Wago Lever Nuts

[ControlD]

Has anyone else here used these things?

http://www.amazon.com/Wago-222-413-LEVER-NUTS-Conductor-Connectors/dp/B003K124UA

I have been running all new electrical in my basement and I REALLY wish I had stumbled on these things earlier. I'm not sure I will ever use a regular wire nut again. These things are so easy and once that wire is latched down it isn't coming back out. It especially makes connecting romex to stranded wire (lights for example) a breeze. It also makes pigtail connection considerably easier. They come in several varieties depending on how many connections you need.

Just wanted to throw this out there in case it helps anyone in the future. I bought mine at Menard's, so they appear to be readily available.

(I know this reads like a spam post, but I just wanted to share)

 

[Greenman]

Been using them for a year or so, great product.

 

[edro]

Yeah, they are awesome. I use them professionally and at home on everything I can.
They just released the new 221 series in the US.
They are smaller, easier to actuate and the housing is clear.

It will probably take a while for them to show up in stores though.

http://www.wago.com/221/en/wago-221/40-smaller/

 

[NutBucket]

Thanks! I'll be ordering some ASAP!

 

[NetWareHead]

A 50 pack of these for $18 vs 250 conventional wire nuts for less than 20. (Grabbbed first pricing I saw on home depot) Even better pricing if you are a professional and have an account at an electrical supply house.

IMO, I dont think they save THAT much time over regular wire nuts. You still have to strip the wire for either connector. For regular wire nuts, twist them together with linemans pliers, screw on the wire nut and ready to go. Even regular wire nuts are reusable if you dont twist them on too tightly and strip the internals.

It is still a cool nut (albeit more expensive) but for someone who is accustomed to wire nuts, I'm not really seeing a reason to switch.

 

[ControlD]

A 50 pack of these for $18 vs 250 conventional wire nuts for less than 20. (Grabbbed first pricing I saw on home depot) Even better pricing if you are a professional and have an account at an electrical supply house.

IMO, I dont think they save THAT much time over regular wire nuts. You still have to strip the wire for either connector. For regular wire nuts, twist them together with linemans pliers, screw on the wire nut and ready to go. Even regular wire nuts are reusable if you dont twist them on too tightly and strip the internals.

It is still a cool nut (albeit more expensive) but for someone who is accustomed to wire nuts, I'm not really seeing a reason to switch.

Yeah, the are a bit pricey, but when you use one to connect a few 12 gauge wires as opposed to a huge conventional wire nut it becomes a beautiful thing.

Mainly I like them for making that stranded to solid wire connection though. You know how it is, you are holding a light fixture while on a ladder trying to get that thin lamp wire nutted together with a couple of 12 gauge wires. That darned stranded wire loves to pop out a couple of times before it stays in the wire nut (at least for me).

I agree though. Regular wire nuts work fine too. I just found these to be a lot quicker.

 

[edro]

Strip length is always 3/8" too, so you don't have to strip them extra long to account for the twist.

Try twisting 5 12AWG conductors together with a traditional wire nut.
You have to strip about 2" long, get them started in the pliers, twist with all your might, cut off the top, screw on the wire nut.

With the Lever Nuts, you simply strip all to 3/8" and easily slide them in 1 at a time, click, done.

They also make working with live wire much easier... not that anyone does that. :sneaky:

 

[herm0016]

I use them if I have more than 3 wires to connect. Otherwise, wire nuts are fine.

 

[DrPizza]

I don't mind using them for lighting circuits where there's not going to be a lot of current. I don't trust them yet (though, I'm sure they're perfectly safe) for circuits that I expect 15 amps on. Though, I'll happily use them on such circuits for the ground wires - that's about the only time I can think of where I'd ever have more than 3 wires in a single wire nut. I am not an electrician, but I do understand that a big source of electrical fires is in bad connections - you get higher resistance which leads to heat. And, it seems to me that this is more likely in a connection of 5 wires than it is in a connection of 2 or 3 wires. Still, having completely wired 3 houses now, I cannot see why you would need 5 wires in one wire nut, except perhaps poor planning, or trying to use the absolute fewest feet of wire. Houses are expensive. 12/2 is only 20 cents per foot. Cheap insurance.

 

[ControlD]

^^^

In general, I tend to use them for connecting ground wires more than anything. You will generally have three ground wires in an outlet box, and I like using these over a standard wire nut simply because it is faster to get the grounds hooked up.

Tonight I wired in two single pole light switches in a double box. That's five ground wires, and a lever nut is much easier in that case. I generally don't need to connect five hot or neutrals together (I have done four in a junction box, but that's the max).

 

[pcgeek11]

I agree. I love those Wago Lever Locks. In an industrial environment where we are always working on these circuits due to changes and line improvements.

 

[echo4747]

I wish I would have known about these earlier. I am eager to give them a try. These are a little less expensive on ebay for anyone interested: http://www.ebay.com/itm/331295169151?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

-does anyone know if these are available for wire sizes other than the 28-12ga? I would be interested in something that could accommodate some like 10-6ga

 

[edro]

I wish I would have known about these earlier. I am eager to give them a try. These are a little less expensive on ebay for anyone interested: http://www.ebay.com/itm/331295169151?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

-does anyone know if these are available for wire sizes other than the 28-12ga? I would be interested in something that could accommodate some like 10-6ga

Nope.
28-12 only.
The new 221 series is 24-12 only.

