Whats your wiring method?

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JONATHAN20

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Lets say that you have a standard duplex receptacle(residential) in a circuit do you guys make pigtails on your hot and nuetral or do you use the receptacle itself utilizing both screws on both sides(the tabs as the splice). I think it has its good and bad points. Its good because it saves time but if the recpt goes bad you lose the circuit. What do you guys think?
 
I use the receptacle but I never back wire. Pigtails means splices and besides more time and material the splices can go bad also.
 
JONATHAN20 said:
Its good because it saves time but if the recpt goes bad you lose the circuit.
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Try the heavy duty receptacles. They have double side loaded lug connectivity that is not dependent on the receptacle.
 
I always pig tail. I worked in commercial & industrial a long time before doing any residential and old habbits die hard ( but I don't ever solder ).:grin:
 
Residential: for two wires I use screws, for more pig tails.
Anyone using those quick connect devices for commercial work ??? How do they work out time wise if you are?
 
What's really over the top is the odd occasion where I'll find both screws and both stab holes used on each side of the receptacle. It makes me wonder how they ever got it shoved back into the box. That's 8 conductors to get bent back in as you push the receptacle into place.
 
It took me quite a while to stop automatic pigtailing once I decided to more or less switch over to residential work from pipe bendering all day long. 15 years now I use the screws. By the way, lately I combo. When I have three sets of cables in a receptacle outlet to deal with, I pigtail two sets, and leave one set on the screw terminals. That way I can be a cheapo. A red wirenut costs a bit more than the next size down, so there you go.....macheapo. See what housewiring does to you? Once upon a time I was snobby and would only use OZ Gedney steel compression connectors and couplings with the insulated throats....
 
We always pigtail. I agree with the boss'es rule. It may be legal, but I hate feeding power through receptacles.

I have been on too many service calls to fix a ckt., where a receptacle failed, and the rest of the ckt. failed because of an old receptacle.
failed.
 
I agree with old habits never going away. I find myself automatically tailing out. Two or less, land on the device. More than two, i always tail out. Then again its what your most comfortable doing.
 
sparky_magoo said:
It may be legal, but I hate feeding power through receptacles.

I have been on too many service calls to fix a ckt., where a receptacle failed, ...
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If it's legal and a circuit/recept. fails, you go on a service call and make money.


Am I missing something here?:confused:
 
in-sure

in-sure

R2006 said:
Residential: for two wires I use screws, for more pig tails.
Anyone using those quick connect devices for commercial work ??? How do they work out time wise if you are?
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I've used Ideals 'in-sure' connectors many of times (see attachment). Not bad once you get used to not twisting each splice with your kliens before capping it off with a scotchlock.

Just push the wires in and move on to the next. We were wiring a bunch of hotels and motels at that time. Only time we've ever used them in such a mass quantity.

I still use them every once in awhile. Old habits are hard to break though.:smile:
 
Feed thru/wrap on MOST receps.

Ive never seen a failure of a wrapped terminal (proper wrap and wire). I've seen MANY stabbed failures. One time by sticking my Wiggy in the outlet and the lights came on. Easy money :)

On the rare whole house job I will stab the 15 amp receps.

I have also stabbed an occaisional #14 if space/length was an issue.
 
Residential, I use the screws or holes if only two cables.
Three or more cables in residential, pigtail.
Commercial, I ALWAYS pigtail.

Regarding the "insures" or "wegos"... Never never never in an outlet. I only use those in light fixtures, and only fixtures with solid wires.

I don't care if the capacity is 20A or not... I never use a wego in an outlet.
 
I pigtail. Period. No exceptions.

I've been on too many service calls where Wagos and back-stabs have failed, and some were intermittent that it took more time for me to find it that it would have to have trimmed the house out using the screw terminals.


Todays' Trick: If you suspect you've got a loose connection like this, thump the wall next to each device that could contain the problem spot. Watch to see if any lights or your plug-in tester blinks or flashes.
 
Yep, the in-sures work the same way. They are pretty tough though. Once you push 'em in it takes kliens and a set of 440's to get the wire free again.

We 'tested' a few right before we filled up our side pouches and aprons to see if they were 'serious buisness'.:grin:

Leaves one heck of a gouge on the wire once pulled back out too.
 
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