Beware Of These Wiring Mistakes Made On Newly Built Home

WAGO 221 Assortment Kit (78-Piece): amzn.to/3L1hjNl
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I found 4 mistakes that were made on a newly built home in my area. These mistakes are not against code but are signs of shortcuts being taken on both material and labor. With a little knowledge, you can either follow best practices in your own DIY electrical projects and/or work with a licensed electrician to get things installed in a professional and high-quality manner.
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[@robbynv9900]

Iv always been decent at wiring, and really enjoy doing it. But since I started watching your videos , I have become much better and more confident as a handy dude.

[@kimwheatley3478]

Thanks for your comprehensive and interesting electrical videos. By using your videos, I felt confident rewiring my basement. Thank you!

[@blinky444]

Just great stuff as always...we always differentiated "backstabbing" from "pressure plating"...backstabbing (poor practice), pressure plating (best practice)...traditional "looping" is fine but its an aquired skill, time consuming, invites errors, and no sounder electrically than pressure plating...ALWAYS use comm-grade outlets and you'll be solid...

[@kevindavidson3376]

You have answered some of the questions that will be applied to my "current" project. Thanks for the info! Have a great day!!!

[@johncbrownmd]

Great as usual and I use the connectors you recommend. They work great and you are more comfortable pushing everything into the box.

[@b5maddog]

Always appreciate your advice. They are always so helpful. Thank you

[@db8823]

Nice, love those Wagos. Started buying them at work when they first came out with the harder levers.

[@johneverett3947]

I have been subscribed and watching for quite a while, always learning. I love the Wago 221’s for adding fixtures and doing pigtails. One trick I came up with is to wrap electrical tape over the levers when closed so they can’t be forced open and if it is a pigtail that turns 180 to to get to the fixture/outlet tape it down to the side of the Wago so it can not spin and possibly loosen. An extra step but makes me feel better. 😀😀

[@ga5743]

Your a great teacher…much success to you.

[@prius74]

I totally agree, I'm a tech for Toyota and the way guys repair vehicles, flat rate style. I don't agree with flat rate repair rushing vehicles in and out of our dealerships. I would imagine same goes towards building homes as fast as the developers would like to complete. I did our electrical in my home as per the NEC and alot of it corresponds to the way you explain SAFETY. Thank you..Ricky

[@DominickRuocco]

The Wago Lever Nuts that you use are so much better than the standard Wago Push-In Wire Connectors. Keep up the great work Scott!

[@countrysoul2592]

I love the commercial grade outlets. I totally agree with the pigtail

[@emcsquare62]

Thanks for sharing. I never did use the back-stabbing method as it looked so fragile. Love love WAGO connectors!

[@cpmaverick]

That's kinda funny because Wago is basically a connection that uses backstabbing

[@ericlockridge4897]

I love WAGOS! Whether it was when I was out in the field or at the pre-fab warehouse doing a couple hundred tails to light fixtures, I've always loved these little guys! Always have a bag of 4 and 5 plug Wagos! Along with your other junk: extra 3m electrical color coded tape, sealers, spacers, etc. Another great video!!

[@RadioRich100]

Thats because you dont know what your doing.

[@TheDobbermn]

I used the commercial grade last week on a switched outlet. Worked great but it’s a bear to break the tab for the switch to work on the commercial vs residential outlet.

[@georgeriverasr.6298]

Thanks for the great advise!

[@zekenzy6486]

Great Video. Thank you for sharing

[@chuckboyle8456]

Superb episode, thanks! Excellent fault analysis and troubleshooting techniques.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks Chuck!

[@bbol745]

After wiring my campervan, adding and replacing outlets in my home and swapping the absolute garbage excuse for an outlet with "real" outlets in my dad's RV I have come to like the leviton decora heavy duty outlets. They are better quality than the residential outlets and offer my preferred wiring method, back wire. (Not back stab)I also find that pigtails and WAGOS can make the job easier if you're working in a tight space or with very short wires coming out of the electrical box. On a side note it is always entertaining to see people argue in the comments over their preferred methods and their own interpretation of code and best practice!

[@mike-smoke868]

Great video thanks a lot, bought a condo built in 1974, most outlets have the top outlet controlled by an on/off switch and FOUR neutral wires ALL backstabbed, I can use a wago for four neutral wires and connect to pole and then connect the two Hot wires to other pole.

