Short wires cannot be spliced or extended, and they must extend beyond the box’s surface at least 3″. To replace the USB connector on a Nest Outdoor camera, splice the red and black wires. Use wire-nutting to create a durable splice, ensuring the right size and use of ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) protection.
Cross-cutting the power cable is not recommended, as it contains an AC/DC adapter on the plug end. A solder and heat shrink tube should work fine. Open the Nest Cam camera unit, take a picture of the power cable connections, and un-solder/unscrew.
ADT may have used the power supply from the original camera, cut the USB part off, and spliced it with some heat shrink tube. While splicing the Nest Cam Weatherproof Cable with a Cat 5 Ethernet wire is not recommended, you can contact a Nest Pro for assistance.
Tape up existing wires well, but resistance is additive, so use a junction box and wire nut the conductors together. If your existing wires are the same voltage/current/amps as the device uses, cutting the cord violates your warranty. Splicing the Nest Cam 5m Cable is not recommended, and Google Nest does not make wires and transformers that can be spliced.
📹 Cutting Nest Outdoor Camera wire
How to cut Nest Outdoor Camera wire and reattach for the porpoise if fishing wire through a smaller hole or to shorten or lengthen …
How do you wire a nest camera outside?
In order to transform a porch or landscaping light into a power outlet in the absence of an outdoor outlet, it is necessary to utilise a light socket adapter. Once the requisite preparations have been completed, the versatile mounting magnet, which is included with the Nest Cam Outdoor, can be used to position the camera with exact precision.
How long is Google Nest camera wire?
The Nest cameras are black in color, with a total cable length of 10 feet and a captive cable that plugs into an indoor power adapter. The devices offer 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) security with Transport Layer Security/Secure Sockets Layer (TLS/SSL) 2-step verification. The product line includes models with distinctive finishes, such as snow fog, linen, and sand, which are complemented by maple wood bases. The dimensions of the cameras are 3. 88 inches in height, 2. 52 inches in width, and 2. 24 inches in depth.
Can a Nest camera be hard wired?
The Nest Cam is equipped with a built-in cable that ensures uninterrupted power, and it can be hardwired with a weatherproof cable for installation in outdoor settings, thus obviating the necessity for charging. Furthermore, wiring provides access to additional Nest Aware features, thereby enhancing the capabilities of smart security.
Can you use an extension cord with a Nest outdoor camera?
The Nest Cam Outdoor is equipped with the capability to be connected to an extension power cord.
How to power a Nest camera?
Connect the provided USB cable to a power adapter, then twist the USB connector and plug it into a power outlet. Subsequently, the device will activate and emit a blue light.
Can I leave my Nest camera plugged in all the time?
The Nest Cam is a wireless device that provides safety in any area of your home. It can be charged using an external power source via USB for long-term use. If you have a Nest Aware Subscription, you can access 24/7 event video history while connected to a power source. Resetting the Cam can improve battery life by returning all settings to default, but it may erase your personal touch. To optimize the Cam’s memory, download your favorite clips.
Is Google discontinuing Nest camera?
Google has discontinued support for its Nest Secure home security system, affecting users who previously used it. The system will no longer connect to the Nest app or Google Home app, and Google is recommending recycling it. If you’re looking for an alternative to Nest Secure or trying something new, there are numerous reliable security systems available. One such option is the Nest Secure Smart Home, which offers advanced security features and can be integrated with Google Home.
How long is Google Nest wire?
The Nest Cam Weatherproof Cable is 10 meters long and has a larger power supply. To extend it, cut the cable and use Cat 5 wire. Connect red and silver insulated wires to brown and orange pairs, splice both conductors to each wire. Use green and blue wires for smaller data wires and shield. The camera shows hardwired in the app, but runs out of battery power after 14 hours. After connecting the 10 meter Outdoor cable, the camera works as expected.
Did Nest stop making outdoor wired cameras?
Nest no longer offers the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor, which was replaced by the battery-powered indoor/outdoor Nest Cam Battery. The Nest Cam IQ was once priced at $349 per camera. If you find one, it is recommended to consider ADT’s packages, which offer a range of Google Nest products and a free Nest Video Doorbell. ADT also offers a new Self Setup option for budget-conscious users. Outdoor cameras face challenges in capturing clear images due to varying light conditions and must be durable and smart enough to differentiate between real security threats and false alarms.
The Nest Cam IQ promises to provide all the features needed for an outdoor camera, but it is no longer in Nest’s rotation. If you believe it’s still the right camera for you, you can buy it from third-party sellers or a local hardware store.
Can security camera wire be spliced?
Splicing security camera wires together may not always improve the quality of security footage. It is recommended to use a new continuous cable whenever possible. To splice security camera wires, first determine the type of wires you are working with. If you have an IP security camera system, you likely use Cat5 or Cat6 ethernet cables, which consist of four twisted wire pairs encased in insulation.
Can you run security camera wires outside?
To wire your security camera system outdoors, drill holes from the outside where the camera is placed and run the cable back to the NVR. Use wire guards to hide and protect the cable, and cover the wire holes with silicone or duct seal to prevent moisture or water from entering. If installing cables outside at a longer distance, bury them with PVC, wire guard, or metal conduit pipe, about 18 inches underground to protect the cable from tampering. Consider drip holes to prevent water from reaching power outlets.
Drill holes to run the cables from inside to outside. Wrap the wire through fish tape and twist the end around itself, placing electrical tape around the fish tape and wire. Pull the wires slowly to avoid getting stuck. If using plug-and-play CAT5 cables, attach the crimp on RJ-45 connectors to each end. Plug one end into the camera and the other into the NVR. Tools needed for wiring HD over coax systems include RG-59 BNC connections, crimping tool, stripping tool, video power combo cables, BNC barrel, wire cutter, and electrical tape.
