push in connectors reliable ?

[Stevenfyeager]

Are push in connectors as reliable and stable as wire nuts ? I always twist the wires too. I have a new employee who likes using the push in, but I have expressed doubt in them.

 

[Greentagger]

Imho. No. Not as reliable. But they’re listed for the purpose and do work. In the same token , some folks cant make a good connection with wire nuts.

 

[kwired]

Are push in connectors as reliable and stable as wire nuts ? I always twist the wires too. I have a new employee who likes using the push in, but I have expressed doubt in them.

This been brought up many times here and has mixed opinions. Maybe search using key word "wago" and you will likely come up with a lot of threads on the topic.

 

[jmellc]

I have found them to work well with lights. I didn’t trust them for a long time due to my hatred of backstabbing.
I used to cut them off of lights & sub a wirenut. Last 10 years, I use them with no worries.

 

[rainwater01]

I have found them to work well with lights. I didn’t trust them for a long time due to my hatred of backstabbing.
I used to cut them off of lights & sub a wirenut. Last 10 years, I use them with no worries.

I’m with you. I like them on lights where I know there won’t be a ton of load on them but I’m not using them in a switch/receptacle box where there could be 15-20 amps on it whether it’s rated for it or not.


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[kwired]

I have found them to work well with lights. I didn’t trust them for a long time due to my hatred of backstabbing.
I used to cut them off of lights & sub a wirenut. Last 10 years, I use them with no worries.

I’m with you. I like them on lights where I know there won’t be a ton of load on them but I’m not using them in a switch/receptacle box where there could be 15-20 amps on it whether it’s rated for it or not.


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They have a better designed spring to maintain contact than is in backstabs of switches/receptacles though. Is it good enough for heavier loads, IDK.

 

[Little Bill]

I've been using them for 10 years with zero problems. There is a Youtube video of a guy testing them against wirenuts with several hundred volts and lots of current through them. The Wago/Push-in held up as well as the wirenuts. Both products had the plastic melt off with the metal connectors still in tact.
Maybe I'll post it when I have time to find it.

 

[jmellc]

I've been using them for 10 years with zero problems. There is a Youtube video of a guy testing them against wirenuts with several hundred volts and lots of current through them. The Wago/Push-in held up as well as the wirenuts. Both products had the plastic melt off with the metal connectors still in tact.
Maybe I'll post it when I have time to find it.

I met an Ideal sales rep at a supply house once. I asked how they made these work well when devices were so shabby. He said they tested it in the labs many times over, then did limited field testing & back to lab again. They wouldn't put it on the market before it was suitable. I'm sure Wago did similar. They make great products. I used to use their pin connectors on stranded wire a lot.

 

[drcampbell]

Didn't we have this same discussion when wire nuts first came out, only then it was wire nuts vs. soldering?

 

[rambojoe]

Nope. Completely unique topic...
O.p., you can just tell your employee to do it the way you want it done. Isn't that still a thing?

 

[jmellc]

Didn't we have this same discussion when wire nuts first came out, only then it was wire nuts vs. soldering?

Probably but that would have been before my time. I started in 1976 and wirenuts were the main method. I've only seen a very few places still doing soldering.

 

[kwired]

Didn't we have this same discussion when wire nuts first came out, only then it was wire nuts vs. soldering?

maybe but I don't think we had it on this particular forum, unless maybe you switched from soldering to wire nuts in the past 15 years

 

[DWEames]

I've been using them for 10 years with zero problems. There is a Youtube video of a guy testing them against wirenuts with several hundred volts and lots of current through them. The Wago/Push-in held up as well as the wirenuts. Both products had the plastic melt off with the metal connectors still in tact.
Maybe I'll post it when I have time to find it.

The problem is gradual overheating over time and poorly designed installations with load disparities etc. the metal will weaken and they will burn up in certain instances. Nothing is superior to properly made taps.

 

[kwired]

Wago is a German brand, they usually don't cut many corners on German designed products.

 

[jmellc]

Here is a good Wago but I only see a few of them here & there.

 

[kwired]

Here is a good Wago but I only see a few of them here & there.

Those are the "lever nut" version, which they have another version that supercedes this one.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

They use push in type connectors in Europe because they believe wire nuts are not reliable.

 

[Besoeker3]

They use push in type connectors in Europe because they believe wire nuts are not reliable.

I have seen then in a catalogue but not something we have used. But something like this:

 

[Besoeker3]

A few strands before tidying up on test:

 

[brantmacga]

Across the whole company, I’d say we use maybe 5-7k push-in connectors per year, and have been using them for at least 4 years with no problems. I was on the fence, but I’m completely sold on them. I’ve had far more callbacks for a wire coming out of a wirenut than ever for a bad push-in connection.


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