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westelectric
09-05-2008, 11:19 PM
Noticed an electrician today making splices in a switch box. Never twisted any wires together, just shoved them under a wirenut and twisted the wirenut. I always twist before putting them under the wirenut. How many of you dont twist. Solid or stranded.

jayrad1122
09-05-2008, 11:27 PM
For solid wire when there is only a 2 or 3 I just screw the wirenut on then twist the wires. If they are more or when they give me a hard time I twist before.

Stranded wire, I twist after the wire nut is on, no pretwisting.

-Jared

marissa2
09-05-2008, 11:36 PM
How many pages will this get too this time.
Lou

bradleyelectric
09-05-2008, 11:40 PM
definately twist. The splice should hold without a wirenut. Then add the nut

480sparky
09-05-2008, 11:47 PM
definately twist. The splice should hold without a wirenut. Then add the nut

Me 2. The wire nut is only there for insulation, IMPO.

mdshunk
09-05-2008, 11:48 PM
Stop. !

steved
09-05-2008, 11:50 PM
Let's do the twist! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRDGBpEqLfs&feature=related)

wirebender
09-06-2008, 12:20 AM
Stop. !

spoilsport

sparkyjim
09-06-2008, 12:23 AM
Attended an IAEI seminar years back. The featured speaker was a former electrician turned inspector, turned instructor, orator, whatever. He spent 30 minutes on why you should never pre-twist solid wire connections.
When we were leaving for lunch the company master took all of the journeymen to the side to remind us that anyone caught not pretwisting would be "fired so fast the timeclock will spin backwards". I still pretwist and laugh everytime I run across someone that doesn't.

wawireguy
09-06-2008, 12:46 AM
I don't twist. Don't plan on starting either.

mdshunk
09-06-2008, 12:52 AM
I don't twist. Don't plan on starting either.
Blasphemy!

Rockyd
09-06-2008, 12:56 AM
110.3.B Manufacturer's instructions. I normally don't twist, unless it's a mix of various size stranded wires. If people use things like wago's and those little crimp splices, held together by a wimpy piece of plastic, then something with substance (a wirenut) should be more than suffient, twisted or not. Am a big fan of things that do have heavy current draw of Polaris's (diffferent subject).

Strahan
09-06-2008, 01:09 AM
Why twist twice when you can accomplish the same thing by twisting once!! Don't really see the point in twisting first, but of course make sure you have a good secure connection when you are done.

zappy
09-06-2008, 01:13 AM
but for those of you that do,do you twist clockwise or counter clockwise hmmm?

Rockyd
09-06-2008, 01:18 AM
CW of course! Not talking Country ands western either! Only time any wire I know of gets twisted CCW is with stranded wire. You can twist it CCW to put it under a screw (like on the side of a receptacle) and it will remain bound tightly (but only done it when in a real pinch).

Minuteman
09-06-2008, 01:21 AM
Do what ever works for you, but I pre-twist. Dad taught me to, and I never have to go back and find the loose wire that didn't make a connection.

Mule
09-06-2008, 01:49 AM
Well, If I'm forced to admit it......I'm a twister too
A "tight yeller" just makes you "feel good all over more than any place else" :wink:

ivsenroute
09-06-2008, 01:53 AM
I hear that in Australia, they twist counter-clockwise but pre-twist clockwise:grin:

celtic
09-06-2008, 02:10 AM
How about we avoid confusing anyone and simply use a wago?

http://www.civitronic.ro/WAGO_222.jpg/WAGO_222-full.jpg

Mule
09-06-2008, 02:14 AM
How about we avoid confusing anyone and simply use a wago?

http://www.civitronic.ro/WAGO_222.jpg/WAGO_222-full.jpg

That would be a sin

LarryFine
09-06-2008, 02:20 AM
I don't have a steadfast rule one way or the other. And in my opinion, wire nuts are not merely screw-on insulation.

celtic
09-06-2008, 02:23 AM
That would be a sin

We can talk about backstabbing devices if you really want to see sacrilege :grin:

Mule
09-06-2008, 02:29 AM
That's funny.......well to me, the more surface area that I can get in a connection, without distorting the conductors, the cooler and better connection I have under full load.

e57
09-06-2008, 03:27 AM
How about we avoid confusing anyone and simply use a wago?

http://www.civitronic.ro/WAGO_222.jpg/WAGO_222-full.jpgI cant find a local stock.... But I twist - so everyone else twists - at least on my jobs....

220/221
09-06-2008, 05:45 AM
I like to twist, solder, rubber tape, varnish, vinyl tape and then wirenut...... then tape the wirenut.

masterinbama
09-06-2008, 07:13 AM
Do you twist 500's together before you put the splitbolt on?

iwire
09-06-2008, 07:17 AM
Read and follow the manufacturers directions, all of them require twisting of some sort. (either before or after)

iwire
09-06-2008, 07:20 AM
Stop. !

It is stopped. :smile:

The subject has been discussed ad nauseam many times before, feel free to do a search and find past discussions, no new info will be presented here.