[@naubaucat]

As I know very little about wiring, it helps knowing what to look for when someone is doing your wiring. Thanks for the video, and I do read the comments for opinions. Thank you.

[@RadioRich100]

This guy knows as little as you do.

[@hschofield82]

Great tips--thanks! I am learning so much from you :)

[@richschuster1097]

Great info once again; thanks! 👍

[@Nico-pl6sf]

I'm enjoying your videos; you are great 👍 wow I wish I had used the Wagos. Have to agree 💯 on the commercial grade, I used hospital grade on my install.

[@toddkranock]

Always very informative and educational for DIWires. Your videos continually have me considering switching careers into the electrical trades.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Probably not a bad plan of attack. Good electricians and plumbers around me are always busy and make a very good living. 👍

[@garyg1848]

Nicely done. Thanks again. G

[@hassanbazzi3545]

Great video and informative. Thank you for sharing

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks Hassan!

[@What1zTyme]

Great teacher! Well done!

[@borislenihan]

Excellent explanations on everything. Impressive!

[@Litephaze2000]

Great video! I TOTALLY agree! VERY nice wire-folding in the box! Though, not to be a wise-guy, but while YES! You connected Ground first... Why not connect Neutral (at 8:32) next? Generally, our foreman ALWAYS told us: NEUTRAL FIRST to connect... NEUTRAL LAST to disconnect...

[@konradpetz7317]

If you want to use 20A circuits for receptacles you then can not mix lights with the receptacles In Canada. In residential you can not have 20A lighting circuit's.

[@Nefariousrouge]

I don't know how the recommendation of a 20a breaker vs 15 is much of a mistake. If you are adding a circuit in a new construction, then sire it is the better choice. But upgrading the entire circuit and breaker might be out of the range of a diy project.

[@aurvaroy6670]

Exactly. It's always not reasonable to rewire a receptacle circuit that's 15 A, 14 awg to 20 A, 12 awg, especially if they're sharing some lights

[@timothysaiz6442]

Thank You Sir

[@crimestoppers1877]

Good ideas on the Wago connector pigtails.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

A lot easier to bring 4 wires together with the WAGO 221 lever nuts 👍

[@crimestoppers1877]

@@EverydayHomeRepairs I'll try this on my next 15A receptacle repair.

[@crimestoppers1877]

Did I see THHN wire in the video? Why not UF-B 14/2 or 14/3 for indoor residential receptacles?

[@engrpiman]

Nice explanation. My house has only 20 A circuits and I only run 12 Guage. Excluding 30A and higher circuits for stove , AC , dryer

[@plasmac9]

Electric range should be on 50A.

[@ranger178]

i like back wiring better than wire nuts I have a house full of messed up wire nuts with 4 wires or more you only need 3 wires with back wiring, and you can clearly tell and see it is clamped in their correctly you save the 1 wire extra in connection for the pigtail

[@victorpayne6586]

good stuff. Thanks.

[@stephenkeefer3436]

Good info. Solid common sense.

[@danielreichoff5853]

Thank you for for the information you provided and It brings me to another question about the wagos are they marine use compliant they just look like a good option .

[@georgebennett785]

I'm with you 100%, back stabbing is a no no as are cheep outlets, I only use 20a outlets and 12 ga wire but have found electricians that will not use 12ga wiring saying it's too hard to work with. Wagos are the greatest but a word of caution there is a marked difference between the Chinese knockoffs witch I received by mistake and sent back.

[@caffeinatedinsanity2324]

Yeah those 5 wire wagos help save a bunch of space inside this especially small box. Making a pigtail here would have required 2 wire nuts per conductor and it would have been a problem to stuff the outlet back. If it were for just 2 wires + 1 pigtail, a wire nut could have been fine.

[@silverfox-59]

I really appreciate the time you take to explain all you do 100 percent, thank you.

[@tylersmith293]

Good info.

[@frankmanibusan8406]

Thanks for sharing your info great saving the us homeowners and safety tips thank you sir for sharing FRANK M FROM GUAM

[@pierrettebrouard5603]

I like the WAGO connectors has much as you do. One more European product I would like to have available here in Canada and US is the green/yellow sleeve the UK electricians install on the bare ground wires in the outlet boxes as well as in the main panels. I think we should consider using this method for better safety in our thigh outlet boxes.

