Load Testing DIY Wire Connectors | What Could Go Wrong!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Homeowners Insurance Survey - n6ybsxp0y7y.typeform.com/to/I9U8iLnm Favorite DIY Electrical Supplies (WAGO) - amzn.to/3RV5lt9 Harbor Freight Lever Nuts - www.harborfreight.com/compact-lever-wire-connector-assortment-25-piece-70056.html DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.

[@landerselectric]

You’re almost there, man! Almost to 1MIL Subs! Come on everybody let’s share this video and get him to 1MIL Subs today!! Thanks for making all this content. Bringing so much value to everyone!

[@giocalitri]

Do you have a link for the thermal camera you are using?

[@Stefan_Smith]

Which direction was the power source originating from? Was the wire nut closer or further from that source? And is resistance being passed down the line

[@KevinSmith-ys3mh]

​@@Stefan_Smith- With this setup, the power direction wont matter, but the wire nut is closer to the plug. All the connects are daisy-chained in series on the same wire, so the current thru each will be identical. Only the voltage dropped (by resistance) of each device will differ, and that generates the heat for comparison. The real issue is will these plastic gadgets stand up to ageing well, and be safe in a wall 45 years later? (looking at the outlets across the room 🤨with back stab connects that HAVEN'T aged well!)

[@skinlab4239]

You have been using it for years and years? How many?

[@maxe7286]

The Harbor Freight lever nuts are rated for 24-12AWG stranded, but 24-10AWG solid. It says so pretty clearly on the front of the package (see 1:01). The marking on the body of the lever nut is likely specifying the stranded AWG because stranded is slightly larger than solid in cross-sectional area. Stranded 10AWG would likely not fit, so they wrote "12AWG" to be safe.

[@blueline308]

He is such a WAGO fan boy.

[@jeffweber8244]

Yeah it’s pretty obviously written on the package. Made up controversy for a video is disappointing.

[@ArmyMedicRN]

It's because he gets money when you shop his Amazon storefront which sells Wago.

[@josefpichler7271]

While Europe eletrocians are Wago fanboys. Hey would you think?​@@blueline308

[@blipco5]

@@blueline308Wago fanboys are those that don’t know how to make a proper wire nut splice. Wago are for hackers.

[@person880]

One thing to point out is that whatever resistance the material inside wire nuts has is not all that relevant because the electrical connection is between the two ends of the wires themselves. This is not the case for lever nuts, so their materials' resistance is more important to know.

[@UKsystems]

It is worth knowing on a wire not because most manufacturers tell you not to pre-twist so if you follow their instructions, it is much more critical

[@ModelLights]

@@UKsystems 'because most manufacturers tell you not to pre-twist ' They're telling you not to pre-twist because twisting the nut on twists the wires and helps form a better, gas tight connection between the wires. If you pre-twist the wires, you already brought them close when twisting, and putting the wire nut on is likely to move the already twisted wires slightly apart in many places, and make a worse connection. 'Don't pre-twist' helps make the internal wire nut parts' resistance even less important, not more important. When it's done correctly the wire nut makes a good wire to wire connection and the wire nut is there for mechanical stability over time.

[@UKsystems]

@@ModelLights however they also say only one quarter turn so I do not believe they’re the best product that is the official guidance

[@longshot7601]

Yep. I've had problems with the push in Wagos to the point that I don't use them anymore. If they are pre-installeds in new incandescent can lights I cut them out, twist and wire nut them. I'm not concerned with LED lighting since the amperage is so low.

[@person880]

@@longshot7601 And what problems are those? Lift lever, push in wire, close lever. If you had problems with them overheating, you were doing something wrong.

[@TheWilferch]

As expected the HF version is not junk and tested well , especially vs. price. I will admit I like the smaller size and test port capability of the WAGO..... good job.....

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@benellishooter3907]

Need to test separately, these are so close together, once that wire is hot it could transfer heat to the next connector. Also putting a piece of electrical tape on each connector will let your IR camera read the same surface since they’re all different. Thanks for taking the time to put this out!

[@stevecampbell7620]

First thing I saw and completely agree. Test one connector at a time not 3 connectors in series. Edit forgot to mention if I see the UL listing. Yes I would use it in MY house.

[@R290s_biggest_fan]

It does not matter

[@dubmob151]

Dispense with the IR camera entirely and just measure the voltage developed across the connector, and get a direct measurement of resistance instead of trying to infer heat dispassion using the IR pictures, which is very imprecise due to the variation in emissivity. Voltage measurement would be much easier to do though maybe less impressive looking.

[@charliesullivan4304]

@@dubmob151 the goal is not to find out about resistance through measurement of temperature. It's the other way around. The reason we care about resistance is the generation of heat and ultimately temperature is what can be a problem. And what matters is that temperature relative to capability of the materials used.

[@pauljanssen7594]

Yes

[@hotpuppy1]

Wire nuts over a pre-twisted connection won't have any resistance caused by the wire nut. It just insulates the connection. If the wires were not pre-twisted, that might be another story as it depends on how many conductors there are under the wire nut and how well they twist as the nut is put on. You should try that with a test. Also try doing an old school installation like they did with knob and tube: twisted wire, soldered and then covered with gutta percha (rubber goo) and friction tape.

[@whattheschmidt]

He's running 50% more amps through the wire than any house wire will basically allow to have through these. It's not a concern at all.

[@KevinSmith-ys3mh]

​@@whattheschmidt- Yes obviously, the post isnt saying there is a point of concern, he's suggesting the basic Western Union splice as the baseline of comparison ( it is historically exellent performing, just a PITA to do!).

[@EpicHeroSandwich]

Agreed. as long as the wires don't come under tension and aren't under day to day vibration, wire nuts are generally fine. If it's vibrating every day, probably get a crimp nut and a proper cap for it. Crimping pliers really aren't that expensive nowadays, get some decently wide ones so the cap gets cut over halfway.

