Stranded pigtails for hot and neutral

[green.bubbly]

So I am wiring up about 70 receptacles using #12 wire. I made some #12 hot/neutral pigtails and am finding it difficult in this cold weather to stuff all that wire back into the box. My grounds are pre-made stranded wire with spade terminals on them. Can I use the same thing for the hots and neutrals?

 

[CoopVA]

Yes, you can. But, you should make black ones for the hot and white ones for the neutral. Don't use green ones, except for the ground.

 

[sberry]

I personally don't care to nut stranded to solid, not that it cant be done but just don't care for it unless I got to. In a daisy chain usually use pigtails, with some small boxes sometimes buy a better device but there is a bit of a learning curve to stacking the wire in a box, got most of it packed when I attach the device.

 

[PRH44]

Yes, you can. But, you should make black ones for the hot and white ones for the neutral. Don't use green ones, except for the ground.

What Coop said.

Be sure you strip any stranded carefully and keep the strands in-tack. It can be a bit tricky keeping the stranded and solid wire in good form if you haven't done it a lot.

 

[CoopVA]

What Coop said.

Be sure you strip any stranded carefully and keep the strands in-tack. It can be a bit tricky keeping the stranded and solid wire in good form if you haven't done it a lot.

+1

Use a good stripper... The Klein strippers are nice and sharp and have the correct size holes for the wire, less chance of losing strands.

 

[Rookie2]

you can use stranded or solid pigtails with pushnuts (wago or others) they help the pigtail rotate into the box.

 

[green.bubbly]

Thanks for the quick responses. I already had some greens for the grounds and that is what got me thinking about black and white stranded pigtails as well. I am not a pro as doing the Z fold thing and with this stiff cold 12 gauge wire, my hands are cramping after doing just five outlets. My might pick up a few just to see if it makes it easier enough to go that route.

Looking around online, I came across these little puppies but they seemed to have been discontinued for some reason. Would have taken out the problem of connecting the stranded with the solid and made for a neater install.


Ideal Term-a-nut

 

[green.bubbly]

+1

Use a good stripper... The Klein strippers are nice and sharp and have the correct size holes for the wire, less chance of losing strands.

The ones I were looking at getting are pre-stripped on one end and spade terminal on the other end.

 

[green.bubbly]

you can use stranded or solid pigtails with pushnuts (wago or others) they help the pigtail rotate into the box.

These?

I think they were discussed in my other thread. I like the idea of these things but not sure on reliability. One person says they are great and another says they are not. Oh and I also saw where Zeke mentioned using stranded pigtails.

 

[CoopVA]

The ones I were looking at getting are pre-stripped on one end and spade terminal on the other end.

Even better!

Those Wagos are good. When they first came out they sucked. They've greatly improved over the years.

 

[green.bubbly]

Even better!

Those Wagos are good. When they first came out they sucked. They've greatly improved over the years.

The more I think about it the more I like them. Was not sure if they were a time proven device or a new fangled fad.

 

[CoopVA]

They've been around for a while. The original ones were stab-ins and they had a tendency to come loose in a short amount of time. They also had issues getting UL listed. Those issues have been resolved. We use them all the time, especially in lighting fixtures and pre-fabbing devices.

 

[Rookie2]

thats not exactly a wago pushnut , that clamps down on the wire. they are great but the others allow the wire to rotate.

Ideal works.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_27895-12704...+nut&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=wire+nut&facetInfo=

 

[PRH44]

We use them all the time, especially in lighting fixtures and pre-fabbing devices.

We use a lot for the same thing prefab and fixtures. They are just to fast not to.

 

[CoopVA]

thats not exactly a wago pushnut , that clamps down on the wire. they are great but the others allow the wire to rotate.

Ideal works.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_27895-12704...+nut&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=wire+nut&facetInfo=

Yes you are correct, in the trade, here at least, we call all of those style of connectors Wagos...

 

[hidollartoys]

so i am wiring up about 70 receptacles using #12 wire. I made some #12 hot/neutral pigtails and am finding it difficult in this cold weather to stuff all that wire back into the box. My grounds are pre-made stranded wire with spade terminals on them. Can i use the same thing for the hots and neutrals?

yes. BUT use the right colors.