[@maxheadroom8857]

You can wrap green electrical tape on bare ground wires to insulate them, or use liquid electrical tape on them as well. Liquid electrical tape comes in green for grounding, black, white, red and other NEC Colors. I've purchased liquid electrical tape for projects before.

[@aurvaroy6670]

I agree with Max here. Just wanna add that sleeving or insulating a bare ground wire inside an outlet box isn't necessary, since the ground wires aren't current-carrying conductors and provide better contact with a metal box whether or not it's bonded to ground. So the only benefit I can think of for using a sleeved ground wire is to distinguish a pigtail bonding a metal box or device.

[@KLDprojects1]

I have learned in the past to wrap electrical tape around the outlet connections, to ensure nothing will come in contact with any lead

[@heroknaderi]

Very helpful tips i enjoyed your video.😎 Also i have seen where people try to replace 15 amp breakers ith 20 amps which i done recommend unless the wire is 12 awg or so.

[@okaro6595]

Replacing the breaker to higher than the wire can handle is a clear violation. The purpose of the breaker is to protect the wire.

[@jwhite4]

A variation (seen on my g/f's house) is a 20A breaker, with 12g wire, Sounds good. But they I followed it to a junction box, which then has a mix of 12g and 14g wire connecting to it. I think because of the 14 gauge, I'll need to drop the circuit to a 15A breaker.

[@aurvaroy6670]

​@@jwhite4 Yeah, if you're really concerned about the 14 awg carrying too much current on that 20 A circuit, then replacing that 20 A breaker with a 15 A is an easy solution. Another good option, which is way harder, is to wire those 14 awg wires onto a 15 A circuit. Plenty of ways to achieve this. Either run a new 14/2 from the panel or from the nearest/easiest 15 A outlet box to that junction box if there's enough capacity or a new box for all the 14 awg wires if there isn't.

[@1575murray]

I have even seen outlets with no screws at all (back stab connections only) in a residential installation. When a contractor is installing hundreds of outlets a few minutes time saved on each one can add up to a lot of money at the end of the job. However I always side wire using the screws or back wire on commercial grade receptacles with screw down clamps.

[@ronb6182]

The best is not to create three separate wires. It can be done. Daisy chain should only have two sets of wires not three. Start at one end and end up at the last outlet. Never run supply at the center. I also never put lighting in my daisy chain outlets. A separate breaker for lighting. It's nice to work on outlets with the lights on. Most short circuits are from outlets not so much lighting circuits. There are exceptions to the rule. I also don't use number 14 wire. The only acception would be outdoor lights to save money on UF Romex with LED lights 14 would be heavy enough. Outdoor outlets I use number 12. I'm old school and range hookup will be number 6. I know about using number 8 but 6 is better , just like 12 is better than 14. 20 amps is better than 15 and 50 amps is better than 40. Remember I'm wiring my own home so I dont need cost saving shortcuts. If I was hired then I have to listen to my boss. I'm wiring my home I'm the boss. 73

[@gurjindersingh199]

I always run pig tails and use screw terminals on jobs where the customer is reasonable to deal with. When I get a cheap customer that wants me to do it cheaper I use daisy chain and back stabs I don't even tighten the screw terminals then either if it's a plastic box. I think as a contractor it's important to respect people that respect you and your profession. I always go the extra mile for people who are good to me. For people who just want it done they get the bare minimum from me

[@ronb6182]

@@gurjindersingh199 I only run 2 pairs of Romex on any of my outlets, start on one end and end on the other. I never include lighting on my outlet runs. My lights are on another circuit even outlets used for lighting. My dad taught be this practice. I only use screw terminals or screw down on the back holes I never use them cheap push terminals. Now I'm only wiring my own or a relative home. I'm not a licensed electrician. 73

[@addiction2bass]

Very nice video. I have one question tho about new wiring if you don’t mind. How often do these wires need to be stapled to the studs? I had a new garage built and I am randomly adding outlets all over it as needed. And I just bought a dewalt 20v romex stapler gun, and while this seems super easy to staple the wire over manually hammering every nail. I also don’t wanna over kill the crap outta it. Lol how often should I staple

[@JackStevenson5045]

Excellent

[@davidmorris8821]

As an electrician who has to be up on code, you have to replace receptacles with tamper resistant receptacles when replacing. As far as wego's,, they are the same a the receptacles he was complaining about. Tucked wire nicely, j-hooks are good with not much bare copper behind screw. As far as 12 gauge wire, if there is existing 14 gauge wire you CAN NOT install it on a 20 amp breaker because you will not be protecting the existing 14 gauge (15 amp wire).