📹 Which Splicing Device is Best?Push Ins Vs. Wago Vs. Wirenuts
In this video I talk about the pros and cons of some of the most popular splicing devices used today. I also talk about some of the …
WAGOs, WAGOs, WAGOs…there is nothing better. Do not use ‘knock-off’ brands. WAGOs save time, are highly flexible (24-12 gauge, stranded and solid wire), saves space, easy adjustments, and are very secure (add elec. tape on levers if you’re concerned with them lifting off). I rarely use traditional wire nuts anymore.
Excellent review of the three devices, I am still a wire nut guy, but have seen problems from stranded #12 and #10 not making good contact. I like to pretwist the individual stranded wire in the same direction as the wirenut with my lineman’s pliers to get a better grip. As with fake Wago’s, i will never use the cheap Chinese twist-ons that come with light fixtures, ceiling fans, etc. Ideal or 3m are the only ones that should be used, as they have good spring force, and high temperature plastics.
One correction: When you’re talking about sticking a probe in the open terminal slot on that Ideal push-in connector: “You can actually stick a probe in there and test to see the ~~amperage~~” You probably meant Voltage because amperage would require either an in-series measurement probe or multimeter in Ammeter mode, OR a non-contact coil type ammeter that wouldn’t require contacting the metal at all (e.g. Fluke Ammeters with the “crab claw” current sensing loop that clips around a current-carrying conductor.
Due to perusal your very informative articles. I have begun using the Wagos. I have a number of electrical projects I recently started. I began using them in the outlet boxes and will be using them in new ceiling fan installations. Your website has great informative and easy to understand content. That is why I subscribed to your website. Keep the excellent articles coming!
The Wago connectors are great. I started using them a couple of years ago and won’t look back. I’ve also got in the habit of putting a Sharpie dot on the lever of LINE (as the others will be LOAD), and a mark on the LINE wire as well. This is especially useful in junction boxes where you may have multiple LOAD wires running out of the box. Takes a few seconds, but saves time down the road if you ever open the junction box back up.
In Germany we exclusively use the WAGO push in connectors since at least 30 years without problems. I think WAGO were the first one on the marked with those. The wago lever connectors are very handy when connecting solid to stranded wire, for example when connecting a light fixture (there are also WAGO 224 connectors especially for this usecase which I highly recommend). Also intersting: In Germany WAGO connector is a synonym for the push in types not the lever ones since they are uses for a long time.
I gotta say, once I started using WAGOs I couldn’t go back to anything else. They are just too useful, easy, and reusable. Love the test holes, too. I’ve twisted my last wire-nut :-). I think the WAGOs are also superior to the push-in connectors… with the push-in connectors its often too easy to ride the contacts up onto the insulation without realizing it. And as you noted, with the WAGOs you can see everything that is going on and verify (before or after installation) that everything is good. Sometimes I put one or two wraps of electricial tape around the WAGO, but most of the time I don’t bother. And sometimes I put a few wraps of tape around the wires a few inches away from the WAGO to reduce strain or simply to keep the collection of wires together. The wire-nuts work well but its harder and harder to find quality wire-nuts. In fact, I began looking at alternatives when a batch of wire nuts started to break on me just while I was twisting. I think that’s my biggest issue with wire-nuts these days. The quality has gone to hell. -Matt
As another person mentioned, taking a small wire tie and wrapping around the Wago to keep the levers from flipping open, as well as doing the same around the wires an inch or so down from the Wago can insure a safer set up. If using 2 Wago’s, put them back to back levers facing each other and wire tie.
WAGO LeverNut all the way! I’ve installed thousands and have literally never had one fail I had the same issue- the lever inadvertently toggle up- if it’s a super critical connection, I’ve used a rubber band or electrical tape if I’m desperate. The WAGO DIN mounting options are also a huge plus I’ve started glueing 2 together if I’m dealing with a 2 cond LV connection, very neat and satisfying The 12awg limit is now 10 since their latest version Not to be that guy- you didn’t mention the DUAL test slots, huge feature Nonetheless, great article !
Looks like you could also put a turn of good electrical tape around the Wago to keep the levers from flipping. Wagos are also great when connecting stranded wire to solid core. I also like Wagos to extend leads in boxes that previous DIY’ers clipped the leads too short. That said I always keep a box or two or “wire nuts” around, too. I prefer the Scotch-Lok type.
thewire nuts are great if you only have 2 or 3 connectors that have not been work hardened. reworking an old box with nuts is a nightmare if they have been pretwisted and there is not enough spare wire to be able to trash the ends. That can be a lot of rewiring and dry-walling just to fix what could have been a minor problem. It is a pity no one imports the stuff they use in the uk. screw held slots in lumps of brass. all tested to 600 volt and 100 amp.
I have used all three. My go-to has been old style twist-ons for junction boxes; I always pre-twist the wires. On the non-Wego, pushin types – I have had failures of these, and that’s scary so I do not use them. I do use the Wego’s, but for the 221’s and higher terminal count types, I put the supply hot and neutrals in the middle hole so I split the current load to the two or more downstream devices over the internal Wego bus bar to reduce potential heat buildup.
In UK been using WAGO connectors for years, seen a number of tests done on them and they can handle way more amps than they are actually rated for, never seen any issues of overheating, the resistance between the connections is extremely low, in the UK we have a lot of testing even with using a lot of these in a circuit the resistance is less than 0.001 ohms.. Because we also have electrical inspections that require the conductors to be separated WAGO’s make this so much easier, because of this and for fault finding most electricians in the UK hate when people twist the conductors together as it can weaken the copper when you then have to un-twist… Every time I see twisted earth conductors (we call it cpc), I cut them off and reterminate using a WAGO… A lot of people were sceptical at first and used what we had for years connector blocks, but now almost everything is push inconnectors or WAGO style connectors, they cost a bit more but the time they save ofsets this, I guess it will just take time for people to come away from old habits… I want to say they are the future but in the UK an Europe we have been using them so long they are the standard, you can always tell a DIY job as they don’t use WAGO’s as they come in larger boxes…
Haven’t gone through comments, but it seems like a simple “prevent lever flipping open” option would just be 2 wraps of electrical tape around the body/levers when done, prior to inserting into box (still keeping thumb on it also of course while pushing in as a safety factor), wrapping tight onto the wire insertion side, thus keeping the levers down and/or preventing anything sliding up under them in the first place.