[@charliesullivan4304]

Wire nuts do not just provide insulation on a twisted connection. If you just twist, you have good contact to start with, but over time, particularly with thermal cycles, that contact will relax. The wire nut adds compression to maintain good contact over time.

[@dexecuter18]

THAAAATS what that was. lol it wasn't until this comment I could figure out what the hell a connection was for my house's porch light. Never saw it before and was befuddled on how something just taped could be so hard to undo. Ended up just clipping it and making the connection with a Wago since I thought was just taped together.

[@johnmckenzie6292]

I applaud this testing. However, I need to respectfully note that using the Flir thermal imager spot temperate to measure the resistive heat will likely not give you accurate temperatures. The emissivity of the surface being measured significantly affects accuracy. The thermal resolution of the FLIR ONE is relatively low (80x60 pixels), which may not capture fine details needed for precise measurements on small components like connectors. The spot temperature measurement has so many problems that the NFPA standard has removed it from the TI basic setting on TICs designed for firefighting. Firefighters are still getting injured or killed by depending on the spot temperature. What you're measuring: The spot temperature reading is measuring the amount of infrared radiation emitted from a specific small area (the "spot") on the surface you're targeting. The camera then converts this infrared energy reading into an estimated temperature value. If the emissivity setting on the camera doesn't match the actual emissivity of the surface, the temperature reading will be inaccurate. I hope this is helpful,

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

That does help but what would be a better and more accurate method for measuring temp?

[@BobRobertsons]

@@EverydayHomeRepairs I would put a strip of kapton or electrical tape on all of them so they all have the same emissivity, and measure the temperature off of the tape.

[@limprooster3253]

​@@BobRobertsons I'll second that. At work they teach to use Scotch 33 electrical tape specifically, as it has an emissivity of around 0.9. some of the Chinese electrical tapes are darn near invisible to an IR cam

[@charliesullivan4304]

​@@limprooster3253the tape trick is great, and will give you an accurate measurement of the surface temperature. However, the surface temperature isn't necessarily what we care about most-if there's an internal spot that's hotter, that would be good to know. So far more certainty, I would want to measure the temperature internally. For the wire nut, one could simply put a thermocouple against the twisted wires, and make sure the nut squeezes it against them. For the Wago and knock off, you might be able to take the plastic housing apart, solder a type J thermocouple to the metal, and then put it back together.

[@charliesullivan4304]

​@@EverydayHomeRepairsalso consider that what do you care about is how hot it gets relative to the temperature rating of the wire insulation, and the temperature rating of the materials in the connector. So just what temperature it gets to isn't the whole story.

[@CajunReaper95]

As others pointed out there’s nothing confusing about the wire specs as it says on the packaging that each wire size is dependent on the type of wire used, stranded and solid conductor!

[@williamdouglas8040]

You should run these in a sealed plastic wiring box. Then after some time take the cover off and quickly check the temperature. It would be interesting to observe the impact of a prolonged heat source in a semi-insulated environment. The resistance increases with temperature which in turn, generates more heat. This feedback can result in you reaching the 220 deg mark much sooner then expected.

[@thedopplereffect00]

Thermal cameras are fun for KZbin, but just measure the voltage drop across the connection and measure the current with an amp meter. You can directly calculate the watts directly.

[@AySz88]

That gives you the amount of heat that the product needs to dissipate, but doesn't ensure that it actually successfully dissipates that heat without adverse effects. So that equilibrium temperature is in itself informative about the scenarios of concern.

[@ericlaing435]

Ammeter. Not amp meter.

[@charliesullivan4304]

​@@AySz88the surface temperature still isn't the full story, because you really want to know the internal temperature, and you want to know the temperature ratings of the materials used. Testing to failure can actually be a pretty good approach to get a rough amateur comparative assessment.

[@burnedupsparkytipsandrevie9597]

Divide your voltage drop by your curent and you'll have your resistance. Also using a piece of black tape will give all terminations the same emissitivity, and running the test longer to allow heat to develop, as well as cycling loads on and off will give a greater stress test due to expansion and contraction of conductors. I may have to set this up and test with the company's flir camera and use software to verify the hotest components.

[@burnedupsparkytipsandrevie9597]

​@charliesullivan4304 as long as all components have the same emissitivity it will give you a good indication on which connection is the higher resistance one

[@Cobb]

1:42 it says right on the box 24-12 for stranded wire and and 24-10 for solid wire, so the back is probably listing the smaller range of stranded.

[@alandaters8547]

You have a sharp eye-Thanks.

[@calebbigelow7556]

Noticed that right away.. i feel like the guy doing this video shoulda realized that? It's not rocket science

[@Nevets1970]

As an electrician of 31 years, I Only use wire nuts for any household use. The Only time I’ve used a wago type connector is for Fire Alarms where wire nuts are not allowed anymore. I also use a terminal type connector for Fire Alarms mostly. Some people don’t like mixing stranded and solid wire in wire nuts, but if you have enough experience it’s not a problem. I strip stranded about 1/4” longer than solid then line the insulation together so the stranded looks longer allowing it to Wrap around the solid inside the wire nut.

[@dorhocyn3]

The harbor freight ones look like they would be good to keep kicking around on the workbench near my oscilloscope and other stuff for temporary testing things

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Yeah, that would be a good use case 👍

[@tailgunner2]

I use those level nuts with my meter leads all the time. Much easier than stuffing the lead into the wire nut.

[@RHort1337]

Per an email conversation I had with a senior Harbor Freight customer service rep, these arw rated to 41 amps. I find that a bit hard to believe but bravo if so. Far above what they should encounter even with 10s.

[@ToxicityAssured]

Look at how much more metal the HF has inside. I believe it, beefy build! Now test breaking off the little levers!