[@tm510a]

Thanks much

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

You're welcome!

[@jobaecker9752]

Always great information! I bought a higher end 1984-built home back in 2005, and since then have replaced nearly every single switch or outlet. I can't believe the shoddy install job the initial electricians did. Backstabbed outlets and undersized boxes meant cramped space, and about 8 electrical boxes (all plastic!) were so full that the screws pulled out of the holes...and took the plastic with them. (Look up "G-Clip repair" video to see the parts I used for repair.) I really do like the WAGO lever nuts, but if you look closely, there's not much metal contact area--much like the backstab tab. It concerns me a bit, especially on 20-amp circuits. Maybe you've got some additional thoughts on this. Thanks again.

[@jwhite4]

I had the same thought. But on a different video, they showed Wago's handling 60A (3x rated) without failing. And when pushed more, apparently the plastic case will melt away, but the connecting stayed intact. So they seem good.

[@aurvaroy6670]

Scott did release a couple videos testing wagos current/temps at high loads. His results show that wagos are still excellent connectors to use, even in 20 A circuits.

[@Sparky-ww5re]

Instead of using the term back stabbing, I like to say La-Z-Wire, QuickWire or SpeedWire to avoid confusion to back wire, since people tend to use the terms interchangeably, including myself when I first entered the trade. I do not like backstab, and have seen them fail. The worst failure of a back stab, was in a home built in the late 70s where the neutral failed on a multiwire branch circuit in a living room. The receptacles were alternating between the red and black along the wall sharing a common neutral, fed with 14/3w/G NM. A television and cable box went up in smoke, when the neutral opened when an electric fireplace was in use in a different receptacle, placing everything downstream in series with 240 volts. One good reason the code requires pigtailing the neutral when a multiwire circuit is used.

[@HobbyOrganist]

"Instead of using the term back stabbing," Just call it what it is- cheap-connector ;)

[@HobbyOrganist]

Yeah, the commercial outlets is what I like at home and WAGO connectors. I hate how they make the damn boxes so freaking SMALL and I never use anything smaller than 12ga copper in my house. I dont know why they dont make the green ground connector ALSO a clamp in connection like the other two, it forces you to have to wind the wire around the screw. I'm wiring up a generator inlet to my Sq D panel, the lockout kit I put in already. I only have a 2,000 watt inverter 120v generator and it was a lot of hunting around to try and find a way to connect it, and connect both legs, but in the end because of what search results I found- it's not as simple as just connecting two breakers or the like to power both sides, so I'm going to power one leg and need to move one breaker over so I can have lights in my main room, computer/router/modem, and furnace, and as needed I can plug the fridge in and turn the furnace off for a while. All my lights are LED, everything like water heater, stove, clothes dryer etc are gas, furnace is gas but has a blower fan of course- its on a 15 amp breaker, no dishwasher, space heaters etc so the generator will go a long way in my house to powering what I NEED during power outage. The problem was finding connectors to go from the normal A/C 120v outlet, and all the boxes I found etc were 30, 50 amp with 3 or 4 prongs, but I found what I need; Outside inlet socket box; Reliance Controls Corporation PB20 20-Amp NEMA 3R Power Inlet Box for Generators Up to 5,000 Running Watts Adaptor cord; Parkworld 885460 Adapter Cord 5-15 Male Plug to Locking L14-20 Female Receptacle So with that I can plug that cord into the generator at one end, into the inlet box socket at the other end, and then from the inlet box to the breaker panel I'll have MC 10/2 cable to a 15 amp breaker since the generator isn't going to put out 20 amps, but the larger cable etc gives some overhead and one never knows what might change on the generator side of things in the future with size etc

[@skytek7081]

When working up plugs on commercial pre-fabs we use the "back wiring" aka pressure-plate connections with the addition of bending a partial-J hook (L hook?) on the wire to put a little more surface area inside the connection. The darn engineers and installers still have a love/hate thing going on about wagos.

[@bradp5107]

Thanks, Never new about commercial grade or the differences. Question are the WAGO's CSA approved.

