Also, the tap rule does allow for different wire gauges' to be used. A common Method to avoid voltage drop is to run #10 wire throughout and then switch to #12 at the device location.

No fluff, easy to understand, great flow of information (no pauses, ums or uhs), AND you know the right names for the parts you are demonstrating! Great job, man! I'm now a subscriber!

Great vid. For the pigtails, don’t bury them under the feed conductors.

Another thing I would point out is to just snug the clamp down on the metal NM connector. Over tightening the clamp can damage the cable causing a short circuit. I do agree they are the best connector and use them myself, just don’t over tighten them. I’ve been a journeyman electrician for 38 years.

Always learn something watching your videos and reading the comments. Thanks.

You explain things very clearly and succinctly. Thank you.

Should also warn against overtightening the metal romex clamps. I went through a bunch of shorts before figuring out the perfect clamping force.

I agree the things you pointed out are rather common code violations I run into as well. I must also add that there is no requirement in the National Electrical Code that the grounding screw must be green. The only bonding screw the code specifies to be green is a screw that is used for the main or system bonding jumper in panelboards and and other similar equipment. These green screws for the box type in the video are just a convenience product that works great for the application but is no requirement to use this specific product. Also the particular style of non metallic cable clamp you showed in the video is intended to be installed from the inside of the box. It is designed that way to take less space in the box. Most common places I use that one is in those shallow light and fan outlet boxes or maybe when fishing a cable into a box or cabinet that is flush in the wall and would be difficult to install a connector from the outside of the box.

I do hvac and always use metal boxes. I also use wire nuts. That's just what I'm comfortable with. I do pre twist the wires now after watching another one of your videos. Just seems like it's a safer thing to do even though I've never had wires come loose.

Thank you for separating "SHOCKED" from "ELECTRICUTED". It's so aggravating when someone says, "OW! I just got ELECTRICUTED!" To which I would reply, "Really? Then how are you telling me?" lol Great video, btw. Thanks!

The min. allowed dimension of the wire depends on the circuit breaker and the loop impedance. If you use a 10A or smaller circuit breaker there can still be different wire-types mixed together because of the voltage drop (here we often have 4mm² until the last box and then 2,5mm³ to sockets (16A breaker) or 1,5mm² to lamps (13A breaker), all depending on your loop impendance). You always have to know the max. current on that circuit and note the diameter in the distribution plan. And measure the loop impedance at the very end.

The number one thing I've been encountering is the electrical box left uncovered. And, they didn't leave any screws in the box for the cover to be replaced. I wish you had mentioned that and the kind/size of the replacement cover plate screws. Great information all the way around. Thanks.

I ran into two of the issues you are illustrating. First, the metal octagon box I encountered and got shocked from didn’t have the bonding screw connecting the ground wire to the box. Second, it did have a metal romex connector installed but the wire was in at a steep angle and the installer tightened the clamp too tight, cutting into the hot wire and electrifying the box! I wasn’t working on that circuit but just bumped my elbow into it with a surprise! So lesson is, when using the metal wire clamps make sure to run the wire straight into the center and don’t over tighten!

The best way to ground that 4-square box (or any metal box) is to take the ground wire from the "hot" into the box, wrap it around the ground screw (but don't cut it.) It comes into the box, around the ground screw and continues to the wire nut UNCUT. That way the ground wire is not cut before it is connected to the box and if/when the wire nut is removed, your box is still grounded. If your inspector likes to see a ground clip without removing the cover, ground box as described above. Then pigtail the ground, using the pigtail for the ground clip.

I've followed you for a while, and honestly, you have busted me on a few issues; I'm so glad you have. If I'm going to do the job, I want it done right. Thank you very much for the great videos.