[@dubmob151]

Try running car starter current through them to push the boundaries, that'd be more video fodder

[@pookatim]

The wire-nut will always win the resistance test because the wire-nut itself doesn't affect anything. The wire is twisted around itself. On the lever-type devices they are actually "connectors". The power passed from one wire to a buss-bar and then to another wire. Anytime you add a connector to a buss-bar then to a connector to a wire there will be a loss of efficiency due to resistance. An interesting study would be comparing an entire house wired with traditional wire-nuts vs the same house wired with lever connectors. How much overall efficiency is lost over time? I don't know if it is significant but it certainly could be especially when relying on solar and/or battery power.

[@BenjaminEsposti]

My guess is that compared to the entire runs of wire, the connectors' resistance doesn't have much effect.

[@ryanclarke2161]

With wire nuts a lot of energy would be lost when the house burnt down.

😂

[@sparksmcgee6641]

​@@ryanclarke2161 😅😅😅😅😅😅 That was good.

[@electvolt67]

I agree....he's also not turning the load off and on to have the copper contract and expand. Over time those connection will fail....just like backstabbed outlets do.

[@LowlyDegenerate]

I love wago style connectors for car electrical. As long as it doesnt need to be weatherproof, they are fantastic. I love them for wiring in stuff like radios, gauges, and speakers. Ill be picking up the HF ones after i run out of the Ideals

[@RwP223]

Wagos seemed to have worked great for hooking up gauges in my car recently, I'm using all stranded wire so hopefully there aren't issues there. Handy to have a 5 place for switched power and another 5 place for ground.

[@LowlyDegenerate]

Brother wait until you want to swap out to a different gauge. The ease of just flipping a lever and pulling the gauge wiring out damn near made me cry vs chopping away crimp connectors and worrying about how little wire is gonna be left on the stock harness. I've had a tach wired in for a couple years at this point with the Ideal connectors, haven't had any issues with it being stranded wiring. Works well for radios and speakers too

[@Brood_Master]

Good information. I enjoyed seeking the comparison... As an electrician with 36 years in the trade. I have always questioned the wago wire connectors. Preferring and trusting the wire nuts more. Much of my courier, I did service work repairing what others have installed. I found in my experience more failures of wago's than wire nuts. However, the vast majority of failures in both wago and wire nuts were due to obvious instalation errors like not getting the wire inserted properly... Granted, most of these wago failures were on the old non-lever wago's...

[@myself248]

It's good practice, when using a 3- or 5-position levernut, to put the feed in the middle and the taps on either side, to minimize the distance of busbar that current flows, thus minimize I²R heating. Using only the outermost positions is harmless since there's still plenty of thermal margin as you've seen, but suboptimal. It'd be interesting to repeat this test with two 221-415's, using only the innermost positions on one, and the outermost on the other.

[@patricke3848]

Interesting test, but I think the key is the the HF connector is UL listed, so they've already done thorough testing.

[@CharlesRichards-t2w]

Great information - thank you. It would also be helpful to know the voltage drop across each of the connectors in order to calculate the resistances.

[@Luke-qc1rm]

Nice comparison! Next test like this, would you feature a twisted wire without a nut? I think this would be the bare minimum temp and would therefore provide a nice baseline. Keep up the awesome work. Been watching for years, happy to see your success

[@MarkLawry]

Great work. Keep it up. I respect the accuracy of your videos. I think some of the comments here are valid. Wrapping the connection in black tape would make the emissivity the same. Also, It would be interesting to compare some of these connections as done in the field by DIYers like myself. For my DIY work, I will stick with Wagos. It is a concern that the Amp rating is not stated on the HF connectors.

[@Robyrob7771]

Use the WAGO at work. Makes things so much easier and faster! Love them!

[@banger226]

Been buying my Wago connectors at Home Depot. Might be a little bit higher, but I get them immediately.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

That is convenient now. Both HD and Menards carry them in my area.

[@charliesullivan4304]

Also, Amazon doesn't keep good control of their supply chain to guarantee you don't get counterfeits. Buying from a hardware or electrical retailer or supply house is safer.

[@mgelliott86]

I get mine from work lol, free 99

[@themikeroberts]

​@@charliesullivan4304Yeah, Amazon mixes all "shipped by Amazon" inventory. So third party sellers and Amazon's own inventory all get mixed together. A customer service rep told me that's true. I never buy anything from Amazon that I'm worried about it being a counterfeit. Plus most chain stores will price match "sold by Amazon" prices.

[@joshuamorin2762]

It makes perfect sense for the temperatures. The wires are connected and will have the lowest resistance. The other connectors are passing the electricity through the connector then back to a wire. You are adding connection points which add resistance.

[@LogicalNiko]

The Wago and the Ideal whatever nuts are the only ones I trust. Each has some specific advantages to their design, and has been heavily certified. I’m not sure I would take the gamble on Pittsburgh having done the same level of QA on their production line

[@KiltedTitan]

Will most likely start using wago c9nnectors when i redo my basement and with electrical work going forward. Haven't been yet, but like the idea. Just started doing the snap connector types for electrical outlets that at 15 amp limits. Been holding up pretty good thus far.

[@manuelvalenzuela5729]

Thank you for the review! Based on it I feel the HF connectors would be fine for 20 and 15 amp branch circuits. And they offer significant savings. Since the wires are easily removed from these kind of connectors the lack of a hole for a probe on the HF ones would not be a big deal.

[@_DigitalCam]

An important point that I think needs to be made clear here, Wagos are GREAT for DIY folks. I see a bunch of professionals in the comments saying the wire nut is cheaper and runs cooler, so why would you not go with them? For using in bulk for the electrician folks running jobs that require HUNDREDS of connections, you probably should be using wire nuts. The issue is, if a wire nut is installed incorrectly, it will almost always cause an open in a circuit or even worse, an arc or short that could cause major damage. A Wago is very simple to use and hard to misapply. For DIY folks, it’s likely better that they pay double for the Wago, especially when they are only using 3 at a time and the total cost might be $1.50. There’s a reason Wagos are growing in popularity. It’s just like a soldered copper plumbing connection vs a shark bite. If soldering is done right, it’s probably better. But how many average homeowners are able to solder all their own repairs. The Wagos are a great product whether people want to believe it or not. If you prefer wire nuts, use them. But Wagos are a perfectly acceptable alternative if you’re willing to pay extra. Wagos are UL Listed to be used in most any way a wire nut is. Remember that your opinion isn’t all that important and that you have the right to one just as everyone else does.

