Push In Wire Connectors

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I've used to push-in connectors quite a bit, and I've never had any problems with them. But I have seen other people have problems with them. Installation issues.

Number 1, the wires need to be perfectly straight with push-in connectors so they have maximum surface area touching inside. I've seen Wagos scorched black, mis-shapen, melted altogether, and almost every single time the wires were kinky, curved, or something else other than straight.

I recently (this week) used some lever lock connectors. I used them specifically because I helped somebody on his job, and it wasn't going to be complete when I left. He was going to be adding more conductors into the connectors, and I thought lever locks were the best choice for the application.

If I knew there's nothing getting added in, push-ins are how I'd go. Lever locks took a lot more time for me
 
If you want to see where lever nuts shine, use them when installing a light off a ladder or anywhere you're limited in trying to hold the light and put on wire nuts. You simply put the lever nuts on the light wires, clamp down the lever, raise the lever for the power wire, hold the light with one hand and slide the lever nut down on the power wire and clamp it with the other hand.
Another great use is for extending short wires in a box where it would be next to impossible to twist on a wire nut. You can also use push-ins too but the lever nut is much easier.
 
Great reviews thanks. Have the push-ins and the lever nuts for the most part replaced the wire nuts for you? I am thinking that if they are as reliable as wire nuts and quicker then they will pay for themselves plus have the added value of giving my hand a break from the repetitive motions of installing a wire nut.
 
Ravenvalor said:
Great reviews thanks. Have the push-ins and the lever nuts for the most part replaced the wire nuts for you? I am thinking that if they are as reliable as wire nuts and quicker then they will pay for themselves plus have the added value of giving my hand a break from the repetitive motions of installing a wire nut.
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They haven't even come close to replacing wire nuts for me, for the #1 reason that I use 3 kinds of wire nuts - green, red, yellow.

I would have to fumble through a whole host multi-port push in connectors to get the job done on a whole house rough-in or such.
 
James L said:
They haven't even come close to replacing wire nuts for me, for the #1 reason that I use 3 kinds of wire nuts - green, red, yellow.

I would have to fumble through a whole host multi-port push in connectors to get the job done on a whole house rough-in or such.
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No big blues? I don't use them often, but when needed they are a lifesaver.
 
Little Bill said:
If you want to see where lever nuts shine, use them when installing a light off a ladder or anywhere you're limited in trying to hold the light and put on wire nuts. You simply put the lever nuts on the light wires, clamp down the lever, raise the lever for the power wire, hold the light with one hand and slide the lever nut down on the power wire and clamp it with the other hand.
Another great use is for extending short wires in a box where it would be next to impossible to twist on a wire nut. You can also use push-ins too but the lever nut is much easier.
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I like the Wago 221 for precisely what Little Bill explains, fixtures. You don't need both hands to twist a wire nut while holding the fixture which could be heavy and awkward. They are excellent for stranded/solid wire connections.

Not sure yet if I would use carrying a high load but they work well for wire management in splice boxes.
 
Coppersmith said:
No big blues? I don't use them often, but when needed they are a lifesaver.
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Only once in a great while. Most usually going to be a scenario where I have a 4-gang Box with 8 or 9 cables. By the time I pigtail the grounds, that's 13 wires.

I did that with Wagos one time. I used two 8-port units. 7 plus a jumper over to another that had 6 plus the jumper. Never again
 
Coppersmith said:
No big blues? I don't use them often, but when needed they are a lifesaver.
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I worked with one “electrician” that you never gave him a blue wirenut. He would put every wire in the box under it! Don’t know why though, if you gave him reds, he would make it up right. The boy wasn’t right. You would always find a drawing on the wall wherever he was working.
 
Purr24 said:
I use Wago connectors all the time love them!!

COMPACT splicing connector (221-613) | WAGO USA

COMPACT splicing connector; 3-conductor; with operating levers; 10 AWG; transparent housing (4055143715416) Online at WAGO USA!
www.wago.com www.wago.com

These connectors work with 20 up to 10 gauge wire!

