Splicing...277V...are wire nuts sufficient...

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No you do not normally have to pre-twist the wires prior to installing the wire nuts. this saves you about 15 or 20 seconds per splice so you can go back latter and spend 2 or 3 hours looking for the splice that fell apart

I was under the empression that the wire nuts without the metal inside were for low voltage only check to see what the wire nuts are rated for you may need a microscope to read what is stamped on the wirenut.

If the wire nuts came with the ballasts they are OK to use if they were supplied by some other means check the package they came in. wire nuts just like any thing else need to be properly installed.the correct size and rateing are important

I can fit 10 #12 THHN solid wires under a red wire nut but that does not make it correct.I can put 2 #22 solid wires under a red wire nut but that also is not correct.

now let me sit back and do some research so I can support what I just said
 
I say if they're garbage, then thats where they belong... weather they came with the fixture or not. I often get ill fitting screws with fixtures, slightly smaller than #8 that will slide out of the hole, but you wont catch me hanging a fixture with 'em. Same with wirenuts for dimmers....
 
icefalkon said:
He then agreed to have his men go back and change the wirenuts. OK that's a win for safety.
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Good job! :cool:

What I wanted to know if it's ok to NOT pretwist the wires in question prior to applying the wirenut. I've looked into the "manufacturers instructions" on the wirenuts out these days and I've found only two brands that have such a thing and they're contradictory. Identical in every way...voltage, UL listing, spring, etc...yet one says to pretwist, one says it's not required...optional.
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What brand stated that pretwisting was required?

Also, did you get a chance to read the thread I linked to at the top of page two?
 
georgestolz said:
Good job! :cool:


What brand stated that pretwisting was required?

Also, did you get a chance to read the thread I linked to at the top of page two?
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Hi guys,

I just finished reading the thread you posted for me George, thanks! Well, it's abundantly clear that everyone has their own opinion about this LOL. I myself am from the "pre-twisting school" and have seen apprentices come through the program lately that are of the "wirenut twist" academy. My issues with this come from what others have mentioned...meaning...not sufficiently twisting the wire nuts on to create a strong enough connection between all the wires in the splice. Now don't get me wrong...we've all come across guys who can't splice to save their lives...it happens. But tell me you've never come across a non pretwisted splice that you've been able to pull the center wire out of the wirenut and I'd say you're forgetting some instances. I guess it's only a matter of preference if you're doing your job correctly.

From what I've been reading on here, and remember from coming here in the past...is that it seems that the general membership here on this site are the men and women who take pride in their career and aren't the run of the mill guys who don't care about workmanship as much as getting paid.

( Holy run on sentence Batman )

Again, I'd like to thank you gentlemen on your input to my question.

To the guys still working in the field...stay safe...

To the guys retired...relax...you've earned it...

Steve from NY
 
I didn't chime in on this before but here goes: For ballast wires I never pretwist. I use Ideal wirenuts, and if you remove one to see, it twists the wires perfectly, providing you give it enough turns. For all other wires, I pretwist. FWIW.

John
 
Used to do facility maintenance. The thing about twisting is it's not uncommon to break a ballast wire. The thing about not twisting it's not uncommon to have a 277V wire drop out and hit you on the arm or something.

Personally I'm a twister.
 
cowboyjwc said:
Used to do facility maintenance. The thing about twisting is it's not uncommon to break a ballast wire. The thing about not twisting it's not uncommon to have a 277V wire drop out and hit you on the arm or something.

Personally I'm a twister.
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LOL great signature!
 
-George
(Officially 3 working days away from the end of my housemonkey-dom.) :D

So how close was I on your test score?
 
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