[@100vg]

I already have a WAGO 36-piece pack from your link, so I'll stay with that, but it's good to know the Harbor Freight alternative is nearly as good. However, size matters in a small space like an electrical outlet/switch box, and the Harbor Freight does not have the test points, so WAGO is still the way to go for me. Thanks, Scott. 👍👍

[@toecutterjenkins]

Conductor to conductor contact will always be best.

[@MrGGPRI]

I took a temp gun to the aluminum connections in my breaker power panel; the readings were frightening. A good tightening reduced the poor connections substantially. Built in the era during the manufactured copper wire shortage. Probably need to apply the special lube designed for aluminum to all the connections but this is not a job for me..

[@danielgoodman3578]

As someone who so far uses home electrical knowledge to swap ceiling fans and light fixtures where I live and not massive jobs like a pro would have, looks like I ought to stick with wire nuts. Thanks for the analysis.

[@mrconana]

I’d like to see long term cycling results. Heat and cool cycling will provide opportunities for pressure changes in the connections. This may lead to more heating if contact point oxidize. I also find it odd that the wire looked as hot as the lever nuts, but the wire nut was cooler than everything else. That’s worth a closer look.

[@UKsystems]

Generally, it should not get hot and then cool down if this is happening, there is a bit of a problem if it repeats

[@mrconana]

@@UKsystems Exactly! Circuit loads aren’t constant. If normal loads can heat a connection up, it will heat and cool. What level of heat/cool cycle is becomes a future failure?

[@UKsystems]

@@mrconana no in normal conditions heating should not happen over a connection that’s an abnormal load

[@robertbiedermann4255]

@@mrconana if you use the thought processes in most of the responses above, if you change to Celsius, you’ll have better results. Hahahaha

[@sqeekykleen49]

Add the ambient heat to the added heat the electrical load puts on them... now at 3 am when the air and ambient are cold is when arcing happens. Keep your splices tight. Cycling matters. ​@@UKsystems

[@jonc5152]

great work - super important topic for DIY people... I often lay awake at night thinking about the quality of my electrical and plumbing connections. It would be nice, if you revisit this, to add wall insulation to the setup and see how that affects heat dissipation/ peak temps

[@pit4955]

Thx for the comparison testing, definitely going with Harbor Freight 👍

[@36736fps]

I think the listed maximum temperature of 221 is the max ambient temperature surrounding the connector, not the max allowable for the connector itself. This test does demonstrate what I have maintained for years - Wagos have more resistance than twisted wires insulated with a wire nut. I use wire nuts for main connections that could approach the max for the wire size, and I use Wagos for overhead lighting connections where speed is important but the amperage is low.

[@kcgunesq]

Would a soldered and crimped connection be the best choice if one really wanted to bulletproof the install?

[@jackflash6377]

@@kcgunesq Soldered and crimped (if using good crimps and crimp pliers. Beware those cheap Chinese, too soft.) will give you a much better connection than those lever connectors. Fact.. all connections on the Space Shuttle were crimped. Solder can cause stress points since it is not flexible, stress points.. well you know what happens when you bend copper too many times.

[@charliesullivan4304]

​@@kcgunesqsolder or crimp. If you do a proper soldered connection, first twisted together and then soldered, there's no reason to crimp anything in top. You do of course need to do a good job of taping on top of the solder. Or, if you choose to crimp, there should be no solder involved. If the contact is through the crimp you want direct connection to the copper without any solder in between.

[@RichardSkokowski]

I like the Wago Lever Nuts (and Ideal In-Sure) wire connectors for connecting the stranded wires on AC light fixtures to the solid conductors in the box. The lever action lets you prep the wires and then easily "poke and lock" while juggling the fixture. I would prefer the classic American wire nuts (or even a European style screw type terminal block) for any serious current, but I feel that the lever types will do a better job mating to stranded wire at lower currents.

[@bwobbles2368]

Like the video a lot and appreciate the time you put into the review! Small note on the heat measurement, thermal imaging of different objects is not always very reliable in cases like this. The different material types, and finishes can transmit and reflect the IR wavelengths differently/their emissivity is different. This may sound trivial but can have massive effects in uses like this. An actual temperature probe is far more accurate in cases like this.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Yeah, I am starting to explore a thermocouple setup to get a more accurate reading. Thanks for the feedback!

[@What1zTyme]

Excellent lesson/demonstration/seminar.. show and tell? Appreciate your effort and concise delivery!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@louf7178]

Interesting to see such a lower temperature (via contact resistance) with the wire nuts. My impression between the two styles is that wire nuts provide higher contact pressure -- and that is a big issue.

[@jackflash6377]

Higher contact pressure and look at the spring inside, it has a sharp edge that digs into the wire creating a gas tight (no corrosion) seal with the soft copper. Far superior to those lever connectors. I would never use those in my house. A fire waiting to happen since they have no provision for a gas tight seal. Just search "gas tight seal electrical connection" Panduit has a very good write up on the theory and practice of using solder or crimps.

[@greevous]

Probably pay to check the Chinese versions as they may be rated for 220v systems that are common in China and a large portion of the rest of the world where 30amps is not a reasonable amperage to expect for any circuit other than within the main fuse box, the common amperage rating max is normally 15amps and most commonly 10amps when using 220-240v systems.

[@DKWalser]

Thanks for this review. I recently saw that Harbor Freight had brought out some lever nuts, but their website was low on specifics. It is good to see that they don't run hot. It's a shame that they are larger than the 400-series Wago lever nuts. My home was built in the 1980s. Space in the boxes is always an issue because the smart switches and outlets I'm installing are larger than the originals they are replacing. For that reason, I don't think the HF offering will be an option for me. If I were installing a new, larger, box, they might be an option. But, I'm not going to keep some HF lever nuts on hand for use only in those circumstances.