I was taught to pre-twist all connections and in my area it is code with solid copper wire. You don't have to twist stranded wire but I still do. It takes 3 seconds and you know your connection was tight and proper before you cap it. The other thing which you didn't show here is tapping your connections. It is another piece of mind step and for those who don't pre-twist wires or use connectors the tapping will keep the nut in place if something did move, nut failed, wire slipped. Then you won't have anything able to move and/or arc to the metal box. If I was doing an outlet in a metal box I would tape the outside of the outlet covering all posts. Always tape in the same direction you tightened the nut to the wires. Electrical tape is still cheap and only takes a few seconds.

your videos are really informative, and I really get good info. I have to replace my bathroom fixture myself, and I want to know what size wago would I use. Looking at the wiring it doesn't look that hard. My gfci plug went out so I was going to do this before the power is back on. I would appreciate any help, and thanks.

Classic goodness I learned in high school ‘Basic Electricity’ and slowly forgot as plastic boxes became the norm. Thank you for setting us straight and reminding of details when using metal boxes.

Your video popped up on my channel and I watched it to the end. You do an awesome job of fully explaining while still keeping me interested. I am not an electrician but I have seen myself doing a lot of troubleshooting over the years. I get questions all the time from viewers and friends. I will refer your channel as an excellent guidline. Thanks!

The box bonding screw pigtails... I go nuts! I always have a bunch of 12 and 14 gauge leads made up with soldered terminal lugs on the ends. It's a sickness, really.

Excellent video. Concise and to the point. One thing to add is that the connection is everything. Not pre-twisting sometimes causes wires to pull into or push out of the wirenut. More on that point, wagos provide neither the contact area nor contact pressure for an adequate connection. I have personally found many examples where the heat produced by the inadequate contact of a wago have caused it to melt and catch fire. I even found one that burned through metal ballast cover. They should be illegal.

It’s been a while since I’ve opened a code book, but the multiple gauges on one Wago seems like it would be fine IF the cable run is long enough to have to account for voltage drop. As long as it’s a 15-amp receptacle on a 15-amp breaker, I believe this would be code-compliant. The Wago would have to be listed for both wire sizes too.

You are right, these are common DIY mistakes, also I am with you, a good electrician twist the wires...it is just good workmanship. From the code book, sure, the pig tails to a receptacle should be the same size wire. I will point out that from an engineering point of view, #14 is rated for 12 amps in the tables, but we derate this because it can only do this in short lengths and would result in over heating in all but the shortest runs. We do the same with #12 which can carry 30 amps in short lengths. (look at the tables in the code book and you will notice the footnote about derating both) For that reason, while I would never use a smaller wire, #14 in pigtail length would have no problem with carrying the load and would probably not even get warm. Another good point about the green ground screw for the DIY guy, mounting screws are not allowed for grounding, ever.....but I would rather see it grounded to a mounting screw than not at all!

I have watched 3 of your vids. I’ve been a DIYer for years. Man I was doing it all wrong. Thank you!

I was also taught to “pretwist” the wires, and also to pigtail the outlets. More work, but it makes a difference.

Wire size changes in a circuit happen all the time. As long as the wire ampacity exceeds the breaker there’s no issue with having different gauges of wire in a Wago. In fact one of the massive benefits of Wagos over other other wire nut alternatives is how easy it is to adapt from say 12ga to 16ga. Of course when installing a new breaker and running a new circuit you should just select the appropriate wire gauge. But oftentimes wiring is oversized for the breaker, and the equipment you’re tying in has smaller wiring than the circuit.

Once you have a Wago connector filled, do a wrap of tape around it. It prevents the levers getting caught and potentially releasing the wire.

I appreciate what you’re saying about the #14 used as a pigtail when the circuit is, apparently, 20-amp. However, I had this very discussion with the authority having jurisdiction (the inspector) when he tried to ding me for it. If installing multiple devices on a 20-amp circuit the NEC allows that those devices be rated at 15-amps. Using that logic I argued successfully that my pigtails could be #14. This same inspector once had a conniption when one of our guys didn’t use the code required green grounding screw to bond a metal enclosure. I asked him what the most important part of all this was and he said, “Grounding, of course!” I asked if it was and he said it was but the screw wasn’t green. A 10-32 screw is a 10-32 screw. I’d rather see it grounded with the “wrong” screw than not “because you didn’t want to break that rule.” In our trade there is nothing more important than grounding. Thank you for doing this video!

