Stranded wires under screws

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iwire said:
These ones from Ideal are rated for 14 to 18 AWG stranded or 12 to 20 AWG solid.

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I just don't see how you'd be able to push a peice of stranded wire into those things. Especially #14-18. #12 or 10 I can imagine would be easier since it would be stiffer.
 
There is more than one type "WAGO" on the market:

4134735.jpg


...might be a problem with stranded.


4134717.jpg


Probably not a problem with stranded
 
So tell me....I've excepted those in can lights because of the minimal load...but how do they perform over time with full circuit load?
 
Mule said:
So tell me....I've excepted those in can lights because of the minimal load...but how do they perform over time with full circuit load?
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it comes down to contact area, and contact pressure. contact pressure
is pretty good, you can't pull a stranded #12 out of them.
contact area looks pretty good as well.

they are rated 105 degrees... i'd be willing to use them in my house.
 
steelersman said:
I don't know why anyone would try to crimp a fork on a piece of solid. I think you got it confused. They were talking about crimping a fork on stranded instead of wrapping it around the screw. If you have solid then you would obviously have no need for a fork terminal.
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I believe wraping a #10 solid around a CR screw might be a problem which could be made easier with a fork.

If someone with poor eye-hand co-ordination has a problem with wrapping stranded wire 270 deg around screw they might use a crimped fork, which should work very well.

It's all personal preference, life, liberty and happiness, motherhood and cheverolet:)

PS; go steelers
 
I'm gonna do what I always have done... use stranded wire only when the device has a pressure plate under the screw head.

I don't care what method is used to twist, leave bits of insulation, or what... I don't think stranded wires under a screw head is a good connection.

To me, the solution seems obvious:

The NEC should not allow small guage stranded wire be used on devices without a pressure plate under the screw head.
 
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ohm said:
I believe wraping a #10 solid around a CR screw might be a problem which could be made easier with a fork.

If someone with poor eye-hand co-ordination has a problem with wrapping stranded wire 270 deg around screw they might use a crimped fork, which should work very well.

It's all personal preference, life, liberty and happiness, motherhood and cheverolet:)

PS; go steelers
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If I for some odd reason had to wire #10's to a 15 or 20 amp device then I would want to use the pressure plate style devices, assuming that #10's can fit in them.

And as for the forks being used on stranded...yes I would agree that this is a fine method. I just don't think that crimping on a terminal to a solid conductor is good and was never impled in this thread.

GO STEELERS!!
 
steelersman said:
If I for some odd reason had to wire #10's to a 15 or 20 amp device then I would want to use the pressure plate style devices, assuming that #10's can fit in them.

And as for the forks being used on stranded...yes I would agree that this is a fine method. I just don't think that crimping on a terminal to a solid conductor is good and was never impled in this thread.

GO STEELERS!!
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If one had a long run they might want to use #10 solid to reduce VD and trying to wrap it around a screw might get one thinking crimped fork, which IMHO would be a bad idea.

GO STEELLLERRRSSSS!:grin:
 
ohm said:
If one had a long run they might want to use #10 solid to reduce VD and trying to wrap it around a screw might get one thinking crimped fork, which IMHO would be a bad idea.

GO STEELLLERRRSSSS!:grin:
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In that case then, if #10 were run to reduce voltage drop then I would pigtail the #10's to #12's at the devices. Easy solution there. :)

One final time.....GO STEELERS!!
 
celtic said:
Some CBs are built that way...more of a lug, but really it's "nothing but a screw".


Your "obvious solution" would actually be more like a ban on small conductor stranded.
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I disagree that hes saying that. The "screw" on a breaker is usually part of some sort of lug. On those few breakers that have only a screw, I've only seen in older panels that I can remember, then I would use a fork. No reason to ban stranded.
 
Flex said:
I disagree that hes saying that. The "screw" on a breaker is usually part of some sort of lug. On those few breakers that have only a screw, I've only seen in older panels that I can remember, then I would use a fork. No reason to ban stranded.
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So now the options are:
a) put a fork terminal on the stranded at the CB
or
b) splice a solid tail on the stranded at the CB

...and then..
at the device:
a) put a fork terminal on to go under the screw
or
b) put a solid tail on to under the screw.

That seems like a lot of unnecessary work.
So the "simple solution" is to ban stranded :grin:
or learn to make the stranded connections like others have for years :roll:


I see it as "dumbing" down the trade. :mad:
If one cannot figure how to make something work mechanically - as has been done for years and is an accepted trade practice - maybe one should look into a different line of work....say maybe a wood butcher.
 
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