[@therealgreenmonsta7264]

You have one of the most informative channels on youtube. Great vid

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks so much, really appreciate the feedback 👍

[@therealgreenmonsta7264]

@@EverydayHomeRepairs I've learned a lot over the years from your content. Your videos are very straight forward with no bullshit. You've got me diving down the solar rabbit hole. Lol

[@F0XD1E]

Are the Wago connectors designed and intended for Europe with the 240V mains? The lower current in those systems would cause less heat build up.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Oh yes, that is actually where WAGO 221 is more popular 👍

[@jaywelker5566]

probably a great option for low voltage (DC) applications. $7 for a pack of HF on a 30% off sale makes these very compelling for stuff like trailer wiring junction boxes and that sort of stuff. I'd probably skip these in AC circuits though. Light circuits at best or just having a box around for using them as temporary test connection ports. As Wago/lever nuts are very nice for quickly splicing wires/home made test leads and testing something you may be working on the bench and want to just quickly test before you give the device an actual new cord or plug. And I prefer not to use wire nuts for that application as they'll chew up the wire over time. Lever nuts are also great for when you want to just put one of your meter probes into the actual ports and lock it in. You can also test off the little probe ports too, but if you want to free up your hands and not have to juggle wire bundles I prefer to just latch the probe right into the circuit I want to test.

[@jeffreygalle]

So what do you use

[@curlydave7689]

If I assume a 70 degree F ambient in your test room, the temp increase of the lever connectors is in the 55 degree F region. Now let me give you as little scenario I am experiencing in real life. I am replacing some roof-mounted air conditioner units. The wire is routed through the attic. In my area, every summer there are some 110 degree days during summer, which is the time when both the long-term current used by the AC is highest and when the attic will reach its maximum temp. I haven't measured the max attic temp and won't be able to until next summer, but I am going to guess 140-160 degrees F. Use the same 55 degree increase for the lever connector and suddenly we are very uncomfortably close to the 221 F max of the connectors. Looks like it is back to the tried and true wire nuts for me...

[@Electronics.guy.101]

Would REALLY like to see you break them both open and inspect the difference in quality of the clamping metal inside!!

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

I did break a few open but thought it would drag the video out a bit too long. Overall the busbar on the WAGO is superior as compared to the Harbor Freight. WAGO has always at least appeared to be the best design and materials as compared to any lever nuts I have come across. Thanks for the feedback.

[@Electronics.guy.101]

@@EverydayHomeRepairs good to know,,, sometimes i can get tempted at a cheaper price point,,, so these kinda info really does keep me straight!!

[@machineman6498]

Possible corrosion over time.

[@UKsystems]

It’s kind of a case of the brand-name ones are better, but other ones are good enough so they won’t be as good but they will be good enough for the regulation to say it’s allowed

[@blazinking310]

This is great ! Maybe try same test with insulation over the top ?

[@jasonb4370]

I so appreciate what you do....... thank you 😊 I showed this to my boss. He is very old school.

[@KnowEverythingAboutNothing]

I've seen the wago inline splice connector come on rail mounts, fricken awesome if you need to make things neat.

[@videoforgeeks]

@7:50 It has nothing to do with the heat signature and everything to do with adjusting the parallax between the two cameras lenses so both images align properly when viewing. There is a manual slider on the app when viewing the image that you can move for that function.

[@rcboosted]

I think he's saying the heat signature is physically displayed "offset" from the silhouette. Not that the heat caused it to shift.

[@videoforgeeks]

@@rcboosted You would be surprised how many don't know that they can adjust that parallax offset.

[@davidnewell897]

Nice review Scott. So, I know a lot of people who tape over their connections, be it a wire nut, Wago connector, or any other connector. Curious to know if that would increase the temperature at all.

[@fastst1]

I'd be interested in the metallurgy of the strips inside the connector. simple things like aluminum ATC fuses have caused me some massive headaches in brass fuse blocks in damp situations.

[@RCMServices]

Would be interesting to see what the wire nut would be without twisting. This is common for DIYer's to do.

[@retiredfedleo6441]

The only application I'd use Wago-style lever connectors is joining solid and stranded wires, you're likely to get a better connection with less time expended than using a wire nut. For joining solid wires, I think wire nuts are the proven standard and are much cheaper, they also have much more wire area in surface contact which is why they have less resistance and run cooler.

[@ronblack7870]

less time but not a better connection

[@evilhamsterman]

Lever connectors have been proven for years in Europe and they've been used for decades now in the US. Just because something has been around longer doesn't mean it's better. I'd argue more fires have been caused per capita by incorrectly installed wire nuts, even by professionals, than by lever connectors. It's just so much easier to get the installation correct with levers whether stranded, solid, or mixed. And when it comes to cost, any downside in higher connector cost is likely offset by faster installation and fewer mistakes. I'm saying wire nuts are bad, but don't just dismiss lever connectors because they're new. There's obviously a reason everyone is starting to make them. Ideal, Leviton, Harbor Freight, Gardner Bender, etc

[@KaminKevCrew]

The lever nuts have been the standard in Germany and I believe much of Europe for literally well over a decade at this point. Wire nuts are cheaper, but imo they’re pretty annoying. You have to keep multiple sizes around depending on the combination of wires you’re trying to connect, and they’re much more time consuming to apply - at least in my experience, as someone who doesn’t do electrical every day. Additionally, with the super fine stranded wire that a lot of fixtures use these days (as you mentioned), wire nuts can be a massive pain. I quite like lever nuts (as is probably obvious) - they’re fast and easy to use, and they make connecting stranded to solid wire an absolute cinch. Plus, being able to probe the connection easily is a big plus for me, as I also use the lever nuts on low voltage hobby projects for their convenience. As far as the temperature goes, yeah - they get hotter, but as long as you’re actually following the ratings as far as packing and everything goes, it’s not a problem at all. They’re made out of polycarbonate (as far as I’m aware), which is incredibly resilient, even when exposed to heat for long periods of time. It doesn’t melt until ~500F - if you’re getting to those temperatures with a lever nut, you have other issues. I could see an argument for wire nuts in an industrial application where the lower conductivity could cause significant voltage drop due to super long wire runs having a bunch of splices, but the vast majority of homes won’t/shouldn’t have wire runs like that. This clearly doesn’t actually cause a problem in homes at least, or it wouldn’t be the standard in Europe. Wago lever nuts are expensive, but honestly for a house build, or a significant house remodel, a few hundred extra dollars for Wagos is basically a drop in the bucket.