[@wayneyadams]

The back wiring is nice because you don't have to fool around with making J-hooks which always drive me nuts, plus there is no hassle with slipping the J-hook under the screw. It's worth the littl extra for commercial outlets and switches given the small number (probably only one for most people) that will be requiired.

[@TheNewGreenIsBlue]

You should try out Robertson screwdrivers. They work even better than the combo driver you're using.

[@rustyclark6263]

I remember back in 1996 you could backfire number 12 in a 15 Amp plug until they change it to 14 romax only.pretty bad back then.

[@davidwayneprins]

Scott mentions "pigtailing" and I immediately think "Wago nut time". Guess what I use for electrical work... I would be careful about calling #4 a mistake. My house is 100+ years old there is still knob and tube wiring on the main floor and second story. Since I don't know the gauge of that wire, I'm keeping those breakers at 15 amp

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Yeah, more of a mistake for the new builds. If you are going to do all the hard work of building a house might as well put your outlets on 20 Amp breakers with 12 gauge. Or at least that is my preference 👍

[@jesseewing7948]

@@EverydayHomeRepairs if the customer requests it, then you will get 20 amp recpts, but only kitchen circuits by code need to be done in 12 gauge. Of course code requirements are only the MINIMUM sufficient methods to accomplish something safely, so there are always ways to do it that are better. The reason you won't see a lot of professionals use better methods is because at the end of the day meeting the minimum standards is the cheapest and quickest option, so that's why it's always a good idea to specify any things that you would like to be above code requirements.

[@dennisgibbs5708]

Good!

[@aurvaroy6670]

Backstab, quick wire, or speed wire (whatever you wanna call it) holes can be sometimes be reused if the wire was properly removed. The problem I have with this method besides having to pray they hold the wires is that the wires can spin and eventually come loose due to that. In fact, you don't even need a special screwdriver to release the wires. All you gotta do is pull the wire while twisting it and it will slowly come out. Bet you can't do that with side wiring nor back wiring.

[@philmccracken2012]

you might be able to twist and pull the wire out of the outlet when backstabbing. One awesome example of why are you want to side wire or back wire is that even if you twist and pull on the wire, it won't come out!

[@nicholasj.michalkosr9113]

iam srprised on your video with wiring receptacles, that you never use electrical tape to cover uo the screw terminals. especially if you’re using metal boxes. i do it for both metal and plastic boxes so they don’t ground against the box or if by chance a wire comes loose. you still have some protection against grounding the wire.

[@DanielFSmith]

How do pigtails affect the box fill calculation?

[@gscop1683]

Thanks! My "professional builder/electrical contractor" managed to wire Half of my outlets and wall switches Backwards! Some switches are On when switch is up, some Down...Some outlets upside down....So much for building inspectors !

[@joehanika]

I love learning even when I feel like I already know. good info!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks Joe!

[@markfisher1716]

Hi Scott! Think I have watched every video you have made. They all have been great. Hoping you can help me w something unrelated to this video. Through comments on the videos is the only way I know to contact you. Would like to view your Amazon store(or any other for that matter). Do you know how to find it(again or any other) through the Amazon home page? Thanks.

[@robertarguello1115]

So what was making the outlet not work?

[@Creating_Space]

What is the best way to get pigtail wires? Do they sell them or do I have to buy romex and cut it all up?

[@sparkyflys]

So you have multiple problems here. First is the 12 awg assertion. In principle I agree however all things are never equal in the real world. A general purpose branch circuit likely to exceed the 15A/12A available with multiple receptacles should simply not be wired as such, which is why MWBC are how things are done commercially. Sizing up is an absurd proposition when alternatives are considered, like a single phase multi wire branch circuit. It would cost no more to go 14/3 than 12/2, although you should have a 2-pole GFCI breaker which is still a savings although one that can be hard to appreciate. This gives you 30A/24A instead of 20A/16A and opens up L-L as an option if you go for the 2p GFCI. You would be surprised how many household loads tolerate 240V. Either 12/2 or 14/3 would require a larger box anyway. The second issue is also the 12 awg assertion, but on different grounds - pun not intended. This looks like an 18 cuin box. Your pigtails don't count either way, however if this was 12/2 it would exceed box fill. Frankly, you're already over reasonable box fill for a traditional receptacle, and a larger receptacle including the commercial grade receptacle would be absurd there. Passing current through the receptacle: If it meets box fill by code and by reason and doesn't violate other code it's fine. The third is friction connections, including but not limited to backstabbing. I will not say that I am a fan of backstabbing, just that backstabbing hate is nonsense. You can remove a backstabbed 14 by simply twisting while pulling just like a push-on Wago - more on that in a bit. Frankly I'm not a fan of hook and screw either, as far as I'm concerned everything should either have a bus bar, blade terminals that receive the receptacle itself with screw terminals for the conductors going to those blade sockets, or spliced and soldered conductors, but that's just not the world we live in. Wagos: Consider compact push-type. They're smaller, easier to install, have less resistance, and most importantly are not inherently likely to become inadvertently unfastened. With the usual Wago 221 it does happen sometimes on installation, can definitely happen later, and because of that you need to check with a flashlight every time before you close up the box. I also prefer to put the line in the middle of the two loads on Wagos to minimize the resistance but you do you.