For bonding, I always leave one ground longer so I can wrap it around the screw and have the same wire continue to the wirenut. One less wire to deal with.

What I would see a lot of people do to fix the ground would be to take advantage of the length of ground wire coming out of the Romex before it gets to the twisting and just wrap that around the ground screw. This would be especially true if they forgot to ground the box. To do so quickly, they'd start the ground screw, pull the wire over to it, give it a short wrap, and tighten down the screw. Technically, this would likely violate the minimum wire length, but it would be functional. If you did it before trimming the wire to twist it, then you could leave enough length from the screw to meet the minimum length.

Small correction: You do not NEED to use a ground screw to ground the box. Article 250.8 A) lists permitted methods for grounding and bonding, #5 is "machine screw-type fasteners that engage not less than two threads or are secured with a nut". So any 10-32, 8-32, 6-32 etc. type screw can be used as long as it engages at least two threads or is secured by a nut. Note you cannot use regular wood or sheet rock screws. With that being said those ground screws are a great option because the wide head makes it easy to grip the wire, but if you don't have them handy, a regular machine screw will satisfy code requirements.

One more thing you might want to mention is putting a push penny; properly a knock out blank; in that open knock out. That opening is how the molten metal spatter from an arcing fault would escape the box and ignite the structure. Knock out blanks come in a couple of different configurations. If the blank isn't listed by a recognized testing laboratory then it must be as thick as the box wall itself. One quite effective expedient is 2 fender washers installed inside and outside the knock out held in place with 1/4-20 hardware. Tom Horne

There was a short period of time in the 1950's where grounded wiring was used but not grounded outlets. The ground wires were connected to the boxes only. My house was done this way so I went around to every outlet with a grounded box, replaced the receptacles with three prong, and used pigtails to connect them to the grounded boxes.

As I can see, In Canada, we have better boxes. The box comes with the larger ground screw and there is a recess on each side of the screw which keeps the wire from going out. Even with your green screw and the fact that you correctly looped the wire around the screw, the wire tends to go out of the screw on the left side. We also have theses green screws but usually, they have something to retain the wire in the receptacle to retain the wire. Nice video and well explained.

When twisting 2-4 wires together I like to hold them with needle nose pliers and twist them together with linesman pliers. Your ground twist is pretty loose.

Here in Canada, ALL our boxes come with bond screws. We don't have to buy anything extra. They do NOT have to be green they just have to be the "proper thread". Also, if your connectors fail (wire nut/wago as you call them - which we frown upon here as they only contact a very small portion of conductor) and the conductor hits the metal box, that's installer error and you shouldn't be touching this type of thing regardless. It, which has been mentioned, is NOT a fire hazard to use a smaller gauge wire. Good example is in motor circuits where you can fuse a 14awg wire at (up to) 1600% of it's ampacity. Usually 300-600% but it can go higher.

Yes, the metal box should be grounded but grounding the box doesn't protect you from getting shocked. What really happens is if the box becomes energized and the box is grounded, then the breaker should trip because it causes a short. If you touch the box before the breaker trips, you will be shocked. Remember, grounding doesn't protect people from getting shocked, it just allows OCPD to operate properly.

If you want to use wagos, make sure to get these 221 lever ones, they are sweet.

In Norway, we always use electrical insulation stocking on the ground wire. And almost only quick-release clamps are used, like Wago.

Great video. I’m running new power to my garage to get more outlets. They previously ran power thru the cinder block. I’m trying to find a video that shows the proper way to bring power from the basement thru to the garage.