When you get up in those higher gauges, wire nuts (of any type) are not easy.
Blue and red wire nuts are good for 6-10ga, but I would prefer a splice block with set screws.

 

[echo4747]

When you get up in those higher gauges, wire nuts (of any type) are not easy.
Blue and red wire nuts are good for 6-10ga, but I would prefer a splice block with set screws.

Usually for the heavier gauge wires I use split bolt connectors wrapped with a lot of electrical tape

 

[edro]

Usually for the heavier gauge wires I use split bolt connectors wrapped with a lot of electrical tape

I forgot about those. Yeah, those are tried and true.

 

[SparkyJJO]

A 50 pack of these for $18 vs 250 conventional wire nuts for less than 20. (Grabbbed first pricing I saw on home depot) Even better pricing if you are a professional and have an account at an electrical supply house.

IMO, I dont think they save THAT much time over regular wire nuts. You still have to strip the wire for either connector. For regular wire nuts, twist them together with linemans pliers, screw on the wire nut and ready to go. Even regular wire nuts are reusable if you dont twist them on too tightly and strip the internals.

It is still a cool nut (albeit more expensive) but for someone who is accustomed to wire nuts, I'm not really seeing a reason to switch.

It is actually recommended in most cases to not use pliers to twist before using the nuts. Hold the wires together, stick the nut over top, and screw it on.

Grounds are easy, no nuts required for a typical outlet box if you leave yourself enough wire. Since the wire is bare all the way back just twist the wires together a few times, use linemans to snug up the twist, crimp a brass barrel over the last twist, cut all but one wire off after the barrel (or leave two if you have two outlets/switches), and hook that wire up to the terminal on the device.

Obviously if you have green insulated wires (like with armored cable) then you can't really do that.

 

[NetWareHead]

It is actually recommended in most cases to not use pliers to twist before using the nuts. Hold the wires together, stick the nut over top, and screw it on.

Grounds are easy, no nuts required for a typical outlet box if you leave yourself enough wire. Since the wire is bare all the way back just twist the wires together a few times, use linemans to snug up the twist, crimp a brass barrel over the last twist, cut all but one wire off after the barrel (or leave two if you have two outlets/switches), and hook that wire up to the terminal on the device.

Obviously if you have green insulated wires (like with armored cable) then you can't really do that.

Why not recommended? I feel that when you twist the wires together with pliers, you get more contact area between the wires. Also, when twisted togther the wires form a more secure splice not likely to pull out. VS pressing wires together without twisting and simply installing a wire nut over.

 

[SparkyJJO]

You're supposed to twist the wire nut onto the wires until it twists the wires together (can tell by it putting a couple twists in the wire leading up to the wire). If done this way and you take the nut off later you can see the twist to the wires.

I used to do it the twist with linemans way too, until I was told otherwise by an actual electrician I was working under. I've done the other since and have had it both go faster and have had fewer loose wire issues since. I guess the nut more evenly twists the wires vs pliers that can tend to twist a couple of the outside ones heavily. And when using the wing wire nuts it isn't hard to twist either.

 

[ControlD]

If you care about following the NEC, it isn't sufficient to simply twist the grounds together and shove them in the box. I know everyone does that, but it doesn't meet code and you can get flagged if an inspector is required. You need to use a connector of some sort, whether that is a crimp, wire nut or something else like a lever nut.

** Sorry, misread the above post ... you can safely ignore this one! **

I like to cut the two grounds fairly short and then use one of the cut pieces to attach to the outlet (all three nutted together). Not having to shove long 12 gauge grounds back into the box is nice.

 

[Zorba]

A 50 pack of these for $18 vs 250 conventional wire nuts for less than 20. (Grabbbed first pricing I saw on home depot) Even better pricing if you are a professional and have an account at an electrical supply house.

IMO, I dont think they save THAT much time over regular wire nuts. You still have to strip the wire for either connector. For regular wire nuts, twist them together with linemans pliers, screw on the wire nut and ready to go. Even regular wire nuts are reusable if you dont twist them on too tightly and strip the internals.

It is still a cool nut (albeit more expensive) but for someone who is accustomed to wire nuts, I'm not really seeing a reason to switch.

I can see them being really nice for weekend warriors. If you aren't that used to wire nuts, then install a lot in a day if can make your fingers raw. And some people have difficulty installing them correctly. I actually have a bag of them I bought years ago, but I always end up just grabbing the wire nuts and haven't ever opened the bag.

I have seen a few houses completely wired with these, which always surprises me due to the cost and I've watched real journeymen install wire nuts and I don't see them save much time with these.

One use I can see for them is when you are putting a lot of wires in one box, especially in a retrofit application.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Another use could be when you know you're adding on later and will need to tap into the wiring at that point. It can be a nuisance to take a wire nut off and add another wire. These would be great for that as you could easily just pop another wire in if you've planned ahead.

 

[echo4747]

Another use could be when you know you're adding on later and will need to tap into the wiring at that point. It can be a nuisance to take a wire nut off and add another wire. These would be great for that as you could easily just pop another wire in if you've planned ahead.

up until you add on later ... do you tape over the unused terminals of the lever nut? just to prevent the rare chance of something getting in there?

 

[ControlD]

up until you add on later ... do you tape over the unused terminals of the lever nut? just to prevent the rare chance of something getting in there?

I don't think much is going to get in there unless you leave the spare hole levers in the up position. And those levers take a considerable amount of force to move them to the up (open) position.