[@JasonEDragon]

About 25 years ago I moved into a new apartment after college and put a laser printer in a spare bedroom that was on a 15 amp circuit. I never liked how the lights dimmed - unlike my previous apartment that had a 20 amp circuit where I had the printer. So, when I later had my house that was old and needed remodeling I made sure all the receptacles where on 20 amp circuits. I'm glad that I did because despite putting in central air I found that I still need 2 small window air conditions upstairs. I have 8 different 20 amp circuits upstairs yet both air conditioners wound up on the same circuit. Using 14/3 throughout would have allowed for reconfiguration to split the load - but, I'd guess many homeowners would not know it was an option. I'd still prefer 20 amp circuits. I've warmed up to the British method of having 32 Amp ring circuits (240 V) for most receptacles - and having a fused plug for individual devices that you plug in. Though it is harder to detect faults it does have the virtue of being able to plug in more than 1 high demand load without having to worry about overloading a properly designed circuit.

[@stankyleg6449]

I haven't used many of the Wago connecters but am interested in them. My question is can they be all that good when the contact area is the same as the 'one and done' connecters on the cheap receptacles?

[@RadioRich100]

Your right, those things are garbage dont use them, he sells them.

[@seansysig]

Good tips I would’ve added they exceeded the number of conductors in the work box! Also if the circuit is for Lighting such as LED ceiling cans 15 amp breakers and 14 gauge wire is more than sufficient as long as the load is calculated properly and the local code is followed

[@aurvaroy6670]

Actually they didn't exceed the number of conductors since they used 14 awg wire; rather, they filled it up to the maximum capacity. 3 14/2 romex have 7 volume allowances plus the outlet which is 2 volume allowances. Since each volume allowance for 14 wire is 2 cubic inches, the total volume that's occupied is 18 cubic inches, which is typical capacity of a new work 1 gang box. Of course, if it was 3 12/2 romex, then the box is too small since the volume allowance for 12 awg wire is 2.25 cubic inches.

[@JReddy756]

Hi, Where can I connect red wire in smart outlet?

[@im2yys4u81]

I rewired my entire 1950 house using your methods. I love Wagos, pigtails, and commercial grade 20 amp outlets.

[@Whatwherewhy586]

Turns out that sometimes DIY is safer and more responsibly done than professionals. Those are the people that give tradespeople a bad rap.

[@tomrogers9467]

I’ve built and renovated a number of “Professionally” built homes. As a DIY’er, I can do as good as better myself!

[@aberobinson1]

It's a new construction house. No professionals were involved in building the house.

[@RadioRich100]

This guy isnt one of them.

[@bobdonaldson445]

I need one of those D-I-Wire T-shirts. Where can I get one?

[@WE500CD]

Just because the work was done by a "licensed professional" doesn't mean it was done right. Good video.

[@bobdonaldson445]

Best KZbin video on wiring receptacles. Get WAGOs. You’ll never use a wire nut again on 12 and 14 ga. wire.

[@thaurane]

How do you make a proper J hook as well as get it around the screw, especially one that moves around a lot like you used? I found it so completely impossible I had no choice but to use the backwire. Bonus brownie points from me if you can tell me if you don't have a lot of wire to work with and can't rewire the entire house.

[@ededdeh1960]

Hey its pretty easy with the right tools. Most good wirestrippers come with a hole labelled "loop", so you just strip a bit more than 1/2" of insulation off the end and feed it into the loop hole and bend it around the tool to form a perfect j-hook. Tons of videos on youtube out there on how to do it.