Great Job, just wanted to let you know I think you have one of the best approaches and by far the most useful, easy to understand formats of any educational videos on RU-vid. The videos are accurate and explain the necessary information and steps needed to complete the process and installation of the particular project being worked on. The instructions given are simple and easy to follow and there are no unnecessary procedures or tangents to distract or overcomplicate the lesson. You give some different options including the preferred method you like to use for the situation. Most importantly, you make sure the message, "Of what not to do! or this is dangerous BECAUSE!" is pointed out without being overbearing or sounding ridiculous. I think you explain yourself well, giving you credibility for your knowledge of the trade. I typically don't like watching RU-vid videos for many different reasons; the lack of hosts' intelligence and no confidence in the material being discussed. Primarily my main objection is when the teacher of the video tries to be a comedian or brings their personal life into the show. You understand the importance of the lesson and respect the viewer's time. I would like to ask you if you could do a segment on " How To" #1. Wire 3 and 4-way switches power to light/ power to switch, receptacle in the middle. #2 where to start when wiring a lighting circuit and how many rooms and LED fixtures can a 20 amp breaker carry( I know most lighting circuits are 15 amp) #3 a bedroom receptacle circuit. All circuits starting from the panel, like new construction.

I'd be much more concerned with the connectorless wire insulation being cut by the rough edge of the box than the wiring being pulled loose. But, I also put a romex staple within 12" of the box.

point of note to be had for any contractors that do upfits to add these kinds of boxes. the company i work for builds industrial controls and one of the products we make are essentially the control buildings that run chemical plants and similar installations. as such we run all the utility wiring for these buildings and that includes mounting receptacles and lights and all the related conduit and boxes. these metal 4x4 boxes can be purchases with not only the ground screw pre-installed but also with a 8 inch 12 awg green wire already preinstalled as well. just a small time saver a lot of people aren't aware of.

Great video. However as you stated that you have to use a green ground screw. I agree with you on that but code says that you can use a screw that is machine type and color truly doesn't matter. Now for me I am like you, I use green because I have thousands. Your videos are very helpful and I always appreciate a great tradesm. Keep up the good work.

The third most common beginner mistake is to not do a box fill calculation to be sure the box volume is large enough to accommodate the wires, etc. This can be a big problem when adding something on to a preexisting box like a GFCI or more wires to retrofit a new branch for another plug down the line.

DIYer giving electrical advice, love to see it!

Thanks for the content. Good stuff. Suggestion for future content: an electrician is coming tomorrow for a kitchen remodel ... consult. (They will do the work another day.) What are things I can consider and do to GET THE MOST OUT OF AN ELECTRICIAN - quality work, productivity, and EXPERTISE included? Sure, there is no-brainer stuff like clearing a path to the panel, but I was surprised to hear from an expert to NOT clean the area too much as it might hide clues when troubleshooting problems. Should I have a laundry list of other items that could be picked up, or should I limit the "extras" to just one or two? What do you encounter that customers could do to make your job easier? What have customers done for you that really made your day? Do you accept tips? How often are you tipped? Is it better to tip before the work, or after? What am I missing?

Would the 14 gage pigtail be okay if the circuit that the box was on was protected be a 15 amp breaker?

I'll just throw this out there as a general tip for anyone working on older houses like mine. Always treat the box, receptacle, whatever you're working on as if it is live. Even if you just flipped the breaker and tested the circuit. I'm remodeling my kitchen, in a house that was built in 1920. Wiring is sketchy to say the least, but everything I've found so far in the wall I'm working on is modern Romex so I wasn't too worried. Yeah, well I shut off power to a circuit I was going to modify and add some receptacles to. I plugged a tester into the outlet I was about to take apart, it did nothing. Once I took the cover off and pulled the receptacle out a bit I tested the circuit with a multi-meter. No juice detected. So I started disconnecting things. I had already pulled the hot wires off and was working on the neutral wires. As soon as I got one of them a bit loose and was wiggling it to pull it away from the screw I got a bit of arcing. I was wearing mechanics gloves with a rubberized coating, and using tools with plastic handles, so I didn't feel anything. My theory now is some other circuit nearby must be stealing neutral from the one I was working on. Pretty common in old houses. At that point I told my wife to light some candles and shut the main power off to finish the work. So yeah, just like with guns, always assume it's "loaded". There are videos out there on how to safely work on live circuits. You shouldn't do it on purpose, but using the techniques every time you touch a circuit is a good plan anyway.

