13
I finally stopped using wire nuts wrong after an electrician called me out
Was wiring up a new light fixture in my basement last month and an old electrician buddy stopped by. He watched me twist the wires and said 'you're leaving too much copper exposed, that's how fires start.' Turns out I was only using about 3/4 inch of bare wire instead of the full 1/2 inch under the nut. He showed me how to strip exactly to the wire nut's depth and then tug test each joint. Anyone else ever get called out on something basic like this after years of doing it your own way?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
cameron6841mo ago
Man that tug test is so easy to skip but it really does save your bacon. I got called out by a buddy for not stripping wire cleanly, just yanking the insulation off with pliers and leaving little nicks in the copper. He showed me how those nicks can crack and cause a short under the nut over time. Felt pretty dumb since I'd been doing it that way for like five years with zero issues. But that one fix has made all my joints way more solid feeling. Glad you had someone set you straight before something bad happened.
6
Man that tug test is the real game changer. I've definitely skipped it more times than I wanna admit.
4