[@ededdeh1960]

Also if you dont have a lot of wire coming out of the outlet and there is no slack to pull a bit more out, one practice is to pigtail the existing wire to a new piece of romex that goes to the outlet. You can use traditional wire nuts or those wagos mentioned in the video.

[@thaurane]

@@Kevin-mp5of If you can't be respectful its a sign from above you shouldn't reply in the first place.

[@thaurane]

@@ededdeh1960 Thank you for the detailed replies! It's much appreciated.

[@thaurane]

​@@Kevin-mp5of No such thing as being "brutally honest" without being a dick. You are a dick and are disguising it as being honest. Quit lying to yourself. Now this is the part where you double down and try telling me I'm wrong while still coming off as a condescending gatekeeping prick. Yes, I do get to be an ass to you because that is how you treated me first.

[@tomrogers9467]

Subdivision Construction and Best Practice are terms that will never, ever meet!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

sad but true

[@luigibellantoni6828]

i'm not even a electrician and this is so true...if you saw the electrical mess they did on our new home you would be floored.

[@tomrogers9467]

@@luigibellantoni6828 No, I don’t think I would be. Contract homes are built by the cheapest available trades, who bid bottom dollar to get the job. And produce bottom dollar product. And inspectors stop by the construction trailer to pick up their brown bags and move on!

[@Echo4Yankee]

How do you get three of each wire in a one gang box?

[@TimothyOBrien1958]

What do I do if I can't find the correct breaker to shut off a light switch?

[@hippo-potamus]

Upon further review of watching stress test videos I have concluded that wagus are just a new trendy fad. Maybe they have their place when mixing stranded and solid or in very thigh spaces but I still have all my amazon wagus multipack unused and chose instead to go with the traditional tired and true ideal twist caps. The argument of twisting - retwisting wires when you need to change out an outlet is weak and just like leaving extra wire inside the main panel. How many times has anyone ever changed the location of breaker and need that extra spaghetti? Its very rare. Wire twist at the outlet and short concise main panel terminations for clean tight connections all round.

[@hippo-potamus]

@@Kevin-mp5of They go up in smoke much faster than the wire nut marrets in over current stress tests. They are also the preferred choice of trendy hipsters with beards and manicured eyebrows.

[@Slickizme]

Question… aren’t WAGOS designed similarly to the back stabbing feature of a receptacle?

[@paultech9385]

My main concern with Wagos is the wires use an internal busbar compared to touching directly. However, you are extremely competent doing a lot of work with them. This video has convinced me to give them a try.

[@aurvaroy6670]

Don't worry. Wagos are awesome. They're super easy to use and very reliable. I use them for every ceiling fixture install and attic junction box I wire.

[@ski6345]

I have a 60s home that is fuses and two wire. A friend told me to connect the ground to the neutral to get a ground. We'll, that's evidently not best practice. Instead of using a GFI, can I use a 3-prong - screw in the ground and be done with it and have a 3-prong outlet.? Why a GFI vs a regular 3-prong outlet.?

[@davidwayneprins]

a GFCI with no ground will offer some protection. A three prong outlet with no ground offers no protection.

[@rutgerhoutdijk3547]

I would use the non lever wago's for situations like this that you'll probably never change once installed. Those lever ones are expensive.

[@hippo-potamus]

Nothing will compare to the tried and true wire twists caps.

[@rutgerhoutdijk3547]

@@hippo-potamus I only use those when wago's don't work, for example when the wire is too thick. Otherwise wago's are quicker, easier and safer. In Europe the twist connectors are not used for residential use since the seventies. You can still buy them for special cases, but they are almost never used.

[@hippo-potamus]

@@rutgerhoutdijk3547 I don't see how screw-terminal connectors would be more reliable or provide a better connection than full pretwist contact between the wires at an outlet.

[@ederdstark1128]

Im surprised to hear about how many like wagos. Oddly interesting though seems cost inefficient, space and time consuming. I guess because it's new or some haven't seen wirenuts

[@cpmaverick]

I have learned a lot from your channel, so I appreciate what you've shared. However I really disagree with calling things like backstabbing a 'mistake'. It fully meets code. It's your preference to use a higher grade outlet. Different than a mistake. Of course commercial grade is better, but these residential grade outlets have passed lots of relevant tests and should be completely fine for residential use. No need to shame a contractor for using what's approved. Same with 15A service. Not a mistake. It's typical and normal. If you really think the backstabbing contact area is too small.... Compare it to the contact area of your Wago connectors that you promote.