You are correct about the slightly higher resistance on the push in and clamp type connectors but it is so minimal that there should be no issue at all if the correct wire sizes and current rating are observed. You would be hard pushed to find anyone pro or DIY using wire nuts outside of the states. Wire nuts are so dangerous in the wrong hands they shouldn’t be allowed in my humble opinion.
WAGOs are awesome. I use them all the time in my ceiling fixtures. Makes wiring so much easier. That being said, I still use wire nuts for switches and outlets. It is trickier to join stranded with solid but if the stranded wire leads the solid, the stranded will stay inside the wire nut during a pull test.
Great presentation. Only thing I would add is one of the reasons the wire nuts are so popular is they fit a wide variety of joints, including different wire gauges and a variable number of conductors. I think the red wire nut you showed us is the Ideal 452, which can connect a minimum of 2 18 AWG wires, and a max of 4 10 AWG connectors, according Ideal’s web page. Also, I learned a trick from your presentation which is after pre-twisting the wires and prior to installing the wire nut, you cut the ends of the connectors flush so the nut grabs the connectors easier. Many a time I’ve had to try several times to start the wire nut because I didn’t do this. Awesome article!
back on your wago section, i like your idea from your other article better. here, you only mention using your thumb to keep the levers closed when installing into the junction box. in your other article, you mention about covering the wagos with electrical tape to keep the levers down. overall, great article, thanks!
Very interesting. Good information. A great follow on article to this would be to connect two sets of wires, of the same size, one WAGO, and one Wire Nut, and then run say 20AMP through them for some time and measure the temperature of each. The WAGO says it is good up to 30AMP so that should handle most normal household connections. A article showing a test of temperature would be very interesting.
Wirenuts have been around for a long time and proven very good. I tested some over 50 years old rigid wires connections with wirenuts and they were still excellent, pre twisted wires the better. On the other hand, almost every connection using wirenuts older than 10 years with the mix of rigid and stranded wires were completely loose probably due to metal fatigue I believe. We can see this situation with thermostats, baseboards and convectors, those units are supplied with stranded wires and the house wires are rigid. So every time I see this situation, I re-strip the wires and change the wirenuts with Wago 221. These Wago 221 are also great for light fixtures since they are easy to disconnect and re-use without damaging the wires.
Wago’s are great in current limited situations. I always use wire nuts that are properly installed, and when exposed to vibration as in motor wiring compartments, they are additionally secured with electrical tape. The wire nut is the only device besides a split bolt connector that can apply enough force to the conductors to make a good bond. Any spring or lever capture device as small as a Wago is incapable of carrying all of the current between the joined conductors if that current exceeds about 12 A. I am certain that they make a connector which is listed for 20 A, but I would not be the man who would install that.
Informative article. From the article plus reading some detailed comments, I have gathered that wagos would be best suited when installing light fixtures, something stationary, not with something that vibrates. As an older female DIYer that has changed out many a light fixture and have a few more planned for the future…the wagos will be on my list to buy! I never feel that I get the screwed on one’s tight enough so I wrap electrical tape around them…then it’s a real pain to get them back in the box! Thanks for the pros and cons on all of them!
The biggest problem with Wago connectors is the huge amount of substandard Chinese knock off connectors currently on the market. Genuine Wago connectors are UL listed, safe and reliable. Counterfeit Wagos and other Chinese knock offs are everywhere, so be careful and make sure you are getting Genuine Wago connectors.
I usually use wire-nuts for my purposes but recently replacing a ceiling light with a fan, the wire run was very…very stingy and the box very tight where I did not trust there to be enough room for all the wire-nuts, and the ceiling fan was stranded wire. I went out to get some Wago connectors — first time to use them — and was greatly impressed by how easy, foolproof and compact they are. But for outlets and junctions where current draw could be anywhere up to the breaker limit for an unknown amount of time, I’d still trust wire nuts. Light switches and ceiling outlets with a low known load, Wago is a good alternative.
I’ve been using Wago connectors for quite some time now, I haven’t had any major issues with them. I use them quite a lot when transitioning between solid and stranded wires just because it is pretty much “id10t” resistant. Majority of the failures I find in the repair field melted wirenuts caused by bad connections on solid to stranded transitions and one failure of a Wago caused by water intrusion, not the failure from the product itself. Also, I work on quite a lot of telecom equipment which is dominantly DC powered using stranded wire and the usage of wirenuts are an absolute no no. Not sure if they’re rated for DC applications, but I’ve used them for my 52 volts DC nominal circuits derating the ampacity of the nominal wire size by 60% for continuous duty applications and haven’t seen any signs of thermal stress the last time I checked it with a thermal camera.
Why is the thumbnail photo of this episode show the first one as dangerous, the middle one as trash and the far right one as fire hazard. From that I would not use any of them. However, I do not like the first one because it cannot be reused. I use the middle one because I can “rewire” it. You are correct that you have to be careful with the levers as they can lift. I do as you suggested, I make sure all are properly closed before closing up. I do not use wire nuts much any more. When I did I always taped them to be sure the nut did not come off. Still a good article. Disclosure: I am not an electrician, just a DYIer.
I’ve had ush-ins and wire nut fall off before. Ideal lever nuts are better than Wago because the levers snap into place so they’re harder to inadvertently remove. I look forward to improvements on lever nuts to increase the contact area, but this would come at a restriction of the variety of wire gauges possible to use.
It seems you had to apply some extra force to unlock the Wago 221. I would have to think, if the lever flipped open. The electrician was jamming 5lbs into a 1lb bucket. I’m excited to try the WAGO. Looking them up… you can buy a big set of WAGO…2 – 5 pin. where as the wire nuts in bulk you will pay a lot more
WAGO also has push ins that are smaller than the push ins you show. Very useful for overly full boxes. Usually I use those, unless if I have either stranded wire, or if I know I need to disconnect still (either temporary or often changed connections) The nuts I rarely use anymore. Good for very high current, but too easy to accidentally get wrong, and too much space.
