EMT stranded or solid thhn

[artieb]

What do I want to use, and why? It would be easier to use solid for outlets, which is my primary goal? When would stranded be best?

 

[RunninOnEmpty]

Stranded is best when you need the flexibility but permanently installed cable is typically solid. Easier to work with and far lower chance of stray strands getting loose and causing a short. (Though it would rarely actually cause a fire and you can still manage to not have stray wires if you're careful, but when you don't need the flexibility, you don't really gain anything from stranded.)

Larger gauges will be stranded, though, just because you wouldn't be able to run thick solid cable through conduit and it would be a pain to run through even an unfinished wall in new construction. But for 12-14 gauge usually used in outlets, typically solid wire is used.

Also, if you like to install outlets using the spring clips rather than the screw terminals, stranded would be difficult or impossible to use. Personally I use the screw terminals regardless, though.

 

[rockwithjason]

for standard building wiring solid will be much easier to install in general. you can push wire between boxes if the run is short enough and has few bends. you can wire directly to even the cheapest outlets. you can wrap ground screws to reduce the number of grounds under a wire nut and save space in a box. it's just more flexible as a system. there is nothing wrong with stranded but you will need to make sure your outlets are able to accept stranded wire.

 

[Rock knocker]

Also, if you like to install outlets using the spring clips rather than the screw terminals, you should be slapped alongside the head until you are thoroughly disabused of that idea.

Fixed it.

 

[RunninOnEmpty]

Fixed it.

Haha. I would pretty much agree with you.

 

[Syberia]

Solid if only using straight runs of conduit. Stranded if there are going to be significant bends.

 

[Aceman]

We used stranded 100% of the time unless spec'ed otherwise. Which is almost never anyways.

If you buy the good spec grade back wire receps with the pressure plates it is just as easy to wire a recep with stranded as it is solid.

 

[Wirepuller]

Stranded wire in conduit. Always. Hubble devices.

 

[LXCam]

Stranded every time for me. Even when your pushing it through, if you know what your doing and let the wire do the work for you, it's easier then solid.

 

[jgorm]

Fixed it.

Fill me in on why they ****. It seems that every outlet I've ever replaced had used the push in terminals. They can be a pain to remove sometimes, but is there really a risk of a poor connection? I'm about to wire another 10+ outlets, so I'd rather know now if the push in is really worse. It sure is faster.

 

[KenC]

Stranded, always. My preference is related to another recent topic about box neatness. Stranded is so much easier to fold and push back. And, since I always use rear wired/clamping screw switches/recepts, there is no issue with the connection.

 

[Kevin C]

When I did my shop, for the 12 AWG circuits, I used solid. It didn't seem very hard to pull ( or in some cases push). Stranded might be easier to pull, but the difference was not a big deal.

Solid also simplifies termination if any of your devices only have screw terminals (no clamp plates).

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Fill me in on why they ****. It seems that every outlet I've ever replaced had used the push in terminals. They can be a pain to remove sometimes, but is there really a risk of a poor connection? I'm about to wire another 10+ outlets, so I'd rather know now if the push in is really worse. It sure is faster.

If you are buying receptacles with the push in holes in the back, they only accept 14 gauge (old ones did take 12, but that has changed) and they are, simply put, cheap ****. The contacts where the plug for the lamp or other device, is the cheapest design possible with no spring tension and little gripping power. After you remove and install a plug a few times, the plugs will simply fall out, won't stay plugged in. The solid wire has to be perfectly straight to make decent contact when pushed in, but they really don't make good contact, and you will always have a poor connection.

I remove a whole bunch of that stuff from my house when I moved in. Recently realized that I had missed a receptacle for the washer (unused, because I have a stack unit with one 240v cord powering everything). I went to change it and found the hot/neutral crossed and a very early Home Depot sticker with the HD 6 digit code on it. No price, but the others I removed had price tags of 59 cents or so. House was built in '85 and was a owner finished POS. When I moved in, the vacuum would not stay plugged in, they were so wore out.

If its not spec, commercial or industrial, I won't waste my time with it.

Charles

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I used all solid 12 gauge THHN. The 10 gauge was stranded however. I prefer the solid and it was not a real problem to pull, doing it by myself, made for some extra work however.

Charles

 

[artieb]

I went with solid, I only needed 2, #12 and 2, #14. Had one 90* bend. I simply pushed them through! Thanks Artie

 

[jgorm]

If its not spec, commercial or industrial, I won't waste my time with it.

Charles

Thanks. Which ones do you recommend?