[@cpmaverick]

@@Kevin-mp5of Still not a 'mistake'. Sorry.

[@andremcamara3120]

Great points, thank you. The one question I do have is why was that outlet positioned so close to the doorway? This could create a tripping hazard while cords are connected to it.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Oh sorry, that was just a mock up wall in my garage 🙂

[@jesseewing7948]

while unsightly there isn't any code against having a recpt that close to a doorway, only code that states you need one within 6 feet of a break in a wall.

[@smartchip]

Been doing electrical work in North America since 2014, the plug and sockets are like children's toys, checkout the UK plug and socket, Like everything in life there are pros and cons, To my brothers in the USA and Canada, its not a slight, simply a observation,

[@apfelbasket]

Your preferences doesn't mean that someone else made a mistake!

[@dwightl5863]

On the commercial outlet is it acceptable to back-stab AND use a J hook on the same screw terminal?

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

That is a good question. I am not sure but would think it is 1 or the other and not both methods on the same screw terminal.

[@LucasGresham610]

Typically the commercial grade outlet you can’t get a hook around the screw. You would spend more time trying to hold the screw and getting the loop around it.

[@surferdude642]

No, that would be similar to putting 2 wires under one screw. On some brands it may not be mechanically possible.

[@everythinghomerepair1747]

I think it’s ironic that you were saying how bad backstabbing is even though in this case the connection that failed was the screw lol. Great job explaining everything though.

[@ajmedeiros77]

Fantastic as always! So would you bother to make the pigtails 12 gauge, or does it not matter because the main wire is only 14?

[@evilhamsterman]

If the feeder is 14 then either 14 or 12 pigtails is fine

[@evilhamsterman]

@@Kevin-mp5of it's not something I would set out to do. But if I needed a pigtail and had some 12 laying around I would rather use it than run to the store for a spool of 14. I tend to keep some 12 on hand because it works for both 20a and 15a circuits.

[@evilhamsterman]

@@Kevin-mp5of remember the current a circuit can carry is determined by the smallest wire. So if your wire from the panel is 14 you are fine using 12 for a pigtail or extension. But if your wire from the panel is 12 and you have a 20a breaker you cannot use 14.

[@evilhamsterman]

@@Kevin-mp5of you do you. I don't do electrical around my house often so it's easier for me to just keep a small roll of 12 on hand for when needed. The OP asked a question, I answered. You can debate the pros and cons of preference. But electrically and code wise it is fine and my answer is correct. You asked why you would do that and I gave you a reason. Again you can debate the pros and cons of preference, but doing so does not make you a hack and there is no need to be rude to people with a difference preference than you. Also pigtails don't count toward box fill per NEC the only thing that may be a concern is the one allowance for grounding is based on the largest gauge wire.

[@ajmedeiros77]

@@evilhamsterman Yeah that makes sense because the theaters what’s the most important thing. Like you said it probably should be 12 days since they’re running some high draw stuff off of that outlet

[@GregBrecker]

I think you meant to say 20 amp outlet not 20 amp breaker in your ending comments. But otherwise very good.

[@frozenhouse5362]

I have just gotten one step closer to being the smartest man on Earth,Thanks for the video

[@frozenhouse5362]

@@Kevin-mp5of Thanks for replying

[@parkloqi]

The receptacle manufacturers should tighten all but one of each terminal screws so we unscrew them when we need them.

[@rainy131313]

Only other thing you didn't mention is mounting the outlet ground-side up.

[@billhandymanbill2775]

The National Electrical Code (NEC) is silent about the placement of the up or down of the ground opening so it is your preference to choose one. In hospitals, they have the ground on the top and so in Canada but most in the US, most residential and most commercial electrical have the ground at the bottom of the outlet.

[@johnomalia5117]

There is no valid reason to do this. An old wife's tale said in an office you could drop a paperclip and the grounding pin would deflect it before it could hit the hot side of the plug. How absurd.

[@bernsfindsandmore7636]

If the electricians would carry a low torque electric screwdriver (hint hint...m12 using ECX bit), they would be able to tighten the unused screws in a few seconds. I know cause I did a couple new installations within a few mins.