I love Wagos from my old industrial days. We used Wago Terminal blocks and they saved so much time for wiring control panels. The lever things are super cool. I discovered them doing a project on my van. Super easy for stranded wire. And multi size wire applications you will run into with RV stuff. I had a weird box that when I was jamming wires into I kept unlocking levers. So I did a wrap of electrical tape for safety and all is good in the world.
In the late 1990s I took a full time job with a Children’s Hospital as a Plant Engineer. It was a brand new facility with state of the art technology even in the walls. I was tasked with designing and building a workshop for the custom wheelchair department. I really liked the Receptacles that had a built in pigtail that plugged into a socket installed on the wiring at the electrical boxes by electrical contractors that wired the entire Hospital. At the time there were no Wagos, Ideal push locks only wire nuts an this new system that was installed. I have used the Ideal style for my own home and have yet to have any issues. much cleaner than wire nuts. I have over the course of 32 years wired many control centers, motor control panels with din rail systems with push lock termination terminals along with spring lock terminals for low voltage communications and control wiring. I have used Wagos a few times but always worried about the latches opening upon moving wires around. So currently I use the Ideal connector and wire nuts for loose stranded wire at light boxes for light fixtures.
Wago is producing push ins and levers for a very specific reason. The push ins are used when using solid wires which usually are not serviced because they are in wall. They have the lowest foot print and even if you need to connect a lot of wires it’s possible in very little boxes. The lever ones are for elements where potentially a non electricians needs to access and exchange elements, eg light fixtures or fan outlets, or other situations where you need to interconnect stranded wires with either stranded or solid wiring. So it’s not a question of either push ins or lever ones, it’s a question of where you use which type, but always use Wago brand …
Have you ever seen the “old school” set screw type wirenuts? 3 pcs- a brass sleeve with a set screw in it, and a separate cover. You put the wires inside, tighten the setscrew, then screw on the plastic top. A couple of issues with them- the plastic cap is rigid, like bakelite, and breakable. They also unscrew. We used those exclusively at one place I worked. More labor, and we ALWAYS wrapped them with tape.
The Wago 221 are hands down the best connectors u can buy. They can’t be beaten in terms of convenience, practicality and size. The only downside I have encountered is that there’s a max of 5 slots, but that can be easily solved with another wago and a jumper. Even price I feel is not really a factor coz as a DIYer u probably won’t use so many that u will feel the pinch(small assortment packs can be had for less than 20 bucks easily), and as a professional u just price it in to the job. There were many times I felt like cheaping out on a job and using cheap connectors instead of my Wagos and on the handful of occasions I do, every single time I regret it because the money saved is never worth the time wasted.
Those Red 3m or Ideal Wing Tip Scotch Locks Wire Connectors are MY preferred method of making good solid wire conductor splicing connections and has been for many many decades ! I’m a State Licensed Journeyman Electrician / Sub Contractor with over 55 years in the trade ! I also use the Yellows, Grays, & Blues when required !
I prefer the wire nut, if you pretwist the wires together you can make sure you have a good solid connection. At that point the wire nut is more of an insulator. Also you mentioned the downside of wirenuts is the more wires you put in a wirenut the bigger it needs to be, of course that is true but most electrical codes will only allow you to put a certain number of romexes in a box. In my state, in a standard size single gang outlet or switch box, you can I put 3 14/2 romex cables in it or 2 12/2 romex, in a deep box you can put 4 and 3 respectively. Of course that’s different in a multi gang switchbox but then you generally have more room for a larger wirenut.
20+ year electrician here and I have to definitely say wire nuts all the way with proper twist from linemans. The push in connectors are DEFINITELY the worst, I retro fitted literally tens of thousands of commercial fluorescent fixtures in my time and found so many issues from them (mainly cause of user instal) . Wagos are good but I still feel I don’t get that super tight connection as with my nuts lol😅
The main criticism I’ve got with this article is that there is no testing to back up your opinions. In the UK we don’t have wire nuts (that I know of) so I can’t comment, but we use Wago’s extensively and I’ve had no issues with them (industrial maintenance). I’ve seen tests where they will withstand much higher currents than stated without heating up excessively, and they save so much time as well as providing a reliable and re-useable connector. They will always remain in my toolbox
Watched your article and liked it overall but, did you mention the limitations of the wire nut like not being able to handle many wires. That was the problem I had with a bathroom switch and the 2 lights, fan and heat lamp. Connecting the neutrals together was a pain in the wire nuts – easily handled with a 5 spot Wago clip. The heat lamp is only 250 watts so no heavy load for the Wago.
Have a WAGO 221 in hand. It is rated 20 amps @ 300 V. I have not used it at that rating. A company I worked for used the DIN rail mounted WAGO connectors on crawler mounted mining machines. The connectors were reliable in that high vibration use, mostly 24 VDC. That gave me confidence in the actual connection technology. Easy to use and inspect. Can insert wire and make connections with one hand with WAGO 221. I am a retired Electrical Engineer, still keeping my P.E. license active for one more 2 year cycle.
Our model railroad club has made extensive use of 3- and 4-hole push-in connectors for hooking up 20 AWG “drops” from the rails to the 12 AWG “bus” wires under the benchwork. Of course, these are all low voltage (about 16 volts AC) and low amperage (less than five amps) applications. It has saved hours of time soldering connections. As an added bonus, it is easy to put a number label on the block. I concur that I wouldn’t be too keen on using them for 110 applications.
