Twist grounds

[dwellselectric]

Okay question for you guys. When I went to school and worked for the company before the one that I am with now we always twisted conductors together like twist the blacks, whites, grounds. But I have been fighing with my boss for five years now he says I am wrong and I would like to see how you guys to it. My boss what he does is cut the wires even and hold them together and put them under the wirenut . I told him that I didn't like doing that because you are relying on the wirenut to hold the wires and you always have the chance of a wire coming free or what not. And I was just wondering how you guys did it. Is his way better than the way that I do it? Any input would be great thanks!

 

[Dennis Alwon]

I believe that most wirenuts are rated for connecting without twisting. That being said I twist my wires first then add the wirenut.
Wing-Nut? Wire Connector

Features

• Three color-coded models available to meet your needs
• Accept #18 through #6 AWG wires
• Contoured wing design for secure grip
• Live-action, square-wire spring
• No pre-twisting required
• UL Listed and CSA Certified
• Reusable
• Shell rated for 105? C

 

[iwire]

As far as I know all wire nuts require some twisting of the conductors.

However that twisting is not required to be done before installing the wire nut.

You place the wire nut on the untwisted conductors and keep twisting the wire nut until some twists show outside the wirenut.....you will need to do this with pliers.

Take a moment and read the instructions on the package of wire nuts and all your questions will be answered.

 

[infinity]

Twisting of the conductors before installing the wirenut IMO makes a better splice. I've been twisting them for over 20 years and to my knowledge not one has ever failed. But according to most manufacturers instructions pre-twisting is not required.

 

[stickboy1375]

Twisting of the conductors before installing the wirenut IMO makes a better splice. I've been twisting them for over 20 years and to my knowledge not one has ever failed. But according to most manufacturers instructions pre-twisting is not required.

I'm a pre twister also, but I have tried it without pre twisting just to see the results and have to say I was pretty impressed with just using the wirenut... But I've been pre-twisting for so long it's more habit than anything...

 

[infinity]

I'm a pre twister also, but I have tried it without pre twisting just to see the results and have to say I was pretty impressed with just using the wirenut... But I've been pre-twisting for so long it's more habit than anything...

I'd guess that I'm in the "old dog" catagory too.

 

[M. D.]

Twisting of the conductors before installing the wirenut IMO makes a better splice. I've been twisting them for over 20 years and to my knowledge not one has ever failed. But according to most manufacturers instructions pre-twisting is not required.

Not only not required but I had a guy from Ideal (I think) tell me that making the Spring do the work provides for a better connection ,I have not seen anything "offical" though. Not sure it matters much but I let the device do the work.

 

[andinator]

When I was green the guy I worked with made me pretwist everything. Now I only pretwist #12 and larger.

 

[sparkydon]

makeup bit..

makeup bit..

3M and Ideal make a "makeup bit" that can be chucked into a cordless drill or on a 1/4" nutdriver. They grab the wings on the wirenut and twist the wires very well with minimal fatigue and great speed.

No need to pretwist with one of those, just don't overdo it..

 

[480sparky]

just don't overdo it..

Amen to that! I once got hit with 277V because someone overdid it in an exit light. End of the solid #12 had punctured the end of the wire nut, but wasn't very visible. It wasn't the shock that hurt me, but the 14' fall off the ladder!

 

[brian john]

I am a pre-twister, esier to confirm consisty of the splice IMO.

 

[cadpoint]

...
My boss what he does is cut the wires even and hold them together and put them under the wirenut . ...

Ask him what he does for solid & stranded wire, I know I personally wrap the stranded around solid and a wrapper over-all.
For my co-workers they know I'm a wrapper, I hum a few tunes in the AM and see if anyone picks up the chorus as the day progresses.:roll:

Buy your Boss a Coke, Tell him he wins and keep Wraping...

 

[macmikeman]

I like to just hold the 3M plastic wirenut wrench tool in the palm of my right hand and hand twist the wirenut on using it. That way the cordless drill super overtorque problem of penetrating the end of the wirenut is eliminated, but you have a very superior twisting that you cannot achieve either by hand twisting a wirenut on without the tool, or using klien pliers to twist the wires first. Just try it and see what I mean.

 

[Brady Electric]

twisted grounds

twisted grounds

I have pre-twisted for years but now I don't all the time now.
If you put all solid wires together and hold them even and turn the wire nut clockwise until the wire nut starts twisting all the wires together you have a good connection. then if you take the wire nut off to check the joint all wires stay together and be even at the end. If you have solid and stranded wires you put the stranded a little ahead of the solid and it makes a good twist. As far as pre-twisting I have seen new guys mess up by not keeping wires even. I have also seen new guys mess up by using the wire nut method also. I think in all cases you have to pay attention to what you are doing and you will have a good connection.
As far as using a drill I wouldn't recommend it although the ones of you that do probably don't have any problem but I bet new guys will over drill and cause problems like talked about earlier with one wire breaking through the wire nut. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Semper Fi

 

[goindowner]

I pre-twist. I have seen to many wires pop out the other way.

 

[bugzapper]

Pretwist plus...

Pretwist plus...

I pretwist when all wires are exactly the same (AWG and str/sol), otherwise line them up and use the wire nut. Pretwisting a stranded around a solid can cause it to wrap too tight and lose some strands on thinner wire. Same effect with a small solid around a bigger solid.

Concerning grounds, I'm curious how many people still use ground crimps vs. green wire nuts?

 

[eric stromberg]

I have another question to add to the discussion.

If pre-twist, then what direction? Clockwise or Anti-Clockwise? Pre-twisting clockwise causes the spring in the wirenut to cut across the conductors. Pre-twisting anti-clockwise causes the twist of the wires and the spring in the wirenut to more closely match. Thoughts?

 

[stickboy1375]

I have another question to add to the discussion.

If pre-twist, then what direction? Clockwise or Anti-Clockwise? Pre-twisting clockwise causes the spring in the wirenut to cut across the conductors. Pre-twisting anti-clockwise causes the twist of the wires and the spring in the wirenut to more closely match. Thoughts?

Umm, yeh... I don't think i'm able to pre-twist counter clockwise, it would be like writing with my left hand...

 

[TOOL_5150]

3M and Ideal make a "makeup bit" that can be chucked into a cordless drill or on a 1/4" nutdriver. They grab the wings on the wirenut and twist the wires very well with minimal fatigue and great speed.

No need to pretwist with one of those, just don't overdo it..

This thing here is what sparkydon is talking about:

They work pretty well.

~Matt

 

[wireman71]

I'm sold on "wagos" for more than 4-5 number 12's. Not really a pre-twister.