Advice The Home Improvement/Automation Thread

fly said:
I had to look this up to confirm, but pigtailing isn't required. And seems like a PITA since that's even more wires in the box.
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its smart to do. If you dont, you end up with your outlet being a series point of failure, when the outlet fails all downstream devices will as well, as well as all amperage draws in downstream devices having to pass through the outlet rather than through the rated wiring.

Yeah, it sucks from a wire fill perspective, but its the right thing to do.
 
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Domon said:
its smart to do. If you dont, you end up with your outlet being a series point of failure, when the outlet fails all downstream devices will as well, as well as all amperage draws in downstream devices having to pass through the outlet rather than through the rated wiring.

Yeah, it sucks from a wire fill perspective, but its the right thing to do.
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It seems outlet failures are pretty rare. And as long as the outlet is rated for that amperage, it will be fine. Thanks for making me look it up though. ;)
 
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Domon said:
its smart to do. If you dont, you end up with your outlet being a series point of failure, when the outlet fails all downstream devices will as well, as well as all amperage draws in downstream devices having to pass through the outlet rather than through the rated wiring.

Yeah, it sucks from a wire fill perspective, but its the right thing to do.
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This sounds a bit neurotic. I've walked through a lot of new builds, nobody is doing that crap. Besides, if you use the outside screw terminals(not the poke-in POSs) you have a solid piece of brass with two screws - how is that going to fail or effect the next outlet up stream? Most people will do a shit job on the pigtail and it's actually a hazard. *Outlets ran that way are still providing a parallel circuit, not series - short of a mechanical failure.
 
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Never seen it required in construction either. Each outlet is rated for the full amperage of the whole circuit.

Only place I'd do it is if you're powering something extremely critical, like a machine keeping someone alive, which would also have some kinda backup, battery, generator, etc.
 
Domon said:
never said it was. Its just good practice
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Just another place for shit to come apart/arc. Pigtail comes apart, you're series dead anyway. And more mess in the box. You are pigtailing in a box?
You can accomplish the same thing by stripping and looping - never cutting the wire. No series issues, no wonky nuts.
 
I always buy the fat boxes when I put in outlets.

Twisting wire nuts onto a bunch of copper, then twisting and cramming it all in the back of the box so I can shove the outlet/switch/whatever in, just doesn't feel right. And I hate full boxes - especially for shit like putting a big fat combo fan/light dimmer in a 1 gang box.
 
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Hey, ideal connectors have CSA/UL approval. Huh. I've used them in day job stuff but never thought about using them in home wiring.

Don't see anything in canadian electrical code forbidding them, or requiring wire nuts.

Thanks valve.
 
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gee said:
Hey, ideal connectors have CSA/UL approval. Huh. I've used them in day job stuff but never thought about using them in home wiring.

Don't see anything in canadian electrical code forbidding them, or requiring wire nuts.

Thanks valve.
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They also have a version approved for mixed-metal installations, which is a bonus for those of us with aluminum branch wiring.
 
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gee said:
Hey, ideal connectors have CSA/UL approval. Huh. I've used them in day job stuff but never thought about using them in home wiring.

Don't see anything in canadian electrical code forbidding them, or requiring wire nuts.

Thanks valve.
Click to expand...

i use wago levernuts regularly.

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