It doesn’t matter how deep the ”nut” is or how long the wire twist is, the current always takes the shortest path, so maybe 3-4mm is used as a connection on the twisted wires at best. That’s why quick connectors like Wago – german engineering – do the same, but much easier. In my opinion, the biggest question is related to “time”, if the wires oxidize inside the quick connectors, but not only…
I think part of the reason that the Wago connectors are more popular in Europe than the USA is because AC in homes is 220V in Europe vs 110V in the USA. Higher voltage for the same wattage means that the amperage will be lower in Europe than in the USA, and, for a given resistance, you get more heat generated with higher amperage. So in the USA, where devices will draw higher amperage, we need to optimize connectors for minimal resistance to avoid heat. As you stated, with a properly installed wire nut, you can have more surface area and less resistance in your connection. In general, this is a great article, and I think you give people good advice. In my house, I’ve been slowly replacing older LED cans with halogen bulbs to LED lighting over time. The LED lighting draws significantly lower current. Whoever installed some of the can lights 15 years ago did a terrible job with some of the wiring. I’ve found several lights that didn’t work because the wire nuts weren’t installed properly, and the lights stopped working due to faulty connections and open circuits. As I’ve been replacing these with LED lighting, I’ve mostly used WAGO connectors because I don’t like being up on a high ladder fumbling with overhead wiring in the ceiling. Since the new LED lighting uses less current, it’s OK if the WAGOs might have a little bit more resistance than an optimally-installed wire nut. I think your AVERAGE WAGO install will probably have lower resistance than an average wire nut install with wires that aren’t perfectly spliced.
I have seen WAGO connectors take 2 times the amps rated on the side of the connector, and higher than the 4mm² (12AWG) was rated for in the first place, in an insulated box, installed in a confined hot box for at least 48 hours of constant use before being packed up after the gig. Only ones I have seen fail, have the ‘off orange’ levers.. I wont say the country they were most likely made in, but I did have a desire for some rice afterwards.
Very well done article, thorough and direct with great visuals so viewers can see exactly what you are talking about. Thanks! I’m new to the non-wirenut solutions but I’ve opened up too many boxes to find wires have slid out of their wire nuts. Pushing wires into a crowded box makes it way too easy for the wire nut to separate from the wires. The connection still “works” because the wires remain in contact, but it’s an accident waiting to happen.
47 years ago I had to instal a lot of ballasts in old live fluorescent lights in a department store during store hours ( i wasn’t allowed to turn the power off ) what fun it was to see wire nuts that were loose and fell off or dried up and cracked ! Never ever install wire nuts without also wrapping them with some High temp electric tape to help insure that the wire nuts stay on ! I never used Wagos but perhaps you can also give them and the wires leading into them a wrap of tape !
I am working in Germany and most used are the push-in types followed by lever operated like the wago 221. Wirenuts are extremly rare. But there are huge differences in quality, i prefer Wago for both. My experience with wirenuts comes mostly from machines made in the USA or China, and in my experience they are one of the most common point of failure in wiring, they seem open up under vibration. Very important for push and lever operated devices is that the inserted wire is straight, to make a good contact. Here I see the problems in the US. When replacing a wirenut by one of those the used cable from a nut is bent, which might cause poor contact.
I’ve had too many issues with either crappy wire nuts (no metal insert) or not being able to get a good connection between solid and stranded wire. Switched to Wagos for a project where I knew there wasn’t going to be much room in the box and they solved both issues (size and mixed media) so I’m a believer.
Meanwhile wagos being tested to 500 amps. But they are shit tier according to you guys Also wire nuts will help the burn spread. The type of plastic used by genuine wagos doesn’t sustain the burn. This goes for the see trough AND colored lever part. The lever action wagos also make more contact than this guy claimed. We know you dislike things that aren’t from murica. But not everything from murica is better. And wire nuts are not used here anymore Heating cycles+ wire nuts = house fires. Heating cycles+ wire nuts + different materials for wires = house fires, and broken connections due to oxidation
I work as a commercial food service and refrigeration service tech, I think you nailed most of the pros and cons of all of these. I would like to addto what you said, my experience with wagos is that the heat can be a problem at least from the equipment I work on but another larger problem I have seen with the wago connectors is if they loosen even a little from say vibration from a compressor, a fan motor, or the equipment just getting moved around they can melt just like any loose connection, I think that it happens because they vibrated against something and popped the lever up but it is hard to say because by the time I arrive all that left is melted plastic. I think that it is kind of funny because with the push for HC refrigerants (all of which are flammable) some manufacturers have started using these because they are “spark free” but I find them melted off with alarming regularity the most recent of which melted the plastic electrical box off the back of a refrigerator and the fire department had to come out, also brand new under warranty. Sorry for the long post but for the work I do I don’t like them but I can see why someone would.
i like your website and your articles… just one piece of feedback – I realize that thumbnails are a big part of getting views on this platform, but is there a reason you would label certain connectors as “trash” and then in the article not state that at all? The thumbnail (at the time of this comment) has an arrow pointing to the WAGO as “trash”. Again, I totally understand the need to make a thumbnail that makes people curious, but I’d rather you do it in a way that agrees with the content inside. Thanks for the article!
I have been using Wago levernuts for years now. I have had one experience where they failed (melted). It was a prolonged nearly short-circuit situation where something had to fail, and the levernut failed before the wire did. I consider that a “feature.” I did not have to run new wire. Fuses should have protected it but some genius bypassed them. In this decade where one levernut failed, I have experienced many issues due to wire nuts; usually the fault of whoever installed them, but still… ease idiotproofness is part of the value of the product.
Life long second generation sparky who never had trouble with pressure connectors. No such thing in NEC book called a wire nut ! I have installed what you & 99.9% of people called wire nuts in my home over 45 years ago both indoors & outdoors without 1 failure. Best practice is to ignore quickie directions on side if box. Strip wire 7/8″ long then pre twist with a heavy large linesmen pliers, trim ends so they are even, install proper size quality wire nut, twist with linesmen pliers until you have a full turn on wire insulation then install quality made in USA electrical tape. Never use POS cheating china wire nuts without internal spring that comes with luminares. Yep no such thing as light fixtures anymore in NEC. Only time I have used wagos is when replacing a lot of fluorescent luminare ballast. Most electricians are going to use the cheapest item. So most use wire nuts. Firmly believe our in the industrial field with so much vibrating equipment, nightly high pressure wash down etc and properly installed wire nut is the best decision.
