My neighbor gave me some of these the other day and claims that they are going to replace the good old fashioned wire nut someday as the standard connector for home wiring.

They appear to be what has been used in Europe for some time now but I'm kind of skeptical with a push-in connection like that. Isn't the beauty of a wire nut in the fact that you are already making a strong mechanical connection with the twisting of the wires to each other and the nut holding that all tight?

Here is what they look like:

Old school here, easier is not always better!

Haven't tried those but the concept looks somewhat similar to how copper telephone lines are connected to house lines at the NID on the side of my house. Least that's what came to mind. And they've worked year in and year out in all temperatures ... and even internet connections since I have DSL at 25 Mbit/s.

Something very similar has been available for cars for years.

If I ever have a wire fall out of a wire nut, I'll consider alternatives.

If you like the push in connections on outlets, you'll like those.

Me, I'll stick to reliable connections by using the screws or wire nuts.

They work better than great. I love them. You can wire and UNWIRE all day long without damage to the wires. They don’t work for stranded wire however, unless you solder the ends into a solid piece.

quote:

Originally posted by GT-40DOC:
Something very similar has been available for cars for years.

i avoid using the 3M connectors on automotive stuff if I can easily avoid it. Solder and tape almost never fail.

The name brand connectors (Wago,3M) work quite well. I wouldn’t trust the Chinese knock-offs though.

These may be acceptable for Europe with their [generally] lower-current loads but I think wire nuts still have a bright future here for a while.

I'm leary of them because I've seen them fail many times. For about ten years I worked with several... oh... billion lights that used connectors like that for the ballast neutrals, and often the connectors were the reason the lights stopped working.

Disassemble the light, replace the ballast, put it all back together only to find it still didn't work. Then pull it all apart again, cut those damn things off and put wire nuts in their place.

Don't be the fifth ape.

I have an electrician friend that swears by them.

quote:

Originally posted by Fenris:
I have an electrician friend that swears by them.

Because time is money.


Same with ProPress plumbing fittings. Plumbers don't care that they cost ten times as much, it saves them time and the customer swallows the cost.

I would not let my home get wired with them. Same concept as the back-stab type outlets and switches. I think you'll find most electricians are against them.

I replaced every outlet in my home with the newer Decora style. The originals (1987) were installed using the back-stab method, many that I removed made a less than stellar connection. Every outlet got wired the traditional way by creating a hook in the conductor and screwing down firm.

Think about how little contact area there is to transfer current; a little tab of flat tinned metal contacting a round copper conductor does not offer much surface area.

I have used them with wiring up recessed lights. Which are relatively low current and the load is known. I would draw the line there and not use them in high current applications like outlets.

It does not seem like you can get near the surface area of contact as with twisting and wire nutting.

Haven't tried them, nor would I. Just doesn't look to be as good a connection as the traditional wire nut.

No way in hell I'd use those in a house. But that's just me...
I can't count how many service calls I've made on account of those back stab outlets, and have seen near fires from them, burnt up outlets and melted wiring insulation. No way they can get anywhere near the clamping force of a screw or wire nut.

quote:

Originally posted by FRANKT:
These may be acceptable for Europe with their [generally] lower-current loads but I think wire nuts still have a bright future here for a while.

Lower current? Isn’t Europe 220 volts and near same amperage as US @ 110 volts?

1500 watt toaster takes about half the amps at 220 as it does at 120V, thus lower current.