Receptacle Wiring

[MrNiceberg]

Hello all,

Just wanted to get peoples opinions out there as I’m hearing different sides to my issue and wanted to know where the majority of people stand;

When roughing in your receptacle boxes do you:

A. Make pigtails on your hot and neutral so you only have to terminate one of each when you trim out?

Or

B. Only tail off ground and leave the 2 hots and 2 neutrals separate from each other and leave all 4 for trimming out?

In this example we are using 12/2 MC in a wood framed commercial building using metal 4-square boxes.

Thanks.


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[RunningSparky]

Hello all,

Just wanted to get peoples opinions out there as I’m hearing different sides to my issue and wanted to know where the majority of people stand;

When roughing in your receptacle boxes do you:

A. Make pigtails on your hot and neutral so you only have to terminate one of each when you trim out?

Or

B. Only tail off ground and leave the 2 hots and 2 neutrals separate from each other and leave all 4 for trimming out?

In this example we are using 12/2 MC in a wood framed commercial building using metal 4-square boxes.

Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We pigtail all three...

 

[480sparky]

We pigtail all three...

Ditto.

 

[jumper]

Both methods, depends.

 

[Little Bill]

We pigtail all three...

You mean you deliberately create a short?:dunce:

 

[jumper]

You mean you deliberately create a short?:dunce:

 

[LarryFine]

I almost always leave individual wires and make up the EGs, and I strip and hook them during rough while the tools and wires are in my hands, which helps the freshly-painted walls cleaner at trim-out.

 

[romex jockey]

I've given up making any box up during the rough.

Being that I do mostly RX, i'll use the spent sheathing to protect and mark conductors , push 'em back as far as i can

them drywallers are all pointy eared spaws of satan

~RJ~

 

[infinity]

A) Pigtail

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

For the most part "A" and push the wires to the back of the box.

 

[DBoone]

B

 

[JFletcher]

My own guidelines:

If there are two cables in the box, I only pigtail the ground, using the receptacle to pass thru. AFCI and GFCI receptacles are rarely pigtailed unless I just need protection at that one receptacle.

If there are three or more cables, I pigtail everything rather than using the backstabs on the device.

Istm that most commercially trained electricians pigtail everything and resi sparkies just the ground. Not pigtailing is a bit faster and there's less actual* box fill since there are two less wagos/wirenuts. Calculated box fill is the same either way.

If there are two+ receptacles/switches in the box, I tail to all rather than using one wire looped around a screw on each device.

 

[jumper]

If there are two+ receptacles/switches in the box, I tail to all rather than using one wire looped around a screw on each device.

Always.:thumbsup:

 

[FionaZuppa]

i would also suspect that it depends on how your AHJ does inspection phases.

 

[480sparky]

You mean you deliberately create a short?:dunce:

I do on occasion. :angel:

 

[1793]

I almost always leave individual wires and make up the EGs, and I strip and hook them during rough while the tools and wires are in my hands, which helps the freshly-painted walls cleaner at trim-out.

Glad to see you back.

 

[LarryFine]

If there are three or more cables, I pigtail everything rather than using the backstabs on the device.

I never use sprung back-stabs, but I do like using clamped stabbing, especially with two holes per terminal like GFCI's have.

 

[journeyman0217]

My own guidelines:

If there are two cables in the box, I only pigtail the ground, using the receptacle to pass thru. AFCI and GFCI receptacles are rarely pigtailed unless I just need protection at that one receptacle.

If there are three or more cables, I pigtail everything rather than using the backstabs on the device.

Istm that most commercially trained electricians pigtail everything and resi sparkies just the ground. Not pigtailing is a bit faster and there's less actual* box fill since there are two less wagos/wirenuts. Calculated box fill is the same either way.

If there are two+ receptacles/switches in the box, I tail to all rather than using one wire looped around a screw on each device.

I do the same here! good practice I think

 

[Setscrew]

Hello all,

Just wanted to get peoples opinions out there as I’m hearing different sides to my issue and wanted to know where the majority of people stand;

When roughing in your receptacle boxes do you:

A. Make pigtails on your hot and neutral so you only have to terminate one of each when you trim out?

Or

B. Only tail off ground and leave the 2 hots and 2 neutrals separate from each other and leave all 4 for trimming out?

In this example we are using 12/2 MC in a wood framed commercial building using metal 4-square boxes.

Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I pigtail all three

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[Setscrew]

I do the same here! good practice I think

So if any one of those wires comes out of the back of the receptacle then you lose all other receptacles Downstream of it. Seems like an easy way of getting out of pigtailing, just so you can do it faster.

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