[@Chris_at_Home]

@@evilhamstermanin Europe they run 220-240 volts so things like a 1000Watt toaster draws only about 4 amperes instead of 8 amperes in the USA.

[@evilhamsterman]

@@Chris_at_Home I'm aware they use higher voltage meaning less amps for a device, so what? The lever connectors are rated for 30-40 amps. As he showed here he was stressing them way beyond what they normally would be used for and they were fine. Higher than I'd like in my wall but not a normal situation, even the nut was hot.

[@TealDobber]

Awesome job here. While watching this it occurred to me something I'd love to see, and I'm betting it would support your opinion on recommending that style. Here's the idea. See if you can gather a bunch of your non-electrician friends and get them to wire something like this. Then repeat your test. How do their mistakes affect the test results?

[@pineappleboi27]

The discrepancy you pointed out with the harbor freight is explained directly on the package. Max of 12 for stranded, and 10 for solid. Likely on the connector itself they put 12 as 10 stranded likely wouldn’t fit.

[@camfocus8888]

Far IR heat signal doesn’t stop by plastic! That’s why you can see through most block walls. So it is cooler for sure and you can easily get by who has the most touching area too.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Thanks for the correction 👍

[@eddiefoy3701]

SO wrong. beyond wrong.

[@gonzalez7805]

Great test , hope you keep going so we can see the best priced products to performance... I'm completely against paying for a name ...

[@UKsystems]

Paying for a name is worth it items sometimes because it’s worth often paying a little bit of money to know something is good and properly made rather than trying an alternative where you might not not notice it is starting to meLt

[@rickschertz2341]

I usually Scotch 33 tape around the Wago connectors to prevent the levers from popping open while I’m pushing wires/ connectors into electrical boxes. Wonder if this would increase the heat produced by the Wago connectors. I also use Scotch 33 tape around the wire nuts as an added precaution.

[@colbybotts4809]

This is some great information and love the way you show the results. I am curious and would like to see the results done for a 15 amp circuit and a 20 amp circuit since this is what most of your household wiring would be rated at. Also would like to see the temp of the wire itself, in the Flir images it looked like the wires were getting warm too.

[@mjmeans7983]

I was hoping to see testing to the point of failure and the failure mode of each connector. Different kinds of plastics may look the same, but some will catch fire. I was wondering if the cheap knock offs were made with inferior plastics that would actually catch fire under conditions where the wago, harbor freight or wire nuts would not, and whether the harbor freight ones would catch fire before the wire nuts or wago.

[@charliesullivan4304]

Yes, and also, a supplier you don't trust might not use the high quality plastic with the right temperature and flame resistance consistently. There might be batches where the supplier cheaped out on it.

[@kokodin5895]

i see 2 problems with a test 1 that might be irrelevant but heat transfer over the wire might have made some scores dependent from each other, unless you feed them all on separate phases anyway if they wete stick on single wire chinese and wirenut connectors only get heat from the wago, but wago feels heat from both sides 2 it was open air test, i would really like to see what size of an enclosure is safe to use with them and how many of those connectors san you truff into one junction box without fire hazard

[@zackkress7541]

Just an FYI, you can adjust the offset on the flir camera to get the images to line up

[@JorgTheElder]

As others have said, the package clearly says 24-12 *STRANDED* and down to 10 for solid.

[@ElectroAtletico]

Here's a funny surprise - you can't find the "wago" at my local Harbor Freight. All sold out. p.s. Yeah, I got 3 boxes before they sold out!🤪

[@jjjacer]

yeah any harbor freight meme tool/object gets sold out fast, like the icon drop knife, or the gordon multitool, or the icon 1/4 mini ratchet/driver/bits, usually it takes about a month before they stay in stock enough for me to find them.

[@TechTimeWithEric]

I found out there’s a group on Facebook all about people turning the Apache cases into boomboxes. Apparently they’re all buying out the lever nuts for these projects

[@UKsystems]

They can generally keep cost low because they don’t have giant warehouses. Their whole store is their stock so and reduce cost if you want large quantities buy them directly from the manufacturer but you would need to buy a couple of thousand connectors

[@ElectroAtletico]

@@UKsystems ...was at the Harbor Freight store near me this AM. Still no extra "wago"-style wire connectors on the shelves. They've got them on stock 17 miles away. I'm glad I pulled those 3 boxes last month!! 🤪

[@chaos.corner]

Watch out for that. I spent a month going in and out of my local harbor freight waiting for some trim nails to reappear on the shelf. When I finally asked, it turned out they had them out back. :/

[@Pallidus_Rider]

Wire nuts have always worked for me. Readily available and inexpensive. 👍

[@mauryd3444]

With a proven track record when installed correctly.

