Stranded wires under screws

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steelersman

steelersman

Senior Member
Location
Lake Ridge, VA
iwire said:
These ones from Ideal are rated for 14 to 18 AWG stranded or 12 to 20 AWG solid.

in-sure.jpg
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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.
 
celtic

celtic

Senior Member
Location
NJ
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
 
Mule

Mule

Senior Member
Location
Oklahoma
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?
 
Fulthrotl

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
Location
HB, CA (19 Hrs. 22 Min. from Winged Horses)
Occupation
E
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?
Click to expand...

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.
 
O

ohm

Senior Member
Location
Birmingham, AL
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
 
R

realolman

Senior Member
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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steelersman

steelersman

Senior Member
Location
Lake Ridge, VA
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
Click to expand...
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!!
 
O

ohm

Senior Member
Location
Birmingham, AL
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!!
Click to expand...

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:
 
steelersman

steelersman

Senior Member
Location
Lake Ridge, VA
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:
Click to expand...
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!!
 
F

Flex

Senior Member
Location
poestenkill ny
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
celtic

celtic

Senior Member
Location
NJ
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.
Click to expand...


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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