twisting wires

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The insulation's handy but you could get that from tape.

The true work of a pressure connector is to maintain firm pressure on the conductors comprising the splice, in my opinion.
 
I never did it, but Buchannon crimp barrels are listed for use on current carrying wires and field insulated with tape or the plastic sleeve covers. I have come across many many done this way, some of them burnt up, but then again I have seen lots of cooked up wirenut connections also. I hardly pretwist anymore due to carpal. I put them in a tan twister strait, then let my impact drill and wirenut wrench do the securing. End result = same, the wires are twisted together tightly afterwards. Visual check of the wirenut for overstress is mandatory if you proceed to use my method...
 
I've been in commercial/industrial service for 25 years and I've seen a lot
of failures due to "Loose" un-twisted splices. I can recall at least (9)
instances, where a loose un-twisted grounded conductor damaged/
destroyed equipment. I prefer to learn from the mistakes of others.

My name is Karl, and I'm a Twister. :)
 
jstrang said:
I was tought to allways twist my wires together befor putting on a wire nut. Is there a code saying such?
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You are not required to twist but would you save more time by not twisting once you consider that a bad connection would mean a call-back and maybe some time spent trouble shooting.

I think it's more cost effective to make good splices on the types of jobs that I do. I have worked for companies that didn't think that way, they would rather have a few repairs. It's your choice.
 
jstrang said:
I was tought to allways twist my wires together befor putting on a wire nut. Is there a code saying such?
Click to expand...

Smoking!

I think the only purpose of twisting is to ensure that boxes do not become overcrowed. The code has conductor fill rules intended . Section 314.16 requires that boxes and conduit bodies shall be of sufficient size to provide free space for all enclosed conductors.
 
Karl H said:
I've been in commercial/industrial service for 25 years and I've seen a lot
of failures due to "Loose" un-twisted splices. I can recall at least (9)
instances, where a loose un-twisted grounded conductor damaged/
destroyed equipment. I prefer to learn from the mistakes of others.

My name is Karl, and I'm a Twister. :)
Click to expand...

This is the part that always gets lost.:grin:

No one here is saying when completed the wires should not be twisted, the instructions require it. :)

All some of us are pointing out is that 'pre-twisting' is no better than 'post -twisting' the result is the same, the wires are twisted together and will stay together if the wire nut is removed.
 
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Hameedulla-Ekhlas said:
Smoking!

I think the only purpose of twisting is to ensure that boxes do not become overcrowed. The code has conductor fill rules intended . Section 314.16 requires that boxes and conduit bodies shall be of sufficient size to provide free space for all enclosed conductors.
Click to expand...

No offense but you are clueless on this one. :grin:
 
Read the instructions on the bag of wire nuts.

That said just think about the fact that you do not normally find a loose connection on a splice that has been pretwisted as often as you find loose connections on splices that have not.

If a wire nut is PROPERLY INSTALLED pretwisting is not required
 
I used to pretwist but now rarely do. Once the wire nut starts I like to pull back on each conducter, if one is loose later its probably going to pull out now. Then I finish with nutdriver or Ideal tool.

But I don't have any real objections to pretwisting.
 
jstrang said:
I was tought to allways twist my wires together befor putting on a wire nut. Is there a code saying such?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is right after the code about what direction the ground lug is supposed to face on a receptacle. UP/down??????
 
Hameedulla-Ekhlas said:
Smoking!

I think the only purpose of twisting is to ensure that boxes do not become overcrowed. The code has conductor fill rules intended . Section 314.16 requires that boxes and conduit bodies shall be of sufficient size to provide free space for all enclosed conductors.
Click to expand...

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????What did he say?
 
marinesgt0411 said:
Read the instructions on the bag of wire nuts.
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Marine,

Check with the manufacturers.
I found each provides a 'torque' requirement
described by saying that the wires must end-up being post-twisted, with the twist showing below the wire-nut skirt.

I agree with iWire basically.
They should end-up being in a post-twisted state,
and stay together when the wire-nut is removed.
:)
 
yankj said:
Wait until the day you are troubleshooting a hot circuit and remove wirenut and have all the conductors fly apart; you'll pre-twist!
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AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No one has said the wires should not be twisted, only that it makes no difference if you do it before or after the wire nut goes on. :)
 
I prefer twisting wires together to make joints... And the reason that I prefer twisting wires is in dealing with MWBC's When one depends on the wire nut to twist as in no twisting required, When the wirenut gets removed, the wires have a tendency to untwist and the lost neutral connection becomes a slight problem. But with pretwisted wire going in a wirenut, the wires don't have such a tendency to untwist.... I also prefer to twist the main circuit conductors first then twist in any taps to fixtures... which also aids in continuity...
 
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