I’m gonna say WAGO is the way to go. I was a facilities mechanic for a major grocery store chain while I was in grad school. I ended up doing lots of electric work (20 years ago) and wire nuts was all we knew. I never liked wire nuts that much. So easy to get a wire twisted inside and not making a good connection. When I wired up my new commerical cabinent shop I did it all with WAGO connectors (well mostly). With the WAGO ones I know they are connected and if I need to make changes its so easy. The only thing I didn’t use them for was the circuits that were too big for them. I have 100s of them in boxes around my shop and haven’t had a single problem in three or four years. WAGOs are really nice for those times when you are connecting solid wire to stranded. Which I did a lot because of conduit. I’d trust a WAGO with stranded&solid wires way more than a wire nut.
There are only two reasons Americans will persist with wire nuts over a wago. 1) cost and, arguably the biggest point, 2) arrogance. Anyone who’s claimed to found an overheated 221 is a liar. There are plenty articles showing them being tested to over 4x their rated current capacity without melting. Wire nuts are testament to North American wiring standards in general – testing is almost non existent.
Not a fan of the stab-in connectors, only a tiny bit of conductive material between the wires, and they’re a PITA to remove. Beyond that, you need specific sizes for the number of wires being spliced, and on a commercial jobsite, you will almost always never be able to find the ones you need. We tried them on two jobs some few years ago because they were specced for the job, and it was a headache. Haven’t used the wago lever connectors much, but I’ve heard they’re better than the stab-ins. Never had issues with wire nuts unless they were used on stranded/solid wire connections, they tended to loosen a bit if you moved the wire around a lot, say if you were digging in a box trying to get to a splice in the very bottom.
I don’t get the concern about Wago connectors not handing loads as well as wirenuts or other joiners (mainly in the USA). A 16A rated Wago will handle 16A without getting too hot (in fact it will handle a hell of a lot more than it’s rated load). If you want to use one on a 32A circuit then just use a 32A wago. Nothing else actually matters – they work really well and are less prone to user error than many other types. Similarly lots of YouTubers mention them heating up or burning out without actually including any proof. If yours are overheating then please post a thermal imaging camera shot to demonstrate this instead of spreading FUD about lever connectors. Please see Wago’s own destructive test article here: youtube.com/watch?v=eg6VPucscxI
Here in Russia we use tinned copper sleeve and hydraulic press to connect the wires as one of the most reliable of wire connection in places, that are unavailable for service or visual observation. The rulers of electrical instructions prescribe directly to use this type of connection in such situation. We have no state standards on wago still, butt it widespread use. The reliability is lower than tinned copper sleeves in hi amp applications, that’s the reason why wago can only be installed in places available for inspection and monitoring. Wire nuts u can buy, but I see no man who really wants. I want to know your opinion about copper sleeves and does it uses in US somewhere ?
I like the way Eagle work and bought some recently. I saw a article a while back in which they destructively tested Wagos, I think by over amping them. They measured the amperage and temperature and the Wages held up well at their rated capacity. I just watched another anti-wago article. The presenter based his negative view on interviewing electricians, asking .whether they like Wago. He said the electricians indicated about ten per cent of their calls were cleaning up poor.Wago installations. Well that is not a solid way of gsuging.how well Wait works, because most electricians are used to wire nuts, and the reported improper Wago wiring doesn’t mean they cannot be reliable. After all, I am sure they have to clean up homeowner misuse of wire nuts as well!
I much prefer using wirenuts and twisting my conductors together and actually having the wires themselves maintain the continuity of a circuit. That said I sure as hell have been using the WAGOs a lot more with the LED fixtures that are being sent out. When you had a 2×4 T8 fixture you pop the cover and there was ample room in the fixture to loop a 2 or 3 conductor cable from light to light. Now with the LED lights that are coming out, for what ever reason the manufacturers making the connection boxes fixtures so damn small that now you are lucky to get one 12/2 in the light. The wagos have a nice smaller footprint which sure helps. Also the one connection that I am glad i have not seen in a long time…. SCOTCH LOCKS!
I like using Wegos in tight spaces where wirenuts don’t really fit well, like splices in wiremold raceways or 3″ pancake boxes (technically they’re 3-1/4 inches, and usually 4.0 cu. in which means even a single 14/2 romex overfills the box @6.0 cu. in., 3 conductors x 2.0 cu. in. each…not sure how they get away with that one, I guess don’t ask don’t tell LOL)
Not supplying power but rather making a connection… I would hope your earth wire isn’t carrying any power. The Wago 221 is rated to 30 Amps… if they are over heating what they heck are you using them for? OMG close the levers and it is done… and they can carry a lot of weight. A lot of the connections below 30 Amps in Heathrow airport use Wago connectors without any issues… so those that say they have issues can’t use the most basic connector.
Again, I’m in the heating industry, wiring is obviously a” Biggie” all residential boilers installed must be done in ONE day as per management. The ” Wago” connection is the best in my opinion, it’s a game changer! Just as big as the Milwaukee Pro press. These New pieces of equipment have given all installs 2 hours more towards us. Instead of leaving jobs 2 or 3 hours late, we leave at a regular time and we can stop and properly check everything. Clean up properly and leave the job with a clear clean job.
I’ve become a huge fan of Wago for sure. I’ve been thinking about starting to wrap the wago in electrical tape to ensure the tabs don’t get flipped up. It seems like an easy answer to that flaw. And, I like the commenter who marks the line wire and the insert point for line on the wago. I’ve been renovating a couple of houses and have seen people who get a little ambitious twisting the wire nuts. I’ve seen wires that come all the way through the nut. For a ground wire, this is fine — kind of a cool way to splice wires together and bond to a metal box. But especially for line/load, this can be a huge no-no.