 

[jonathan75]

Maybe you can try a hair dryer or heat gun on the wires. Just don't get it too hot, just warm enough to make it more flexible to fold everything inside.

 

[Mustang51js]

Why not get 20 amp outlets and just hook them up so you don't have to wrap the wire around the screw like you would with a 15 amp outlet. Unless you have more than two sets of wires I don't see the point of wire nutting them together,just putting extra wire in the box for no reason.

 

[green.bubbly]

Why not get 20 amp outlets and just hook them up so you don't have to wrap the wire around the screw like you would with a 15 amp outlet. Unless you have more than two sets of wires I don't see the point of wire nutting them together,just putting extra wire in the box for no reason.

I was going to go that route thanks to the suggestions of a few members but code in my area requires tamper resistant outlets. The Leviton TBR15 would work but they are 8 to 9 bucks a piece.

 

[Norcal]

Why not get 20 amp outlets and just hook them up so you don't have to wrap the wire around the screw like you would with a 15 amp outlet. Unless you have more than two sets of wires I don't see the point of wire nutting them together,just putting extra wire in the box for no reason.

The rating has nothing to do with this also, 20A receptacles are a waste of money.

 

[teamextreme]

Has anyone else really experienced trouble with wire flexibility due to cold? I never have.

 

[CoopVA]

Has anyone else really experienced trouble with wire flexibility due to cold? I never have.

Not with the small stuff... Even with two outlets in a box, it shouldn't be too difficult to get it all in there...

 

[Mustang51js]

The rating has nothing to do with this also, 20A receptacles are a waste of money.

I never used them but only reason I said that is because they have the slot to put 12 gauge wire in and tighten screw,this way he doesn't need a pig tail and doesn't need to bend the wires around screws.

 

[PRH44]

Has anyone else really experienced trouble with wire flexibility due to cold? I never have.

750 KCMIL gets tough this time of year.

 

[Rookie2]

Tamper resistant receptacles ! don't get me started ! make sure you test them before you wire them up ! I had two out of six from lowes jamb up.

 

[CoopVA]

750 KCMIL gets tough this time of year.

Oh yeah... That's no fun when it's this cold...

 

[green.bubbly]

Called my inspector this morning just to make sure the Wago Lever Nuts were acceptable here. He say they were UL listed and perfectly fine to use. I asked if he has seen any issues with them and he said no but not many people are using them. He is the inspector for the rural country parish I am building in.

Went to a local supply house in the city where I worked to see if they stocked them. Asked if a lot of electricians use them and he said they fly off the shelves. In fact, they were out of the three hole series. Guess that is the difference between country electricians and city electricians.

 

[green.bubbly]

Has anyone else really experienced trouble with wire flexibility due to cold? I never have.

Might have been my imagination as I do not wire 12 gauge outlets for a living. Cold have just been cold hands and cold tools but I was frustrated out after doing just three outlets. I did not seem to have as hard of a time when I wired my garage in the middle of the summer.

 

[green.bubbly]

750 KCMIL gets tough this time of year.

Damn, wire lube by the five gallon bucket.

 

[GYPSY400]

I'm lost here.. whats the point of the pigtail anyways?? I'm doing the rough in on my garage right now and no where is there a pigtail.

And yeah, I got no heat yet.. the thicker the wire, the bigger pita.. especially the 8ga welding plugs!

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[PRH44]

Damn, wire lube by the five gallon bucket.

That run took about 15 gallons. We have a pump to shut it through a hose also.

We also attach front end bags to the head and lube squeezes out as you pull

 

[Mustang51js]

I'm lost here.. whats the point of the pigtail anyways?? I'm doing the rough in on my garage right now and no where is there a pigtail.

And yeah, I got no heat yet.. the thicker the wire, the bigger pita.. especially the 8ga welding plugs!

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You see pigtails in commercial buildings a lot, it makes it so you can change outlet without killing power to the rest of the line, but usually in commercial they use bigger boxes to fit the wires

 

[GYPSY400]

You see pigtails in commercial buildings a lot, it makes it so you can change outlet without killing power to the rest of the line, but usually in commercial they use bigger boxes to fit the wires

Ahh ok.. not applicable in my case then.

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