Twisting the wires with linesman pliers before using a wire nut?

[don_resqcapt19]

3 #12 is a bit much for the wire nut, imo

The typical "red" wire nut is listed for 5 #12s.

 

[Todd0x1]

I went through the ideal wirenut catalog and can't find anything listed for more than 5 wires.

 

[Little Bill]

I'm gonna catch guff for this, but IMO, the people that just hand twist and spin on a wire nut, or don't pre-twist at all, aren't electricians.
They are likely owners that are micromanaging their bottom line.

It's a definite skill to be able to work a sidecutter efficiently and get a SOLID splice.
There's zero skill involved in just a quick hand twist and a wire nut.

Yeah, I'll give you some "guff". Just because you don't do something the same way as others doesn't make you "not an electrician". If you take care to put the nut on as instructed you have a good connection. Your way is not the only way, and calling people "not electricians" because you don't do it that way or like that way, is not right.

 

[James L]

The typical "red" wire nut is listed for 5 #12s.

Yeah. I was meaning to say more than two is a bit too many for the wire nut being able to twist all the wires together without pre twisting

 

[oldsparky52]

Being that I did a lot of gas station work, I used mostly stranded wire. It is an art to connecting stranded wires together or even more skill is a couple of stranded to a solid.

I always twist solids then install the wire nut. If stranded, I tighten up the stranding a little then install the wirenut w/out twisting the wires and making sure the ends are a perfectly the same length as possible. After completion, I hold the wirenut in one hand and give a tug on each individual conductor.

If solid and stranded connection, twist the solids (cut off even), tighten the stranding and install the wirenut w/out twisting the stranded/solid connection. Pull on the stranded conductors as above and the solids as a group.

Nothing worse than having a tight wire nut but find out as you are folding the conductors back into the box that one of the stranded was pushed down by the wire nut while another was pulled up.

 

[LarryFine]

When mixing solids and strandeds, I try to twist the strandeds into a single larger wire, and add it to the bundle.

For just strandeds, I twist each one well and I don't twist the bundle.

 

[wyreman]

some nuts say not to twist the wires before on the package
but
any more than 2 solids: twist em
stranded is another matter as is mix and match

you can expose more wire w the stranded and use nuts w a skirt
that helps

actually, w stranded the best thing is the lever wagos
they don't work good for lots of solid

 

[don_resqcapt19]

some nuts say not to twist the wires before on the package
...

You are going to have to show me the instructions that say "not to twist". Have seen many that say twisting is not necessary, but have never seen one that said "do not pre-twist".

 

[wyreman]

You are going to have to show me the instructions that say "not to twist". Have seen many that say twisting is not necessary, but have never seen one that said "do not pre-twist".

Maybe you’re right! I might’ve just been reading what I wanted to read i’ll have a look, but really the last time I looked it was 20 years ago, the package may look different with glasses on

 

[electrofelon]

I could have sworn I have seen destructions that say twist until 2 full turns are made outside of the skirt of the wire nut, but I just looked at a box of tans and it just says "until tight."

 

[oldsparky52]

I could have sworn I have seen destructions that say twist until 2 full turns are made outside of the skirt of the wire nut, but I just looked at a box of tans and it just says "until tight."

Nice subjective word.

 

[synchro]

some nuts say not to twist the wires before on the package

You are going to have to show me the instructions that say "not to twist". Have seen many that say twisting is not necessary, but have never seen one that said "do not pre-twist".

The manufacturers probably didn't want to upset Chubby Checker fans.

 

[flashlight]

Maybe you’re right! I might’ve just been reading what I wanted to read i’ll have a look, but really the last time I looked it was 20 years ago, the package may look different with glasses on

I'm pretty sure some instructions say "not necessary to twist" but not "do not twist" Now I will have to look also.

 

[winnie]

I suspect that people were having this discussion _before_ Marrette connectors were invented.

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Total hear-say, but a couple of commenters in the linked 20 yr old thread describe seeing instructions saying not to pre-twist. But no actual links to documents or quoted text.

-Jon

 

[James L]

I suspect that people were having this discussion _before_ Marrette connectors were invented.

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Total hear-say, but a couple of commenters in the linked 20 yr old thread describe seeing instructions saying not to pre-twist. But no actual links to documents or quoted text.

-Jon

We've been having this discussion the whole 28 years I've been in the trade

 

[flashlight]

I suspect that people were having this discussion _before_ Marrette connectors were invented.

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Total hear-say, but a couple of commenters in the linked 20 yr old thread describe seeing instructions saying not to pre-twist. But no actual links to documents or quoted text.

-Jon

Thanks for link to old thread. Man time goes by fast.

 

[don_resqcapt19]

I could have sworn I have seen destructions that say twist until 2 full turns are made outside of the skirt of the wire nut, but I just looked at a box of tans and it just says "until tight."

The old Ideal Wing Nut instructions said that, not sure when they changed the instructions.

 

[acin]

The back of the ideal wire nuts bag says acceptable but not required . #5

 

[480sparky]

 

[LarryFine]

We've been having this discussion the whole 28 years I've been in the trade

Darn you young whipper-snappers!