On second thought, the Ideal connectors I'm talking about may not even be available in the U.S. They are called Can-Twist...here's a link
http://www.idealindustries.com/wt/TwistOnWireConnectors.nsf/CanadaConnectors?OpenFrameset

I use Ideal tans or 3M red/yellows.

I use the Ideal 341s (tan) and 342s (gray) pretty much exclusively when they will fit and when I use wire nuts. The Can-Twist looks like it's a round body version of the 341, which has a hex body you can put a nut runner on.

I'm moving to the push-ins though. Got over 10,000 in the field so far and no issues or complaints. And, I recommend them to DIYers because it's hard to mess up the splice with them

UNK

Bigbird, I'm in BC and just bought a bunch of the blue ones, I'd prefer a one-size so I know I'm using the right one! Since they're conical, I can't see why they wouldn't fit all sizes well. I like the little wings, too.

I should go and use a few in the morning and see how they are :)

UNK: Which brand of the push-ins are you using? I have found the Wago to be far superior to the Ideal.

While the Wagos have a better "feel", I've always used Ideal's products and so far have used about the same number of each kind - - with absolutely zero problems. Probably going to continue using either kind depending on which house I'm at when I need some.

UNK

UNK,
You are talking about the Ideal "In-Sure" push in wire connectors? I have been curious about them. Nothing like real world experience to know if something works or not.

I haven't seen these, do they work like the dreaded "backstab" connectors on switches and outlets?

Yes, they work exactly the same way. Strip the wire, push it into the hole. The design of the grip is a bit different than that on receptacles and the contact is a bi-metal material designed to provide a constant pressure against the wire whether cold or hot from a heavy load. I've seen these take several shots of fault current in a row and not effect their ability to maintain a good contact.

I initially started using these in boxes where the original wires had been cut short and installing a wire nut would have been hard if not impossible. I also recommend them to DIYers because IMHO is a lot harder to make a bad splice with them.

In-Sure is the Ideal product I use anong with the Wago type.

UNK

ideal can-twists ,or twister ,and 3m red and yellow.

UNK, do you even use them in more critical situations, such as bonding of ground conductors, or maintaining neutral continuity in multiwire circuits?

I'd originally planned to bridge a couple of these together to bond a slew of grounds in a four-gang switch box, but after closer examination, they just didn't give me confidence, and I went with a couple of larger wire nuts instead.

My personal wish (still) is for there to be a similar device, only with setscrews for wire retention instead of springs.

-Gregg

Actually, when I have more ground wires in a box than will fit in a "greenie" I prefer the push-ins to a larger wire nut. I think you will find they take up less room, or at least allow more moving things around because they don't have all that wire twisted together. There also aren't many wire nuts rated for 8 #12 wires and the push-ins come in up to 8 positions.

I don't have any qualms about using the push-ins on multiwire circuits for neutral pigtailing. My first experience with these things was watching a couple of guys that managed to dump fault current on a couple of different circuits through one of them several times. When I didn't see the puddle of plastic I expected I investigated a bit closer and found it gripped the wire as good as it ever did. I bought some and did a number of load tests on my own and found they heat up a bit less than a wire nutted connection with the same load. Although I'm not a "nationally recognised testing organization" I'm a pretty inventive sort and I can guarantee I've put the connectors through a bit of my own destructive testing and I've been impressed with the results.

All I can say is you have to get used to the "feel" these things have. I know it somehow just doesn't feel normal but they work great in spite of it.

I don't use them on stranded wire and the 4 port is the smallest I buy, and I keep 4,5,6, and 8 port on hand

Is it true that in Europe the mindset is reversed? With electricians spooked by wire nuts and comfortable with the push ins?

I've heard that bantyed about anyway.

do all ground wires when intalled in a junction box have to be held together with a wire nut? or can they just be twisted togeter and covered with electrical tape? it is a metal junction box.

Yes, the ground wires must be held together with a wire nut. There's no code requirement to ever use electrical tape over a wire nut. Butt splices are a different kettle of fish.

I like Ideal's "Twister" #341. They have a fairly large range and seem to work well in a variety of circumstances.

I haven't had a change to try them yet but 3M's "performance plus" series look good too. I've also used 3M's gray Scotchlok. Sometimes it's hard to get a super neat twist, for example with 5 #12's, and the long, soft skirt gives a bit of added insurance without a lot of extra bulk.

Mike

"do all ground wires when intalled in a junction box have to be held together with a wire nut? or can they just be twisted togeter and covered with electrical tape? it is a metal junction box."

we got hit with a violation for this. our electricial (obviously not a real pro) had just twisted all togehter, even in the outlet boxes and had to go through and fix em all. the inspector suggested either using the crimp on rings, pigtailing, or using the green wire nuts that allow for several to go in and 1 to come out to go to the ground termination on the device.

i have found that the crimp on rings are easiest, but the most likely to become loose.

pigtailing with regular wire nuts is okay, but the best connection (imho) is with the green wire nuts.

i always make a practice of wrapping pigtails for hot and neutral with tape, but is totally not needed for grounds.

i always make a practice of wrapping pigtails for hot and neutral with tape, but is totally not needed for grounds

A wire nutted splice done correctly doesn't need tape. In very damp climates tape can even cause problems by trapping moisture in the splice and promoting corrosion. Following the instructions and stripping the correct length allows the splice to be made with all the bare wire under the skirt of the wire nut. If the tape is insurance to hold the wire nut on or to cover exposed wire the splice needs to be reworked.

UNK