[@tnyleo]

Id be curious to see this test done over with a larger spacing between each connection as well as insulation around them like if it was in a wall that was insulated not just an open cavity

[@adamfink5294]

Wagos are awesome in low current applications and are fantastically can be handy, but they simply will not perform as well as wire nuts when it comes to comparing which method of splicing has the lowest resistance connection. A Wago relies on its own internal busbar to connect wires in a circuit together whereas a wire nut simply insulates and maintains a proper wire-to-wire bond from either a pre-twist or through twisting the wires together under the nut (I do not like the latter method, but some people swear by it and some wire nuts are rated for creating the bonding twist). The Wago inherently adds resistance to the circuit because it stands in between the wires where the bond from the wire nut effectively does not since the connection between the wires are the wires themselves (when installed CORRECTLY!!!). The resistance from the Wago is small, but measurable and can add up when Daisy chained between a bunch of receptacles on one circuit. It would be very interesting to record voltage drop on the final receptacle of three otherwise identical circuits with 8 receptacles daisy chained each using a test case of wire nut connections with a pigtail running to the receptacle in each box, a second case where the wire nut is replaced by a Wago, and finally a third case where the receptacle's busbar is utilized as the means of bonding the wires (only wire nut/Wagon on ground wire). This is not a ding on Wagos. They have a good place in the field and I use them frequently (electrician here), but their limitations should be understood. Honestly, in low duty-cycle applications I do still use Wagos in environments that could potentially draw a lot of current. The foremost extreme example I can think of is under cabinet receptacles. There is almost no space to use wire nuts in those annoying fixtures, so I use Wagos despite knowing a lot of current will pass through them since Wagos are rated for 20+ amps and literally drop the install time by about 15-20 minutes per fixture (about a 50-60% drop install time and an 80% drop in install frustration). The current that passes through them will only exist for a few minutes at a time (almost never for more than an hour... I'm looking at air fryers/countertop ovens as worst case scenario...).

[@0202fabrice]

Most of the wire nut preference I read are predicated on proper installation practice - 1) un-oxidized copper wire (not stuff left in the shed 20 yrs!!); 2) same for the wire nuts themselves; 3) cleanly stripped to proper length; 4) pre-twisted to maximize wire-to-wire contact, and 5) twisted far enough in the wire nut to produce a gas-tight interface between the wire mating points. All are matters of professionalism. Even so, as you said, there are times and places where WAGOs provide a good tradeoff for space and time, and still work reliably, with certifications. However, WAGO-style connectors offer one benefit not found in wire nuts, and which is important in many real-life situations. The sharp point of contact they make with the wire produces a low resistance contact even when the wire surface is dirty or oxidized. Just a tug to prove they're captured.

[@chipstrat]

Also useful would be to measure the voltage drop across each connector. That number times the actual current flow would give you the watts being dissipated in the junction, and you could calculate the actual resistance in ohms.

[@schmi146]

Good experimental verification. Double the joints, double the resistance.

[@TwilightxKnight13]

“Old school” electricians like to complain about WAGO connectors and claim they fail, but one of the most common failures in electrical work is loose wire nut connections, usually with neutrals where it is more common to have a greater number of wires under a single wire nut. Also, wires that are pushed out of the wire nut as it is tightened, especially with stranded wire. These specific failures are much less likely when using WAGO-style connectors.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Amen, I completely agree 👍

[@joncaudill3214]

You're right. Incorrect installation can mess up a wire nut connection. Installed correctly, wire nuts are better than lever connectors.

[@TwilightxKnight13]

@@joncaudill3214 from a purely technical perspective, I agree, but there is more to consider. As long as both will perform their intended function, if one is significantly cheaper and/or quicker to install, what’s the problem. Brick is better than wood for construction. Do you only use brick? Of course not. Poured concrete is better than block, but do we only use poured? No. Copper plumbing is better than Pex or PVC, but do we only use copper? We don’t always have to use the absolute best option, when there are others than can reasonably perform the same function.

[@joncaudill3214]

@TwilightxKnight13 your points are valid but only one of these scenarios burns your house down if installed improperly.

[@carstekoch]

​​@@joncaudill3214 A wood house is more likely to burn down, than a brick or concrete house. It is also more likely to be damaged by heavy storms. So even by your standard the example he provided is comparable, as a different use case can destroy the house.

[@qapla]

Interesting testing. However, to further enhance your data, you need to run the same test putting the connectors in each order. In all your tests, you have the wire nut first, the Wago second and the HF last. Re-do the same test rearranging the connectors so all have the chance to occupy each position. Also, run the test with each connector being the only connector in the line. Then compare all the data and see if the results are still the same. Looking forward to your complete testing with these connectors.

[@stevenosman1356]

Thanks for the video. Looks like the HF ones performed pretty well, albeit without the access port. I object slightly to your observation at the end that the Wago nuts are smaller. You tested the larger one and compared that to the HF, so the existence of a smaller model is irrelevant unless you can make the same claims about heat for the small ones.

[@maktheturd6220]

you should do a test to see if the metal content between wago and harbor freight has the same thickness and same type of metal.

[@tehsheik]

FYI, you can align the overlays in the menu on that thermal cam

[@13FPV]

You can align the silhouette with the heat signature by tapping the plus button on the Flir.

[@Brian-Burke]

I wonder if you could fit a thin thermocouple in each to get an internal temp. Also, I guess the Wago model is 221 because of the heat rating? Good video.

[@rickmills8391]

In your test you had from L to R, Wirenut, WAGO, HF. I would like to you test with the HF fist to verify the others are not picking up heat/resistance from the others. Good vid, thanks.

[@mikecastillo-tf8vn]

I agree. In the thermal images, it looks like the romex is getting pretty hot too so it's difficult to know the heat source.

[@stephsfishing4742]

Temperature is a good indicator but you should measure the voltage drop across each instead. Since you know the exact current, this will enable you to calculate the real internal resistance of each connection. The problem with putting them in series like that is if the voltage drop is significant enough the last device is not getting them volts as the first one (i.E different power/heat per connection)

[@MMinjin]

Every connector has exactly the same current because they are in series. That's all that matters.

[@stephsfishing4742]

@@MMinjin correct, the current is the same but that's NOT all that matters. R=V/I If V changes then R changes and therefore P will change. Change in P will cause a change in heat.

[@MMinjin]

@@stephsfishing4742 Resistance does not change. You have a fundamental misunderstanding of ohms law. I doubt I can correct it in a KZbin comment. Start with the wikipedia page for ohms law, electrical circuits, and kirchoff's laws and go from there. Current in the circuit is proportional to voltage source and inversely proportional to the total resistance. You are getting cause and effect mixed up. It isn't intuitive if you have never had a circuits class. Go read up on it.

