An old master electrician told me to stop using wire nuts on stranded wire. Changed everything.

I was doing a panel swap in a house near Raleigh and this guy walked by, saw me twisting a stranded wire into a wire nut, and said 'that's gonna fail in 5 years.' He showed me how the strands pull apart under thermal cycling. Switched to Wagos with the lever locks for stranded stuff and it's way better. Anyone else get told to change something basic like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_logan1mo ago

Wait, the strands actually pull apart under thermal cycling? That's wild. I've been in attics in July where those wires get hot enough to cook an egg, I never thought about the copper giving up from that. Kinda makes me want to go back and redo every stranded connection I've ever made with a wire nut. How long before that guy's 5 year prediction starts showing up in service calls?

reese_chen1mo ago

Honestly, you'll probably start seeing those service calls right around the same time that guy's warranty runs out, just to keep it interesting. Ngl, I'd start checking my own work now before your attic turns into a copper graveyard.