Maybe fist of all STOP Telling People To DIY electrical work. There are reason we spend years learning the trade. I.e. there’s a hole in this connector so you can check amperage……well that’s interesting. You check amperage by having your meter in series in a circuit…..you could use that whole to check voltage….not quite the same thing and if you were an electrician not a DIYER you would know this. As regards your connectors any device that could ” be installed correctly” but then hmm as you push other wires or devices. Into the box…there’s the good possibility of touching some tab and oh. Opening up the connection you just made….yeah failure…twist your wires together then screw on your wire cap there’s a very simple reason electricians have been doing that for decades. IT WORKS
For the US vs Europe amperage and the load on the wago discussion : US 120Vx15A = 1800W or 120V x 20A = 2400W pro circuit. Eu 240V x 16A = 3840 W pro circuit. In most Eu countries the wire nuts are not allowed anymore for a long time. It is quite common to have appliances up to the 3840 or even 4000 W in use daily on the Wago style plugs without any heat or melting problems. For instance my electric watercooker is 2400 W (not that it is on 24/7, but AC or heating can be). Vacuum cleaners also used to have wattages but are now limited to 800 W die to new Eu regulations. (Fun fact current 8K tv’s will be illegal for being sold from this year also in the Eu for using to much power) Energy efficiency is becoming very important due to the energytransition that is happening fron fossile energy to green energy by 2050 (if it is possible at all is a whole different discussion)
I believe the push in connectors by Wago actually have lower resistance than the lever type Wago. I recently watched a article done by GreatScott! on YouTube (“What wire connector is best?”) and the resistance of a wire nut connection was 0.15 milliohms, the push in Wago is around 0.4 millions and the lever type Wago was 2.2 millioms. As a point of reference, 1 foot of #12 copper wire is 1.6 millions.
Something that is pointed out in this article is the general property of electrical conduction. These Wago connectors only make the slightest knife edge contact with each wire clamped = the smallest surface area of contact and the metal strip internal to the connector in size (length/width/thickness) is the absolute minimum for conductivity. Thus you have thermal heating issues with this type of connection and associated power losses with each new connection joint in a circuit as the YouTube author of this article makes reference to. In contrast with properly sized Wire nut connections that are *UL rated and wire properly twisted *minimum three full twists for solid wire ore one full wrap minimum for stranded to solid connections yields the maximum contact surface area between the two electrical conductors and has no thermal heating due to losses. The YouTube author of this article demonstrates the proper technique for solid wire The added ability of these Wire nuts is the ability to easily add or subtract an additional wire into the group of wires being connected *if the wire connector is large enough to handle this many connections. Lastly if you wanted to test connections while there are in use or connected you can simply remove the wire nut and test the connection with a multimeter and the twisted wires maintain there connection. Conversely if you attempt to test a Wago connection that has all ports filled you will have to unlock a lever to expose the metal clamp bar to place your test probe onto the connected wire group, unlocking this lever un-tensions the knife edge clamp connection and the wire may fall out if under any strain or tension and the unlocked clamp is not positively clamping the wire to the connector sometimes creating an intermittent/loose connection.
@1:40 What sort of device could measure the amperage by putting a probe into that connector? Never heard of, nor can I imagine such a thing…I believe ALL amperage measurements are done either in-line (running the circuit thru the measuring device) or by running the circuit thru a magnetic sensing loop (typical amperage clamp sensor ).
WAGO’s look easy and simple, could use tape to lock them. But considering the amount of physical contact a wire nut facilitates, I still feel better with wire nuts. However, I have seen a wire slip in a wire nut and not get adequate contact and fall out easily. I know speed is important, I wonder if adding solder to any of these devices would help?
I’m much in favor of the push-in style. Lever nuts have more failure modes, are more expensive, are larger, and less robust overall given their more complicated spring tension technique. Push in’s are simple and have only 1 moving part. Wire nuts are the absolute best objectively when used properly but, well, not even electricians always use them properly…
They should make Wagos for 10 gauge because it’s hard to pre twist 10 gauge and add a wire nut. I’m trying to pre twist 10 gauge and 12 gauge at my water heater and it’s not as easy as people make it out to be, especially if you can’t put all your strength into it. I even tried not pre twisting and it seems like it’s not getting a good connection.
Please stop saying DIY’ers mistakes. I have been in construction for 14yrs now and honestly the work I see done by diy homeowners is typically cleaner and more sound than what I see in the construction industry by “professionals” yes there are incompetent diy’ers but there are also incompetent licensed professionals that do horrible work. Myself as a carpenter have had to fix electrical issues done by the electricians all the time.
Wire nuts are ABSOLUTELY the best. I won’t use anything else… except if the wire in the box is too short to use a wire nut on. The push in ones are crap. I had a house I re-wired, and years later, a tenant call complaining about a line going dead. Pulled the outlet out, one of the push-in connectors allowed the hot line to fall out. Think of a loose hot wire in a metal box…Disaster!
Many do not realize there are two different size wago’s. Both marked 221 so people get confused. Maybe common knowledge with electricians, but they make a 12-24awg and a 10-20awg. The 221-41X 12-24 series is rated to 20A. The 10-20awg 221-61X series is rated for 30A. Have to read the specs carefully as it appears they are rated much higher but they are not.
Use wago, don’t use wagos…whats the big deal. why are many American electricians so obstinate and poopoo it. Is the entire Europe wrong. Just because one has 10/20/30 years experience, that doesn’t mean one knows everything. Europe dowsnt have electricians who have 10/20/30 years of experience. So close minded. No wonder our country is falling behind in innovation and technology. I use both, fwiw.
I’ve used those ideal push-ins for running can lights. They aren’t super expensive and they are fast and take up less space when you have a weird junction. Braided doesn’t work easy with them, but you can use a small wire nut and a solid pigtail to the connector to the actual fixture. While that may seem counter-productive, if you have to disconnect the fixture for some reason, it’s a braided and solid under each nut. So you aren’t having to deal with every other wire running through that box all under one massive nut.