No need for orange/red/ wirenuts

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
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But you have to get them with various number of ports. Not every connection has exactly three wires in it
 
James L said:
But you have to get them with various number of ports. Not every connection has exactly three wires in it
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I often use a Wago (push-in or lever) with one more port than I need. Makes it easy if you have to add a wire later. Usually cost the same so an extra hole doesn't hurt.
 
Little Bill said:
I often use a Wago (push-in or lever) with one more port than I need. Makes it easy if you have to add a wire later. Usually cost the same so an extra hole doesn't hurt.
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I get it, for sure. But I'm just thinking of the overall variety the person would need to carry in order to do a whole house.

Standard push-ins come in 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 port varieties.

From what I've seen, green come in 4, 6, 8 Port varieties. It would be nice to find some that are only 3 port

Are you figuring to use green ones for the grounds? If so, you're going to regularly need all three sizes because receptacles would need 4 port, as would single gang switches. Most 2-gang switches would need 6, and anything larger than 2-gang would probably need 8 ports.

Then for making up neutrals and hots in the switches, we would need a good variety of 3, 4, 6, 8 port.

That's seven different sizes, as opposed to three different wire nuts. When I make up, I'm only using my strippers and wire nuts. I hang my strippers off of my front pocket, and I wear cargo shorts or pants with green wire nuts on one side and my other wire nuts on the other side. Or I'll be wearing a hoodie with pockets and I'll do the same thing with those.

So it's just a lot more fumbling in my pockets.
With wire nuts, I don't even have to look. I can feel the difference between a yellow and a red. And I have greenies in the other pocket so I don't have to guess or look
 
To be clear, I don't use them for everything. Mostly for lighting and they work well in multigang boxes. Also, they do come in a 3-port. I have them in both push-in and lever. Bout the only time I use them for receptacles is if I'm replacing one and the wires are too short. I will use them for grounds occasionally.
 
I use push-on connectors almost exclusively. I still use wire nuts for lighting fixtures.

I have those stackable cases with dividers for connectors and screws. I have different cases with different screws to match the construction type (wood vs steel).

As for connectors, each case has 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 8 port push-on, and tan, gray, & blue wire nuts.

We pre-fab a lot of our wiring device boxes, so each device box will already have the connectors installed on the wire at rough-in. Can’t do it on hard pipe jobs, but we do it for all cabling jobs. On those we’ll install the connectors on the wiring device instead of having them waiting inside the device box, except for grounds.

We pre-fab the wiring devices with pigtails so at trim out you just push them into the connectors.


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James L said:
I get it, for sure. But I'm just thinking of the overall variety the person would need to carry in order to do a whole house.

Standard push-ins come in 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 port varieties.

From what I've seen, green come in 4, 6, 8 Port varieties. It would be nice to find some that are only 3 port

Are you figuring to use green ones for the grounds? If so, you're going to regularly need all three sizes because receptacles would need 4 port, as would single gang switches. Most 2-gang switches would need 6, and anything larger than 2-gang would probably need 8 ports.

Then for making up neutrals and hots in the switches, we would need a good variety of 3, 4, 6, 8 port.

That's seven different sizes, as opposed to three different wire nuts. When I make up, I'm only using my strippers and wire nuts. I hang my strippers off of my front pocket, and I wear cargo shorts or pants with green wire nuts on one side and my other wire nuts on the other side. Or I'll be wearing a hoodie with pockets and I'll do the same thing with those.

So it's just a lot more fumbling in my pockets.
With wire nuts, I don't even have to look. I can feel the difference between a yellow and a red. And I have greenies in the other pocket so I don't have to guess or look
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Why you need green? They don't need special listing or coloring for EGC's, items that are connecting GEC's need to be listed for grounding though.

I just recently used Wago's to make up boxes on rough in of a house. only used three types, two port, four port and six port. Yes an occasional 8 port would have been handy on some EGC's but I just jumped two others together when necessary.

Suppose for no more two port units then what was used could probably eliminate those and only carry four port and six port units, maybe carry a few 8 port for when it is convenient.

I've gotten to where I don't like to put more than 4 conductors into a conventional "wire nut" even if it is listed for them - pre twisted or not.
 
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