I have grounded the metal boxes, but didn't know about using the same green screws as the ones used on the outlets. Now that I know it makes sense. The rest of the things I fortunately knew.

Great video for rookies like me. Very informative. Thanks so much. 🤗

There's zero issues running 12 for your homerun and 14 to wire a 15A receptacle. The 12 saves voltage over distance, the 14 saves space in the box. The wire nor the receptacle are what determines current draw. It's the device you plug in. You wouldn't use 14 on a 20A receptacle, but as long as it's a 15A receptacle and breaker, or a switch powering a 15A receptacle or just a ceiling fan/light, you're 100% fine.

Pretty sure you're allowed to run 12 gauge wire off a 15A breaker if you want/need in which case the 14 gauge wire would be fine. That being said if it was off a 20A breaker I'd generally avoid it but I would have to review the appropriate electrical code to see if there are any special cases that would allow 14 gauge wire to be used for 20A which may apply.

photovoltaic / solar thermal technician here, pre-twist wire for my wire nuts all day long till the cows come home is my preferred way to do it. don't like wago inside box for my outlets, i do use them in other applications great video 👍

I LOVE reading the discussions/arguments that go on in the comments of every single electrical related video on RU-vid 😂

Additionally, all the wires coming into the box should extend a minimum of 6-in from the final finished surface (box edge if surface mounted or plaster ring if recessed) once spliced together which may mean leaving up to 9-10 inches of stripped wire in the box for each conductor. The pigtails don't count as this length. This is the biggest mistake DIY-ers make with ANY kind of electrical box.

Like others have said… the 14awg combo isn’t all bad for such a short run since it will not cause much voltage drop, but it would be a weak point depending on the length of the run being used. 4 inches of 14 awg can easily carry 20 amps if the total run resistance does not cause the voltage drop to pull enough amps over 14awg to cause a fire.

😃great job and correct too....i like to twist my ground wires with pliers to get them nice and snug together when possible with a set of linemans pliers, etc....

Good presentation. I have seen green wire huts with a hole in the end which you push one ground wire through to go to the bonding nut. Twisting them all together is the best.

A better way to do the ground wire would be to use a “Greenie”. It’s a green wire nut but with a hole at the top. One wire is longer than the others, it connects the wires normally but the longer one is sticking out to screw to the box.

With the neutral/white wires, they don't look twisted in the wire nut. At least compared to the ground wires.

You should also have a ground pig tail for the ground ti the outlet. Also, Some push connectors are only rated for #14 wire. I only use push connectors for #14 wire in lighting circuits. I use #12 on all receptacle circuits, pretwist and wire nuts.

Well thank you you taught this old Souper tradesman a lot on this video. I own 8 tradesman certificate's the one trade I just don't play with is electrical. I would much rather get a certified electrician. But I am 100% thankful to you for teaching me how to inspect. Thank you .

with respect to the ground wires. I find that it is easier to take the ground wire from the incoming cable and cut it a little longer. Then loop it around the ground screw and with the extra length you can then twist it together with the remaining ground wires.

You didn’t mention the backstabbed receptacles ‘electricians’ love to use!!! Strange, weren’t all those wire nuts twists installed by “licensed electricians???” I’ve seen substandard electrical installations by ‘professionals’ my entire life (in my 60s). First thing I do in a new residence is check all the receptacles and wire nuts. As far as UL Wagos, anything that will help the DIYer do a safe connection should be encouraged.