If you are working on actual electric circuits, especially with power on, you want to use wire nuts. And never twist the wires together. Put the wires parallel to each other until the wires twist into a braid. That way when you take the wire nut off, the wires separate and break the circuit. And the Directions on a box of wire nuts says ‘ don’t twist the wires’.
After analyzing the WireNuts (WN) vs WaGos (WG) debate, I’ve concluded that WNs are superior for several reasons: Professional installation: Homes are typically wired by professionals, not amateurs. When properly twisted before insertion, WNs offer superior pull-out resistance. Contact area: WNs provide a larger contact surface than WGs. No spring mechanism: WGs rely on a spring that may lose tension over time due to heat cycles. WNs don’t have this weakness. Adjustable pressure: The twisting action in WNs allows for customized pressure, increasing with each turn. Scalability: More wires in a WN multiply contact points and increase the connector’s volume, resulting in larger cross-sections and lower resistance. While WGs might be easier to use, WNs win on all scientific and statistical fronts. This conclusion stems from critical analysis and an interest in technological efficiency, balancing innovation with proven methods. However, I’m open to counter-arguments. What are your thoughts on this comparison?
Should’ve taken a resistance measurement to show the difference. My tests showed negligible amounts of resistance difference between the three connectors. People finding these overheated are just finding ones installed improperly. I use the push in connectors because they’re far cheaper than the WAGOs, but less of a pain to use than wire nuts so it makes up for it in being more expensive than wire nuts. The big downside of the push in connectors is that you really can only use them once.
El mejor sistema de empalme sin discusión es el que se utiliza en España y no se si en otros países, que es la regleta con tornillo, ese dispositivo tan simple tiene una efectividad 100×100 si esta bien apretado los tornillos. The best splicing system without discussion is the one used in Spain and I do not know if in other countries, which is the screw strip, that simple device has an effectiveness 100×100 if the screws are tight.
I didn’t know about the Ideal and the Wago’s until recently. I would think a quick wrap of tape would eliminate any chance that the clip coming open. As far as the wire nuts go, (I call ’em Marette’s), joining two or three wires and pre-twisting them is fairly easy, but joining four or five wires, especially if they are all different lengths, can be a pain!
You briefly mentioned the advantages of WAGOs and push-ins when you are working with multiple sizes of wire, but I think that needs to be emphasized more. It’s very difficult to get a good connection with wirenuts when you are splicing large wire like #12 Romex with smaller wires like you might have in a lighting fixture. The other connectors are much better options.
Crap connection. The ONLY PROPER LESS CHANCE FOR FAILURE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IS TO TAKE THE WIRES YOU WISH TO SPLICE. Now, Twist, twist, twist. VERY IMPORTANT: MOST PROFESSIONAL ELECTRICIANS WILL RECOMMEND THIS NEXT STEP AS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO WHEN MAKING A SMALL CONDUCTOR SPLICE. Cut the tip of your wires being sure that every wire is cut evenly. This will effectively BOND your splice, lessening the resistance in the circuit. NEXT, get the proper size WIRE NUT and begin to turn it clockwise until YOU feel the WIRE NUT is on as tight as the manufacturer recommends. This is it. The one and only true way. Until they come up with something that all of us can agree upon. Let’s all try and keep things the true and proven way. Let’s stop trying to do things with less effort. Sometimes a person’s gotta do what a person’s
I saw those kind of push-ins factory installed lighting installations. Of course, my dad just cuts them off when his lights include them, so I guess… of course, I think a good use for the WAGO nuts, would be for hobby use… Just think of a WAGO nut as a mini busbar, just have 1 wire of an unused color, say purple, then on say, a 5 port WAGO nut, you’d have 4 websites of positive or negative power available as needed. Just double sided tape them to a board as needed, and you can easily replace wires as needed… Not that you can’t use them for other things, but I think that they would be best for various solderless hobby projects requiring wiring… Obviously, if you’re doing something that requires 2guage wires, then yeah, WAGOs won’t work, but for most wiring projects it should be fine. A question I have though, is, what would be the proper procedure for wires that are say, 24awg, when your connector supports at minimum 20awg, and 10awg maximum? Is there a way to get wires like that to work in connectors that are slightly too large for “normal” safe usage as in my demonstration question, without proper connectors?
Those wago connectors look cool but I’ve never had an issue with wire nuts or marrettes as we call them in Canada in the 22 years I’ve been in the HVAC trade. In fact the few electrical fires I have seen were all due to issues that had nothing to do with wire connections. My favorite was the electrical panel that caught on fire after a boiler pump leaked and sprayed water all over the panel in a boiler room. I had to pull the fire alarm and evacuate an entire apartment building in February, good times.
There’s a learning curve to using wire nuts. For a professional electrician who makes a bunch of connections daily that’s not going to be an issue, but for a homeowner installing a fixture once in a while WAGOs are the way to go. I mention fixtures because A) that’s probably going to be the most frequent time a DIYer will need to connect wires and B) the fixture’s wires will probably be stranded.
WAGO all the time. If levers get pushed open shoving into box then the tech doesn’t know what he is doing or doesn’t care. Throw tape around them if worried. Strength of connection? I used some on a utility trailer plug connection to truck. One day trailer was in the air and came down on the plug. All 5 #14 wires snapped in half while the WAGO held together. I can tell you that many of the connections in control circuity in NE electrical utility are connected with WAGO. The only thing I did not like is that they couldn’t handle a #10 wire. Now there is a model that can as well as inline types. Don’t know why anyone thinks they are trash.
I assemble large commercial HVAC units, and we’re not even allowed to use wire nuts. It’s WAGO all the way for splicing wires (both using lever nuts and their terminal blocks). They pretty much just work, and they’re pretty hard to screw up. We definitely use the entire range of wire gauges, from low voltage wire (down to 24 AWG) to 460V 3-phase motors (10 AWG – WAGO makes a larger size lever nut). Not to mention that WAGO has an office literally right down the street from us…