[@DrJuan-ev8lu]

The temperature performance you measured is in open air. But that's not realistic. These connectors are always used in a confined electrical box inside a wall which can be surrounded by insulation. And there might be others in the same box contributing more heat. You should cram your test run into a small plastic wall outlet box, surrounded by spray-in foam and remeasure temperatures.

[@stephsfishing4742]

@@MMinjin the resistance (aka internal resistance of these connections) is not the same for each connector! That's fundamentally what we're testing here. The lower that resistance the better the connection the less heat generated. This is essentially a series resistive circuit with 3 different resistances and we're trying to see which resistance is the lowest. To calculate these resistances you need to measure the voltage drop across each. I don't understand why you don't agree with that.

[@steventrott8714]

I don’t think I could ever go cheap on a lever lock connector.

[@machineman6498]

@@steventrott8714 your insurance company thanks you

[@kaasmeester5903]

It's not like you're going to spend hundreds on connectors, on any install job. A 75 piece assortment of genuine Wagos goes for €35 here. Absolutely not worth trying to save money by using knockoffs.

[@That_Darn_Guy]

Don't worry your contractor will

[@philipstaite4775]

Agreed. As a DIY enthusiast I use so few of these the peace of mind from using the name brand is worth the cost delta.

[@thatguybrody4819]

The Harbor Freight ones have been UL tested though and performed basically the same for cheaper.

[@zeroibis]

Will be nice once you can get gel packs for the Harbor Freight ones for outdoor use. These could be a great lower cost option for low voltage weather exposed connections. I would love the option to use a wago style connector with water resistance at low cost for things like sprinkler manifolds and even landscape lighting.

[@tctf1]

I hope they do. I’ve been converting all of my in-ground decoder and solenoid gel encased wire nut connections with Wego inlines and gel boxes when making repairs. So much easier to work with but very expensive.

[@asusreviews]

Can I recommend doing a voltage drop test where you make a custom 12/2 wire and put say about 10-20 of these connectors in series and see how many volts are dropped from one connector to another? Need multiples in order to see a difference. Heat generation doesn't neceseccarily mean voltage drop is going to be worse, because some of them may have more thermal mass or the thermoplastic may help dissipate heat better.

[@s_m_v]

Would be cool to run the test to destruction and see which actually fails first.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

I need to get a larger setup. I bet they all start melting at around 80-90 Amps.

[@UKsystems]

I like your thinking hair, but it is worth knowing if you’re at the point of destroying connect to something has gone seriously wrong and the wire should probably be replaced as it is likely damaged due to it getting very hot

[@dmitryplatonov]

Wire insulation will melt off first.

[@izools]

Use a welder to give you the high current

[@_droid]

8 AWG nichrome wire can handle well over 100 amps with only one wire. If you used several wires in parallel it wouldn't get too hot. Just use an appropriate length of wire to get the watts you want straight across the power connector. Nothing special needed.

[@exkalibur25ca]

I would have liked to see the temperature of the wire as well.

[@pavil58yt]

My thoughts too! It was glowing pretty brightly wasn't it.

[@dalusa81]

I just got an email about these HF 'wago connectors'. found this video, and subscribed. TY!

[@junkerzn7312]

I really love WAGOs. My only peeve is that they don't seem to sell a 30A 10 AWG inline version. I run a lot of ferruled 10 AWG solar wiring and wind up having to use the 6xx series which does not appear to have an inline version. -Matt

[@wudntulike2no32]

On anything over 100 watts I will only use wire nuts. The only electrical connections that I have seen fail were the wago style connectors. Wire nuts have never given me a bad connection even when they were 20 years old.

[@Aepek]

0:33 already not fan of HF version, as bigger, and everyone knows you only have so much volume in a box to fill, but do love seeing competitors as keeps innovation moving forward and pricing pretty good

[@hilliswaddell5658]

Thanks! I was just looking at the Vanguard lever connectors this morning online. I'll stick with WAGO.

[@EverydayHomeRepairs]

Me too 👍, thanks for the feedback.

[@JamesSullivan-ru4op]

No discernment? Do you take another person's opinion for everything? This proved nothing bad toward the Harbor Freight parts. As a matter of fact, using his test ideals, he showed the wire nut superior. So you may as well go buy a bag of them since they are immensely cheaper, have been used for decades and safely so and prove the better choice in the tests here.

[@JimYeats]

It lists 24-12AWG on the back for the stranded, because that would be the safest thing to write down on them with very limited space. The stranded is the weakest link, so you would want to put the rating for that on the back when you only have room for that.

[@denisschneider5642]

Using the wago 2273 for basically everything in home installation with a solid core. A good bit cheaper and takes up less space

[@methods-SE]

To get a valid reading (from shiny/reflective metal surfaces) with a thermal camera you need to cover them with polyamide tape or paint them with white-out. Reflective metal surfaces create grossly incorrect readings and you can prove this with your own test. * Lay five objects on the table * Make sure one of them is shiny metal * Make sure they all have the same starting temperature * Observe and be amazed

[@dianeattaway8733]

I would like to see how these connectors with rough industrial environments and vibrations, such as in a motor junction box where we use wire nuts, especially when dirty water enters the box. Usually, wire nuts do well without corrosion if mounted upwards in the box, but do survive 480 volts for some time when immersed in water.

[@CraigHollabaugh]

Nice work. Thanks for the testing.

[@TheKingOfInappropriateComments]

I've been a homeowner for a little over 20 years. There are two things that will always go up and never come down. One of them is property tax and the other is insurance. All kinds of insurance. Property and casualty, auto, health. It just goes up and up and up and up.

[@ScottDLR]

The cheapo lever nuts are great for lower current items like low voltage LED lighting and speaker connections. When it comes to residential work, I'll stick with the best products

[@ktm42080]

Great tests. I'll stay with wire nuts, those new connectors remind me too much of "backstab" and "push connect".